There's a paradox at the center of our existence: we are simultaneously One and Many. We are distinct individuals, yet we are all inter-related. The Universe is one Whole, yet it has endless facets and faces.
The way that cultures deal with this paradox has profound implications.
For several centuries now, Western societies have emphasized Separation at the expense of Wholeness and connection; we have a long history of valuing “rugged individualism” and the heroic journey of “going it alone.” By comparison, Eastern philosophy and indigenous traditions tend to see everything as part of a greater whole; these traditions value relationship and interconnectedness.
Unfortunately, our world has become entrenched in Separation, over-valuing it to the point of forgetting Wholeness altogether. It has become “every man for himself” which, coupled with the Power Over philosophy of “might makes right,” is tearing our planet apart. We have forgotten that we are not just individuals, but also a single humanity, and indeed, a single world. We have forgotten our inherent interconnectedness.
The way that cultures deal with this paradox has profound implications.
For several centuries now, Western societies have emphasized Separation at the expense of Wholeness and connection; we have a long history of valuing “rugged individualism” and the heroic journey of “going it alone.” By comparison, Eastern philosophy and indigenous traditions tend to see everything as part of a greater whole; these traditions value relationship and interconnectedness.
Unfortunately, our world has become entrenched in Separation, over-valuing it to the point of forgetting Wholeness altogether. It has become “every man for himself” which, coupled with the Power Over philosophy of “might makes right,” is tearing our planet apart. We have forgotten that we are not just individuals, but also a single humanity, and indeed, a single world. We have forgotten our inherent interconnectedness.
This is painfully tangible as we observe world events. The news is filled with stories of our fear, distrust, hatred and divisiveness. There are so many examples, like race-class-religious-related riots that spread like wildfire nationwide. Laws that trample human rights and promote racial profiling exacerbate the damaging effects of our unhealthy extreme of separation. Our collective beliefs serve to shape these and other experiences in our lives. As with any “ism,” violence erupting from racism, classicism and religious targeting magnifies the split of those who wish to further separate and those who wish to come together to attend to the deeper causes — i.e., our core wounds, experienced both personally and collectively.
We have an enormous need for healing these wounds, created from our long-term, historical and ancestral fears. But in order to heal, we must first understand how deeply our false sense of separation is embedded in our subconscious.
We are both separated and connected; we are both individuals and parts of All That Is. I believe it is our purpose, in developing extraordinary leadership on Earth at this time, to marry these two views together and incorporate a more balanced, unified view into our lives and into the ways we operate. As leaders, we are being asked to undertake the sacred task of re-weaving our world together, to honor uniqueness within the whole. To accomplish this, we must first come to terms with the dynamic of separation in both its healthy and unhealthy manifestations. Only then can we make more conscious choices and become exemplars for others.
Of course, my use of the expression “every man for himself” is intended to include all genders, with the understanding that we must move away from that way of thinking so that we truly can create the more-inclusive paradigm of a thriving world.
...Please stay tuned to my follow-up post addressing current event intersections with this Vital Key!
We have an enormous need for healing these wounds, created from our long-term, historical and ancestral fears. But in order to heal, we must first understand how deeply our false sense of separation is embedded in our subconscious.
We are both separated and connected; we are both individuals and parts of All That Is. I believe it is our purpose, in developing extraordinary leadership on Earth at this time, to marry these two views together and incorporate a more balanced, unified view into our lives and into the ways we operate. As leaders, we are being asked to undertake the sacred task of re-weaving our world together, to honor uniqueness within the whole. To accomplish this, we must first come to terms with the dynamic of separation in both its healthy and unhealthy manifestations. Only then can we make more conscious choices and become exemplars for others.
Of course, my use of the expression “every man for himself” is intended to include all genders, with the understanding that we must move away from that way of thinking so that we truly can create the more-inclusive paradigm of a thriving world.
...Please stay tuned to my follow-up post addressing current event intersections with this Vital Key!
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