It’s easy to say, “We need transformation’; it’s yet another thing to be actively engaged in it. Transformation, by its nature, implies urgency to move from one state of being into another. Nature repeatedly shows us this. The butterfly is not alone in this emerging. Whether nature’s rapid transformations of insects and amphibians or the slow altering of the seasons, these shifts are essential for survival and the balance of life’s systems. And what are the consequences of not transforming?
Stagnation does not serve us. In traditional Chinese Medicine stagnation refers to restriction that hinders vital energy and ultimately causes pain and dis-ease. That’s why people seek movement in the forms of Tai chi and Qi Gong, to avoid stagnation and to maintain health’s optimum balance. And to a great extent it works.
But when we are identifying disease within our communities, our state and world, movement alone will not suffice. There must be clear thinking and honest assessing of the conditions causing our illnesses – literally and figuratively.
Wisdom would dictate that no single individual should be saddled with the obligation and responsibility of what we have come to know as leadership. Marx had it wrong, following is in fact the opium of the masses, organized religion is only a symptom. The giving away of our individual accountability to ourselves, our communities and the earth has led us to this imperiled moment. Handing our power to a leader brings a stagnation that we can not afford in this urgent time. Cooperation and community where everyone assumes responsibility to the whole is what is needed now. And that will be a transformative step that we have not yet tried.
Many of us prefer status quo thinking and are not prepared to rock the boat. Understood. There are people desperate to crown a new king to follow, both on the left and the right. Tucker Carlson and Pete Buttigieg come to mind in this delusional attraction. But transformation requires immediacy and I would say to you, if this is not your moment to be accountable as a human being, capable of clear thinking and decisive action, please step aside.
There are many brilliant minds and stellar hearts seeking to bring more than hope back to our existence. There are communities of people readying for the transformation needed for all of us to create better ways forward. Look to the ones creating community. Look to the ones invigorating more than resistance; look to the determined, to the unrelenting. The people refusing to accept ‘this is how it must be’. And maybe then you will realize you are an essential part in this massive shift – for all of us.
let kindness win 