Resolved . . . A More Beautiful World

I’ve had an amazingly joyful holiday season with family and friends this year, to the point where I’ve noticed organic expressions of gratitude bubble over in my mind and heart throughout the day and even as I fall off to sleep at night. I feel so incredibly blessed and I deem it a gift when I’m able to walk in the recognition of it.

It’s interesting to note, however, that even as I experienced the happiness and magic of the season, there seemed to be this pervasive noise in the background reminding me of how much more healing is needed in my own life as well as in the world.

With regard to the world at large, the headlines speak for themselves. And so, with every visit to my computer, somehow, the news of the day would seep into my awareness and I’d find myself trying to home in on that sweet spot between engagement and release. The goal? Aware but not burdened. Alert but not bent.

I’m thankful that when I do start to feel overwhelmed by the collective challenges that we face, I am usually able to gently return to the understanding that the most powerful thing that I can do to make this world a better place is to focus on my own becoming. And I find that opportunities to do better and be better are always readily available.

Stumbling

For example, in the past few weeks, I found myself falling short of my own expectations when dealing with some rather routine life stuff. Simple but significant things like responding to a bit of family drama in a less than wise and enlightened way, having a less than compassionate response to a sales associate who was being anything but patient and kind and having a strong reaction to a white, female driver who refused to let me over – and yes, I mention the race and gender of the person because I know, in my heart of hearts, that this played a role in my knee jerk response. It did.

But the point is the fact that all of these situations gifted me with knowing just how much work there is to do in this on-going saga of my own becoming.

Along with this is the recognition that this is the stuff that truly matters. There is always a level of external work to be done when grappling with the issues of our world. Yes, stop ISIS, address global warming, move forward with educational reform and bring justice to those who have been harmed. Yes, stay in action. For sure.

But it is essential that we also recognize that who we are being as we engage in this outward activity is the real stuff that matters.

It’s All a Cover

I recently watched a video where someone said that if everyone on the planet would pause at the same time and focus on the love in their heart, then the ills of the world would miraculously self-correct. And as fantastical as this sounds, there is a part of me that believes this to be true.

I see our challenges both as opportunities and as projections of our collective hurt and angst. And I do believe that as we grow in consciousness and love as individuals, the world will adjust to reflect that. It almost has to.

This belief is actually a primary motivator behind the work that I do. As a Career Coach and trainer, I help others to write resumes, find meaningful work, communicate and collaborate more effectively, develop their leadership skills, etc., but my ultimate goal is to inspire others to view work as a vehicle for their own greater emergence. And to also provide them with tools that will aid in their own constant discovery.

At the end of the day, I am much more interested in who my clients become versus anything that they might do or achieve externally.

And honestly, it is vitally important that we do not miss the true gift that work offers to us.

It’s ultimately, not about achievement and outward accomplishments, it’s about each person’s own personal unfolding. In essence, work is the book’s cover, but upon opening it, we see that the actual story & super juicy plot are about who we are choosing to be.

And it’s in that choosing that we will shape our individual and collective worlds.

So make sure that you don’t get lost in an unintended saga. Remember the point of it all.

Remember that while the work that you do provides a direct or indirect benefit to someone in some shape or form, the real value that you offer to others comes from your own good old fashioned beingness.

The More Beautiful World

One of my favorite minds belongs to Charles Eisenstein who talks about “The more beautiful world that we know in our hearts is possible”. He contends that we are currently living between two stories, the first represents the old world (a world based on separation) and the second one, a new “more beautiful world”. And he makes the case that the small, personal choices that we make are ultimately that which most powerfully influences the world that we will create.

Eisenstein further notes that until we get ourselves together, as individuals, our actions, no matter how well intended, will ultimately fall short of creating this more beautiful world.

What type of world do you imagine as possible?

And more importantly, how are you contributing to its arrival?

Whatever your vision, know that the more beautiful world does not just magically happen, it must be made manifest through us. We are conduits and midwives, ushering it in every time we submit to our nobler selves. And we disavow its rising potential when we halt our own goodness.

So as you reflect on 2015 and contemplate your goals for the coming year, be sure to ask yourself “Who do I need to be in 2016 to make this world a better place?” And then let that question be your constant companion.

Next year and every year, be resolved to do your share in creating a more beautiful world.

Happy 2016! :)

Owning Change Quote of the Week: “Be at war with your vices, at peace with your neighbors, and let every new year find you a better man.” — Benjamin Franklin