How can we be the best version of ourselves?
Thomas Kirkegaard
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I believe that “growing into connected and meaningful being” is the essence of being at our best; as individuals, leaders, organisations, societies and eventually as humanity. In this article, I'll explain why this may be something to strive for and what it could mean to us.
My backdrop
Some time ago, I wrote about the need for us to create a better and sustainable future - describing my dream of a better version of humanity driven by more conscious and authentic versions of ourselves as individuals, organisations and societies.
A little later, I added some perspectives on how we can create a better future together based on meaningful change from the inside out - resulting in ripples of change from personal growth to transformation of our leadership, organisations, societies and eventually humanity as whole.
Since then, I have been pondering what kind of thinking and behaviours can help us move forward in constructive ways? Or put another way, which fundamental human qualities and ideals would most people identify with and agree upon as something to strive for?
“Are there fundamental human qualities and ideals that most people would identify with and agree upon as something to strive for?”
Before we try to answer these questions, I believe we first need to review some of the challenges we are facing.
What are the challenges we are facing?
High-level challenges in our societies and lives
Because of our existing thinking and behaviours, we are facing several of fundamental challenges that I like to summarise as follows:
- On the surface, we are experiencing lack of financial, social and environmental sustainability.
- Beyond this surface, we are starting to notice the need for new meaning, leadership and governance in our lives, organisations and societies.
Exponential change and VUCA environments driven by new technologies can further accelerate these challenges, or be used to address the challenges and turn them into unprecedented opportunities.
Underlying dualities in our thinking and behaviours
I believe dualities in how we think and behave are both symptoms and underlying root causes of the challenges we are facing. Hence, a meaningful approach to create progress could be to balance dualities in our thinking and behaviours such as:
How can we move forward and make a difference?
From Ripples of Change to Universal Ideals for the better
In my previous article I introduced the concept Ripples of Change as follows:
“By changing as individuals, and how we lead ourselves and others, we also give space, inspire and contribute to change in others, our organisations and societies - and ultimately humanity as a whole and an integrated part of our biosphere.”
What if we could also agree on some Universal Ideals for our thinking and behaviours, that would be equally relevant to strive for on individual and collective level - regardless of situation, scope, context and background? This leads us up to the main question in this article:
“How can we be the best version of ourselves, on individual and collective level?”
I believe we need to reflect on and perhaps develop how we grow, how we relate, what we value and how we act:
How we grow
What could be inspiring ideals or guiding stars for our journeys of individual and collective growth? Personally, I believe the following elements are important to navigate and unleash our growth:
- Awareness of ourselves and in relation to others, utilising our energies as a navigation instrument and fuel for growth
- Consciousness about alternative perspectives, interests and consequences, seeking broader understanding and wisdom beyond ourselves and our own interests
- Authenticity and self-actualisation as guidance for growth and realisation of our purpose and talents
Summarised, I would describe the desired growth mindset as follows:
“We cultivate our awareness and energies, consciousness and wisdom, authenticity and self-actualisation”
How we relate
In which ways could we relate in new ways that are more meaningful and constructive? I believe the answer is quite simple, yet challenging to bring into everyday life - especially within the current frameworks of most organisations and societies:
“We see ourselves as one with others, all living life and our shared biosphere”
What we value
Looking beyond our fundamental needs related to survival and safety, what could be meaningful to value in the context of individual and collective growth? I believe the following three ideals are important to appreciate:
- Diversity as a source of richness, creativity and resilience, as well as a mentality and platform for valuable contribution by everyone
- Self-worth as a foundation for constructive thinking and behaviours, and required for us to grow, contribute, flourish and be at our best
- Authentic self-realisation as a framework for individuals, organisations and societies to unleash our full potential for growth, creation and contribution
Summarised, I find the following meaningful to value:
“We appreciate diversity, self-worth and authentic self-actualisation”
How we act
How could we act in more constructive ways, in our daily activities and interactions? Again, I believe the answer is threefold:
- We show true love and compassion towards ourselves and others, allowing us to grow further from this safe and positive space
- We base our relations on trust and openness, making them more meaningful, authentic and productive
- We invite, stimulate and support creativity and co-creation to unfold as key enablers of contribution, progress and flourishing
Summarised, I believe our being would feel better and more fulfilling when characterised by the following:
“We embrace love and compassion, trust and openness, creativity and co-creation”
Growing into Connected and Meaningful Being
Summarised, I propose that Growing into Connected and Meaningful Being as described above is the essence of being at our best and create progress for the better:
In a later article, I will get back with some more perspectives on how we could inspire and enable such growth through relevant activities, arenas and communities.
In the meantime, I am curious to know what you believe is best way forward and how we can make a difference?
Driving Organizational Transformation | Public Sector | Enterprise & Business Architecture | Leadership & Strategy
7 年First you need to explored the tricks your mind plays on you and be aware of how it acts up. You need to work on this and transform your mind based misconceptions. You need to be aware of yourself beyond the ”personal bubble”, beyond the bubble of ”I am this body, I am this mind, this is what I need to get.. and everyone else can suck on it.” You need to seen through the games of comparison and insecurity. The solution is not to replace the fir-tree against a bonsai tree - It′s a difference between the concept of 'Being Spiritual' and Enlightenment. It′s an insider job. If you don′t want to do the job, that′s absolutely fine, too - but the only thing you can change is you. It may sounds arrogant; it may sound like it is driven by the personal self. Thats why it assumes you′ve seen through some of these personal bubbles to understand. And, further, that you,ve seen through some of the spiritual bubbles, meaning the ideas of what the ”ego” is and that you must hammer the ”ego” down, and alla of that stuff. For people without such a background, the this may seem like it′s coming from the ”ego”. That′s not true. This may or may not immediately hit home for you. But when it dose become experiential, it will shift your sense of identity 180 degree! It will shift your sense of who you are and what you can do. You will live in heaven on earth. Love <3