Excerpt #21 from my book, Interconnected, Interrelated & Interdependent, Like It or Not:
A NEW REALITY BASE — CONFUSION
It is probable that we innocently created the situation in which we find ourselves due to confusion regarding the concept of self.
In our eagerness to responsibly provide for ourselves, we have lost our perspective.
We have pursued our goal with an intensity that has driven us beyond our mark.
We have gone too far.
From our instinctive awareness of the necessity for selfcare,we have gravitated to the notion of self-importance and selfishness.
As a consequence, we have each become like little islands with limited resources, defending instead of sharing our unique qualities, with no one ever truly being fulfilled, at peace, or content.
At some point it needs to occur to us that our many requirements are mutual, interrelated, and interdependent, and that ultimately they will only be satisfied through acceptance of and cooperation with each other.
The paradox is true that we serve ourselves best when we give to and exchange with others, i.e., serve others.
It is in giving that we receive, are gratified, and feel whole as something larger than ourselves.
It was well-noted by multiple Pulitzer prize-winner, Carl Sandburg, who wrote: The dead clench in their clenched fists only what they have managed to give away.
When we begin to comprehend the intrinsic value and infinite potential of our differences, we truly begin to understand and appreciate the uniqueness which each of us possesses.
When we begin to accept and feel comfortable with ourselves, we become ready and eager to share and grow together with others.
We are then ready to transcend the pitfalls of adversarial nonsense and move even beyond compromise to a constructive synthesis of what had been previously perceived as opposing viewpoints.
“Diverse perspectives among participants in new global forums must be seen as an asset, not a cause for confrontation, making it possible to tap international know-how, local expertise, and varying cultural perceptions.” (Raghavan Iyer)
In this manner balanced solutions will be found that will be of benefit to all.
Benefits, furthermore, that will be more stable and sustainable as a result of broad-based input, agreement, and appeal.
In fact, this understanding is the key to sustainability.
Its practice results in a stable and sustainable world where challenges are addressed and resolved in a cooperative and constructive manner.
Wouldn’t that be refreshing, for a change?