It’s another cold winter day in Manhattan, and I find myself writing my first official blog post ever to share with the masses. It’s a little intimidating, I must admit, to have my words and personal thoughts written down for the whole world to see. What will people think? What if they misinterpret what I’m trying to say? Will anybody care or even read this thing? But, in spite of my first-time-blogging jitters, I am determined as ever to write and share this post because our new world requires brave action. And well, this is what brave action looks like for me right now! So here I go.
Almost two weeks ago now, millions of people the world over witnessed an unbelievable moment in history when Barack Obama became the 44th President of the United States. For many, myself included, the inauguration represented the coming of a new era, not just in American politics, but in the way we view ourselves as citizens of this country, and even citizens of this world. As I looked at the throngs of spectators that showed up in the mall that day, I was overcome with emotion. Even through the television set, the sense of unity that the crowd had was palpable. What an exciting moment. I felt connected. Were you to present me with a challenge at that particular moment, no matter what it was, I felt like I could confidently answer you, “Yes I Can!” I was riding the wave of hope that so many of us seemed to feel that day.But a feeling of hope can sometimes be a fickle thing I’ve noticed. Perhaps it’s the gray sky, the plummeting economy, or this relentless cold I have, but by a few days after the inauguration, I was having a hard time hanging on to that thread of hope as I traversed the slushy streets of this city. Now, I’m not naïve enough to expect that everything will be happy-happy joy-joy now that Barack Obama is President. Nonetheless, the juxtaposition of that “Inauguration high” next to my “January blues” got me to thinking. How are we going to sustain the momentum of this “hope” thing without the energy of an election behind us? We can't ride "the inauguration wave" forever.
To seek solace and look for answers, I went to my bookshelf as I often do. I picked up one of my favorite books called Blessed Unrest by Paul Hawken. I closed my eyes and randomly opened to a page. The first sentence I read said “At the heart of all of this is not technology but relationships, tens of millions of people working towards restoration.” Now, how’s that for an answer? Relationships.
In order for us to sustain the possibility for real change, we can’t just do differently or think differently. We have to relate differently. We have to acknowledge our connectedness with everyone and everything and act from that place of unity, rather than from a divisive mind. We have to remember the African proverb that says “I am me through you.” There’s a little bit of each of us in everyone’s story. Strip away the labels we use to define ourselves -Democrat, Republican, rich, poor - and you’ll see very plainly that beneath them all, we are just one global family. If we can remember that, we won’t need a campaign to mobilize us. We won’t need the excitement of an inauguration to remind us of our inherent goodness and amazing resiliency. And, we’ll be able to weather those times when feelings of hope aren’t quite so prominent.
So, to get the ball rolling on this new era of “relating through unity”, I humbly offer some suggestions:
1. Extend your circle. Introduce yourself to someone not “like you” - find someone you wouldn’t typically hang out with. Ask about their interests or passions. Regardless of how the encounter unfolds, challenge yourself to find some commonality of being the two of you share. Ask yourself “What part of me do I see in him or her?”
2. Practice being a better listener. We’re all guilty at one time or another of “checking out” during a conversation and not really being present. Developing good listening skills takes practice. In your next conversation, practice paraphrasing and repeating back what the person has said to you. Ask them if you understood them correctly. Be genuine. Look at their eyes when they’re speaking to you.
3. Revive the narrative. Ironically, one of the most effective ways we strengthen our sense of oneness with each other is by sharing our unique individual stories. Though the details of our stories may appear different, the common themes of our humanity are weaved together like invisible threads underneath them all. So share together. Listen and tell. Unplug and unhook, and really connect. In this age of uber-technology, the lost art of conversation is sorely needed to help us restore a sense of true connection.
If all of us can practice these simple steps with conviction, we may not change the world tomorrow, but we’ll be a lot more prepared for the challenges ahead. People don’t stay committed to a cause because of frightening statistics, a bad economy, or divisive politics. Though fear (and hope, for that matter) can be a great mobilizer at times, for the road that lies ahead, we need a much stronger longer-lasting kind of bond. One that's been there all along, no matter our mood.
Our world now requires us to remember our roots; remember our connectedness; and remember our shared responsibility we have for each other’s well being and the well being of our planet. And at the risk of sounding blatantly cliché, we must indeed not only remember that we are all one, but we must inform our actions, big and small, with that deeper truth in order to be authentically engaged during these transformative times. We can't leave the job of mobilizing up to President Obama alone. We're in this together. So, let’s walk the talk and get relating. We’ve got work to do.
In peace,
Amy
Come join me for a new tele-class on Transforming Hope into Action in a Changing World starting February 23rd.
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