It is time that we spoke out about political leadership beyond the mere media or dinner party bashing. How plainly do we need to say it - people have given up on politicians being great leaders and have given up on actual not just circumstantial change occurring as a result of political leadership. There are small flickers of hope resonating in places, but we only have to look at the voting register, media or society to see that people are tired of the same old story. For those who do cling to hope, they are feeling the pain of it. For hope is the “in-between” world, clinging to a dream for something different to come, without the steps being taken to correct what is occurring right now. We see this at times of leadership change particularly after national elections when the honeymoon phase is over and the promises of change are never met.
For political leaders to make a real impact they need to consider the truest definition of their role; they need to measure their success by how willing they are to accept the current reality; they need to be willing to take the personal steps required of true leaders to create opportunities for choice; and take action from these new choices. Only then will we see the elusive change that we seek become a reality. Only then will political leaders be living the truest purpose of their role.
It is time that we stop defending the situation. It is time that we stopped avoiding what gets in the way; acknowledgement of our pain, guilt and fear is required for us to let it go and get on with living how we desire to live. It is time that we sat in the darkness, the hopelessness, and simply noticed what was there. For only then do we stop defending, only then do we begin to discover what arises so that we can create new choices for the world. Only then can the spark of change be ignited.
If you are a political leader and you are defending the status quo or fighting for something different, but which is only the other side of the same coin, you are not taking responsibility for the position that you are in, for that position can represent the greatest potential for humanity. If you are a political leader, your position can represent our freedom. If you are standing in the true role, you are taking full responsibility for our greatest potential and freedom...beyond mere words in speeches. You are the living truth of our freedom and the responsibility we take for that freedom. If you are filling the role completely, and you will know, for there will be palpable choices and changes occurring all around you; and you will naturally understand and live the deepest truth of the political system, the deepest truth of humanity and the deepest truth of self.
If you do not know and live that truth and you are not taking steps to correct this, you are not taking responsibility. You will fail your position because you will not bring opportunities for new choices and change; you will simply create more of the same – at best altering circumstances but which do not bring an end to suffering. If you choose to continue creating policies based on fighting or defending human nature, you will be doing what your forefathers did. Whilst they may have tried to do some good, they did not create opportunities that support the end of suffering. They did not support the end of poverty, war, or greed. Why? Not because they did not want to but because they applied human logic – that which created the mess to begin with. They defended the status quo or looked at the other side of the same coin. That is the limit of our fear based human thinking. For example, to end war we have always chosen to go to war. To end poverty we have always chosen to create debt, so creating more poverty. To end greed, we have chosen to create more opportunities for greed. We avoid going to the real suffering. No solution will ever be found there. We will continue to create more of the same, for the thinking that we use is that which created the situation to begin with. Changing our thinking does not work, for it is not real change – it is the other side of the same coin. Can you see the trap we are in?
So what do we do? There is a way, a new choice that can be made and action taken to create real change. If you are a political leader, you must take responsibility for your role by discovering what it is to create opportunities for new choices within self, then to support your team, government and stakeholders. You must be the living example of self honesty, value, choice, freedom and responsibility. It is personal. Live those choices into action. Find support to do that through those who know how and understand the process. Until then, you are simply filling the shoes that have existed since the dawn of time, until the next person comes along to fill them.
Political Leadership
It is time that we spoke out about political leadership beyond the mere media or dinner party bashing. How plainly do we need to say it - people have given up on politicians being great leaders and have given up on actual not just circumstantial change occurring as a result of political leadership. There are small flickers of hope resonating in places, but we only have to look at the voting register, media or society to see that people are tired of the same old story. For those who do cling to hope, they are feeling the pain of it. For hope is the “in-between” world, clinging to a dream for something different to come, without the steps being taken to correct what is occurring right now. We see this at times of leadership change particularly after national elections when the honeymoon phase is over and the promises of change are never met.
For political leaders to make a real impact they need to consider the truest definition of their role; they need to measure their success by how willing they are to accept the current reality; they need to be willing to take the personal steps required of true leaders to create opportunities for choice; and take action from these new choices. Only then will we see the elusive change that we seek become a reality. Only then will political leaders be living the truest purpose of their role.
It is time that we stop defending the situation. It is time that we stopped avoiding what gets in the way; acknowledgement of our pain, guilt and fear is required for us to let it go and get on with living how we desire to live. It is time that we sat in the darkness, the hopelessness, and simply noticed what was there. For only then do we stop defending, only then do we begin to discover what arises so that we can create new choices for the world. Only then can the spark of change be ignited.
If you are a political leader and you are defending the status quo or fighting for something different, but which is only the other side of the same coin, you are not taking responsibility for the position that you are in, for that position can represent the greatest potential for humanity. If you are a political leader, your position can represent our freedom. If you are standing in the true role, you are taking full responsibility for our greatest potential and freedom...beyond mere words in speeches. You are the living truth of our freedom and the responsibility we take for that freedom. If you are filling the role completely, and you will know, for there will be palpable choices and changes occurring all around you; and you will naturally understand and live the deepest truth of the political system, the deepest truth of humanity and the deepest truth of self.
If you do not know and live that truth and you are not taking steps to correct this, you are not taking responsibility. You will fail your position because you will not bring opportunities for new choices and change; you will simply create more of the same – at best altering circumstances but which do not bring an end to suffering. If you choose to continue creating policies based on fighting or defending human nature, you will be doing what your forefathers did. Whilst they may have tried to do some good, they did not create opportunities that support the end of suffering. They did not support the end of poverty, war, or greed. Why? Not because they did not want to but because they applied human logic – that which created the mess to begin with. They defended the status quo or looked at the other side of the same coin. That is the limit of our fear based human thinking. For example, to end war we have always chosen to go to war. To end poverty we have always chosen to create debt, so creating more poverty. To end greed, we have chosen to create more opportunities for greed. We avoid going to the real suffering. No solution will ever be found there. We will continue to create more of the same, for the thinking that we use is that which created the situation to begin with. Changing our thinking does not work, for it is not real change – it is the other side of the same coin. Can you see the trap we are in?
So what do we do? There is a way, a new choice that can be made and action taken to create real change. If you are a political leader, you must take responsibility for your role by discovering what it is to create opportunities for new choices within self, then to support your team, government and stakeholders. You must be the living example of self honesty, value, choice, freedom and responsibility. It is personal. Live those choices into action. Find support to do that through those who know how and understand the process. Until then, you are simply filling the shoes that have existed since the dawn of time, until the next person comes along to fill them.