“Fight for the things that you care about. But do it in a way that will lead others to join you.”- Ruth Bader Ginsburg
We are in desperate need of societal healing and unity. We all need to do our part to see substantial, durable change. It can all seem so overwhelming, and far too often, we are looking for a way to make a change in the troubling behavior that we see in others. Surely if we could just get them to behave as we do, the world would be a better place. But is that true? Are we perfectly aligned? Do we make choices that honor our common humanity’s best interest, or do we serve self first? Do we respect, honor, and affirm the diversity of thought, experience, and others’ ways of being? Are we inclusive, do we meet others where they are, or do we hold them to our expectations? I can identify with the desire to create change in the world, it can all seem so urgent to attend to, yet while we are looking outwardly for the place to start, I challenge you to realize that the place where you have the most significant influence is within you.
I believe our greatest work is becoming a cooperative component of a fair and just society where everyone is valued equally, and no one has to justify how they show up. Now you may feel like you fit that description, but I urge you, dig deeper. Our bar for being a kind human being is far too low; this is a truth that I continue to uncover as I embrace healing and practicing Authentic Allyship and Oneness.
Authentic Allyship is standing with and for, valuing and affirming every individual as they are. It is working together with everyone to create a collective experience that leaves none behind. It is an active, intentional pursing of common goals and working together to overcome the obstacles to reaching those goals. It is equality embodied.
Oneness understands that the power/energy that created all is in all. Every living thing is indelibly connected to that power and, consequently, one another. It understands we all are apart of a grand design, and there is an order to that design when we honor, acknowledge, value, and affirm that power within all as equally sacred. To keep this design’s balance, we must treat everything in it as if it were apart of us. We were created diversely and equally to co-create this experience together.
Imagine a part of your body is disturbing you. Imagine that it is acting out. Do you cut it off and move on. Do you curse it and call it names and vow never to deal with its troublesomeness? Do you ignore or deny the symptoms allowing the problem to grow? Or, do you understand that the troublesome behavior is your body’s way of showing you that there is a place that needs attention and healing and that the healing work needs to occur within you? Do you skip the offense and work with your body to discover the problem? Do you take the bitter medicine that is hard to swallow and requires your commitment knowing that it will restore your body to balance?
We are all one body. We must tend to every part of us, value, protect, heal, and hold sacred all. Can you say that this is your intention and goal?
How often do you fall short of practicing this? How do you think the world might change if we each focused on living in this Oneness/Unity mindset instead of the division mindset devouring our world? The change we desire would not be difficult to achieve if we who deeply desire this change would become it by modeling Authentic Allyship, if we practiced and embraced Oneness with integrity. We must not allow the fear of “what if that doesn’t work” keep us is a cycle of self-destruction. Yes, self-destruction. We are all connected; reaching our highest potential requires everyone’s participation and commitment to our common humanity.
If you are looking to begin this journey to Authentic Allyship and practicing Oneness, I would love to be your guide. I offer 1:1 Coaching for those who are committed to the personal healing and development work it takes to make our world a better place. Visit http://www.pamelagraydaniel.com for more information. Take the “How’s My Allyship” assessment and book your consultation today.