I’m not in charge
If the world were put under my jurisdiction tomorrow, there would be lots of changes. Like a happy dictator, I would want the best for everyone and divvy out lots of new rules to create my idea of this better world. But I am not in charge of the world, so I will have to start a little smaller.
I can think what I want to think
The beauty of having thoughts is the fact that they are mine. You have your own. I don’t have to believe yours and you don’t have to live with mine in your head. There may be consequences, but that’s the way it is. When my thoughts don’t coincide with what your thoughts want, there will either be chaos or compromise. Pretty simple. The chaos is one of us won’t get what we want. The compromise is better and keeps us working together.
The instruction manual is missing
I know how I want everyone to act. Just like me. It’s easy to do and I can easily demonstrate it to everyone everyday. But everyone else has their own idea of how to act and how I should act also. Without my input. That will never work for me. My own point of view must be correct; I have been using it for ages.
There is no master control
The world is very messy. It appears as though no one is really in control. And truthfully, no one person is. The whole scheme is set up to divide the control amongst the participants so that they can sort through the directions and make progress playing the game. It seems like a futile plan when you are watching it because the right thing to do seems so obvious. At least to me. You can have your own thoughts on that.
Shared steering
With the possibility of sharing the decisions, there can be progress. Endless fighting about who is right destroys the chance for any movement toward a goal. I must make room for everyone else to have their thoughts and discuss them with enough respect to at least see what they think is their right way. I should get a chance to endorse my own point of view also but no one has the manual for how everyone should move forward. Not listening to anyone else will always end up in a stall eventually. Progress comes with allowing all the thoughts to be expressed and then stitching some together so all of us benefit. Only those willing to hear what others think with an open mind will ever get to the prize.
Can you listen quietly without judgement to a difference of opinion? Can you allow the possibility that your thoughts might not be the best ones? Are you a big enough thinker to create the environment for all thought?
