Chronic problems can’t be fixed by simply flipping the switch.
No, they require more effort than that. You have to build better systems, provide fail safes, change the behavior and culture around what is acceptable and what’s not.
In contrast, flipping the lights on for someone is important in shining light on a problem when others can’t see.
Maybe that’s the jump start that is needed to address the elephant in the room.
Are not yours.
Rules are not meant to be broken.
But they’re meant to work.
And if one set of rules is not working, drop it and find a new set to play by.
I’ve never been to Antarctica but I have faith that it’s there.
I’ve also never traveled in space to see for myself if the Earth is round but I trust that it is.
This phenomenon of observing the parts and perceiving the whole is called closure. Closure is important to our survival since we can’t possibly perceive the whole world all at once.
But it can also get in our way.
Because we are so accustomed to creating shortcuts on how we perceive the world, we also filter the information to fit our worldview.
Making matters worse is once we have labeled something as good or bad, our imagination begins to only think about the good or bad in something or someone.
The bottom line: For how much filtering we do on a second-by-second basis, we do a terrible job objectively filling in the blanks.
We are all familiar with the phrase, “Know your limits.”
Physical limits are much easier to define. No matter how hard I try, I can’t grip a basketball. That is a physical limit.
More importantly to understand is our emotional limits.
How long can you hold onto tension? The kind of tension of stepping forward into the unknown not knowing the work you do will succeed.
Some limits are defined and real, while others are fake. False limits subvert us from doing our best work. Every day.
When we go beyond feeling, what’s left?
Attachment.
Attachment to consequence.
Attachment to justice.
Attachment to results.
Until we learn to set aside our attachments to specific outcomes, we can’t heal.
We don’t talk about hurt feelings in the past to decide what percentage of blame goes around.
No, we do it to help build a bridge so that we may begin to trust each other again.
You can choose to see the world as half full. Littered with possibilities and opportunities.
You can choose to be kind and generous.
You can choose a life of abundance.
You can choose to make a difference.
You can choose to stand up when no one else will.
You can choose to be anything you want to be. Might as well choose to be charitable.
Charity, or in latin Caritas, directly translates as love.
Not the kind of love for money or fame. No, we are talking about deep love. Divine love. The kind of love that binds us together. That transcends all.
Without it, would any of this even matter?
Choose your love. Love your choice.
Merry Christmas.
More likely it is hundreds of micro, day-to-day decisions that led us to where we are now.
The small and seemingly insignificant are the ones we have a hard time weighing the full measure of.
Instead of saying, “Just this once” or “One last time” maybe we should stop and ask, “How many times is this now?”
Are the polar ice caps melting a pressing matter?
How urgent is the inversion problem?
Urgency, like most things, is a matter of convenience.
Sure, we care about the polar ice caps or clean air but not enough to go from two or three cars to one. Because thats not convenient enough.
Human beings are willing to trade a lot for convenience. So if you are going to enroll someone in your movement, you stand a much better chance of success by making it convenient.
What would you do if you weren’t afraid?
If the cost of risk is practically zero and you had all the time, energy, money, resources…what would you do if you weren’t afraid?
Now, what can you do to start?
What investment would you make, what project could you start, which people could you touch?
If you are waiting for things to be perfect before you begin, you’ll be waiting for a long time.
The good news is you can decide to start anyway and see what happens next.
Josh Allred's Blog 