You cannot solve a problem with the same thinking that created it!

We spend weeks and months of our lives learning about personal development. There are philosophers, gurus, thinkers, psycho analysts, therapists, psychologists, psychiatrists, mentors, monks, and mothers all lining up to share their wisdom. We learn about NLP, EFT, triangles of hierarchy, personality profiles, mental wellbeing seminars and PHD’s in neuroscience. We are entering an Age of Enlightenment and are supported by untold technology to replicate a mental nirvana to help us de stress.

We are evolving into caring, understanding, forgiving and grateful humans that realise the power and possibility of deep human connection. We focus on how to collaborate to generate a bigger impact and so help more people. We share our innate purpose and consider the powerful legacy of love that we want to leave behind when we eventually depart this mortal world.

?As a society we are evolving. Not all of us are evolving at the same rate, but many of the people reading this today, will resonate with the journey they have taken to be a better human being.

So, what happened to politicians? ?? Have they missed the personal development boat?

As the Ukraine conflict escalates into full blown war, I am struck by the fact that the deeper you look, the more our politicians have to answer for. Obviously what Putin is doing is wrong, but our politicians are not blameless in this.

I make no claim to know the whole story, I doubt anyone does, but even the basics are not difficult to discern. I doubt a narcissistic megalomaniac will back down by sanctions. People fight to the death to be right. The protocols in place have given him opportunities to demonstrate his power and he intends to use every chess move to his advantage.

How then can we get someone to change their mind? To back down?

Again, I don’t know, I have never met the man or his entourage, but surely, we have specialist negotiators who understand this psyche – who are used to negotiating with terrorists holding hostages, not so very different? Are we to believe that this kind of diplomacy has already been undertaken?

?If you have ever read any of my posts or articles before, you will know that I am an eternal optimist and that I believe in the power of collaboration. In this case I doubt we could utilise it. Collaboration can bring power; it can also bring collusion and confusion. When collaborating for change, for good, we need to start from a foundation of love. Sadly, I fear, that is why collaboration cannot be used in this instance. I doubt Putin has experienced much unconditional love in his lifetime. I am sure some specialists have diagnosed a form of autism by now, among the myriad of mental health challenges he probably faces.

Asking someone with these challenges to collaborate is probably like asking an 8 year old severely autistic boy to look you in the eyes and tell you he loves you – it just isn’t going to happen.

?We need our politicians to send in great mediators and negotiators and find a way of bringing the conflict to an end, whilst not letting Putin lose face. Is that even possible?

Then we need to look at our current system of politics and identify the problems – and ask ourselves …

?Is it time for a change?

?Can we ever disentangle our political system and keep the best bits?

?When did politicians stop doing it for the vocation and now enter politics for the money that can be made after they leave – Nick Clegg, David Cameron… et al. When I was young, they stayed on the back benches until the bitter end. Now I am not saying that there aren’t the politicians who are passionate about helping people, but the culture we are led to believe exists does not pull for their greatness.

?Let’s do it differently.

What if…. There were smaller salaries, wages in line with teachers and nurses smaller responsibility, smaller constituency, regular collaborations, to get things done and greater teaching for each politician to undertake personal development courses.

Politicians would be there because it was a vocation (reason teachers and nurses don’t get paid a decent wage) If you compare the professions, teachers are responsible for the knowledge and understanding input of our next generation, nurses actually save lives – politicians …. well, they make a lot of noise ?? and have the odd party ??

?Ok, so I’m possibly being unfair, and there are of course many things that could be highlighted that they have achieved, the speed of the Covid vaccinations being one. The world of global politics, which, it has to be said, is male dominated appears to be predicated on power and money. If offshore bank accounts and tax havens are an example, the geopolitical world is invested quite literally in keeping the status quo. Putin didn’t get his palaces by accident.

?Isn’t it time for some transparency?

We know that for evil to succeed it only takes good men/women to do nothing. I am beyond proud of the Russian people demonstrating in the streets. I consider them fellow brothers and sisters who we are connected to and who need our love and prayers. They did not choose for this to happen. They want to live in peace with their neighbours.

Ultimately no one owns this land, we are simply caretakers of it and need to understand the best way to come together and help each other to stop climate change and help those less fortunate than ourselves. As Cal Sagan reminds us, we are simply living on a pale blue dot, it is time the rivers of blood were stopped.?

#nowarplease #ukraine #peace #love #collaboration #newthinking #solutions