Sunday, August 1, 2010

Who We Are--People

As you get older, and wiser, you realize you can choose whom you get to work with, whom you choose to build business and personal relationships with, and, whom you look for to be part of your tribe.

This morning I would like to describe more clearly who we are.

Firstly, I'd like to qualify this by saying there are very few people I do not like. I have this natural tendency to see the best in people. That is, recognize that there is within most people their better side. I also recognize that life has a way of grinding people down.
We all start off at the beginning of life--the river of life lets say!--as sharp, unique stones full of promise, full of potential, full of unique gifts to present to the world. As the rushing river of life starts to take us downstream, that process slowly or quickly, starts to round off the edges of our uniqueness. Before long, people are rounded stones, some bigger, some smaller, but all with their unique edges and shapes worn off, rounded stones like everyone else.
This is not idle philosophizing, there are biological underpinnings for this phenomenon of sameness. It is the herd mentality. It is the safety in numbers mentality, it is the do not stand out from the crowd mentality. It is the universal human comfort zone.
There are, quite naturally, pros and cons to such biological underpinnings. Those pros and cons can and do fill books, so we will not delve into them in this post.
Trying to fit in, trying to be part of the crowd, wanting to be part of the herd is in itself not a bad thing, it doesn't make you a bad person, it doesn't make you unlikable.
It does, however, eat away at your soul, eat away at your unique gifts and abilities to give to the world.

I see that untapped potential in you. That is what I see, because I know it exists.

Right now, I have the seeds for an organization called Transforming People, with a registered domain site called transformingpeople.org.
That site is for the potential in people that I know is out there.
You might already be a highly accomplished person! But guess what, you can do better!
Why? I am glad you asked!

Here is what I know. Whatever the current state of the world, whatever the current reality is, whatever you think of the current state of the world, the current reality is, what I know is we can do better. Much better.
What I also know is that not just humanity, but the earth as a system (Lets be clear here! Humans are just part of the system of life on earth.) is going to face enormous challenges that are going to test humans ability to adapt and grow, but also many other species' ability to survive.
As the one species with the cognitive ability to shape our environment in a planned and methodical way, we are the stewards, we are the leaders in shaping how well the future global environment is going to be able to support not only humanity, but also the other countless species and ecological niches that makes our lives possible and worth living.

The Transforming People Organization is for people that not only want to be part of an organization where their unique abilities, their knowledge, their passions can be recognized and given a place to grow and thrive, the Transforming People Organization is also for people who recognize the bigger challenges on the road ahead, and realize that their abilities, their knowledge, their passions can be part of the innovations, part of the social fabric, part of the economic fabric that can make the difference in how the future is shaped.

We start by first understanding that where we stand today is not good enough. We start by understanding we can do better. We start by accepting the leadership role within yourself in wanting to respond to the challenges the future will bring. We start by understanding that responding to the future challenges we will need to change the way we think of ourselves and our role in the game of life, but also how we think of the world.

We also start by understanding that we are creating an amazing journey together. We are going to create lifestyles that are rich in meaning, rich in personal connections, rich in finding greater joy and sense of purpose than we previously thought possible.

Here is what I also know. An organization of people like us will thrive, will have a sense of security and purpose in their lives no matter what the future brings.

What I also know is you are out there.

The people I want to grow with, build long lasting relationships with, that I want to start and build an organization like Transforming People with, will resonate with what I am writing, what I am trying to say.
They will also have the initiative to ask, "How do I get involved? How do I help make this grow?"
That is who we are.

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