Our Light is Non-Negotiable

“When a system is far from equilibrium, small islands of coherence have the capacity to shift the entire system” — ILYA PRIGOGINE

PART 2

We find ourselves collectively navigating crises from various angles. Regardless of the lens we choose or the analytics that capture our focus, we're still grasping a partial view of a larger, singular phenomenon. Some perceive it as an ecological crisis, while others view it through the lens of a psychological and spiritual challenge. It's also seen as a cultural crisis, involving the breakdown of community and family. Additionally, it's considered a crisis in government, economics, and finance. Importantly, it encompasses all these facets, and it's not reducible to any single one of them.

A pivotal aspect in this discourse revolves around the concept of worldviews, a term familiar to us all. When we adopt a particular way of perceiving reality, a myriad of implicit assumptions becomes integral to our worldview. Recognizing worldviews and gaining insights into our own doesn't entirely free us from the constraining influence of these perspectives.

A worldview is a total perspective. It has implicit values, it has implicit attitudes, it has implicit ways of relating to other people, and most of that remains invisible to those within a specific worldview.

Similar to the family you were born into, it establishes a particular pattern and lens through which you perceive reality.

Despite the diverse perspectives through which we may examine the entanglements we find ourselves in, the underlying challenge is that, fundamentally, we appear to have forgotten how to coexist with this planet without causing harm to ourselves and others. This collective amnesia contributes to a pervasive sense of sickness.

We could argue, because of how we feed ourselves, how we transport ourselves, how we earn our living and everything else that is inexorably intertwined with a larger system that is unsustainable and it's producing horrific effects that offend us morally and spiritually.

The breakneck speed of this societal train collides with our inherently sensitive human nature, whether we are consciously aware of it or not.

ON A PERSONAL NOTE

As entrenched as you might be in a particular worldview, acknowledging the multiplicity of perspectives doesn't automatically free you from its limits.

In this meta-crisis, we confront the imperative for transformation across every aspect of human existence. This demands a colossal systemic shift.

And so, as we learn with and from each other, what other ways of making sense of reality are available to us as collective beings — the personal dimension involves making ourselves open and available. This openness allows us to resonate with other humans on a level akin to the creation of music.

Right now, it feels as though we are a bunch of kids, each one making noise with their own instrument, failing to understand that if you have a violin, and I have a piano, we both need to attune our instruments first so that we can play together in the world orchestra. Being a piano player, I acknowledge that certain nuances about strings evade precise identification and deconstruction through data measuring points. Instead, my approach is to attune myself to resonance, sensing the connection, enabling us to initiate with a duet before contributing our individual genius to the symphony of the collective, harmonizing itself.

If you've played an instrument, you know that being out of tune is a common challenge. The path for an instrument to regain harmony involves proximity with another instrument already creating harmonic sounds.

Are you listening?

COLLECTIVE COHERENCE

The collective nature of the challenges we currently face, where the most extreme difficulties in each of our individual lives are shared struggles, should act as a catalyst for, and persist in propelling, a new form of dialogue.

In the face of modern challenges, leaders, change-makers, innovators, and evolutionaries — yes, you —must cultivate profound self-understanding, with coherence standing as a foundational requirement for effective leadership. This internal harmony becomes the bedrock upon which transformative actions and innovations can be built, ensuring that individuals can authentically engage with the complexities of our evolving reality.

To lead in times of profound transformation, individuals must develop a profound understanding of themselves, achieving coherence between internal and external variables. This requires cultivating a relationship with the Self characterized by pristine clarity, resolution, and organization. As this internal harmony deepens, leaders gain the capacity to harmonize effectively not only within immediate relationships but also with larger structures when engaging with the complexities of the world.

Refined attunement transforms leaders into instruments capable of learning from established and emerging systems. Recognizing the absence of a collective model equipped to address a crisis within a crisis, these individuals comprehend that each person contributes as a significant puzzle piece to the truth of that particular reality.

In embracing this understanding, they navigate the complexities of our shared challenges with a nuanced perspective, fostering a collaborative approach to finding innovative solutions that benefit all.

“The problem stems from the way contemporary science is predicted on the concept of arriving at unique truth. The idea of dialogue is thereby in some way foreign to the current structure of science as it is with religion. The quest for unique truth carries the potential to divide rather than connect people. When one human being tells another human what is ‘real’; what they are actually doing is making a demand for obedience. They are asserting that they have a privileged view of reality.” — David Bohm

Despite the oppressive forces at play, we already have the tools to create islands of coherence capable of shifting the entire system from chaotic noise to harmonious melody. In the face of large-scale challenges, individual and collective efforts towards harmony can catalyze profound systemic change.

Our responsibility is to tune into ourselves, aligning our unique genius, before contributing to the collective symphony that is unfolding with every word written.

The duty is mutual. You have a responsibility. So do I.

Enough noise, we want music.

Our light is non-negotiable.