Where have all the people gone that were seriously passionate and believed in working hard for the good of the cause? I appreciate the difficulty of change and how people all experience it in differently. Individuals are so focused on getting their own needs met that narcissism becomes a larger focus than the original mission. If we dial the clock back a decade or two the scene looks relatively different from today. Have people’s values about relationships changed?
Relationships led to trust rather than greed. Individuals were focused on developing and keeping relationships that were grounded in trust. We have somehow turned into a “what have you done for me lately society” feeding the “me” or egocentric position. I can remember times in my life when I might have bitten off more than I was truly capable of achieving on my own. I remember being surrounded by people in my life, who cared and would give of themselves unconditionally to help me achieve the mission.
This unconditional support was two-fold. First, it was about supporting me so I could experience the accomplishment and second, it was about achieving the greater good. Together we would be proud of our success and how it would impact our community. We seldom thought of what it meant for us personally. These relationships seamed like a marriage, partnership and a team. Our commitment was to achieve success for the greater good. The mission was success. The power of the relationship took on a life of its own and was the trajectory that led to accomplishment.
Integrity was a major component of who we strived to become. Valuing hard work, doing the right thing, being honest and caring, lead to a solid foundation. It was important to you what others thought of you. Today we hear individuals saying, “I don’t care what others think, this is about me and how I feel.” Interestingly, when I hear this from others there is no focus on “we, us or together.” It really is all about that person. This eccentricity clouds a person’s ability to develop respect. Respect seems essential to obtain integrity. While it is essential to respect yourself, it is equally as important to respect others. The quote, “Live life the way you want to be remembered ,” gives us an important reminder that integrity and respect for others is essential. How we treat others, talk, treat, give, listen, help and love are all important aspects of how we would want people to remember our life. Do we really want to be remembered for being self-serving, egocentric and evil?
No doubt working hard to achieve goal is about success. The question is, “Is the success about feeding your ego, or about achieving the mission? In either case, passion plays an important role. Be passionate about what you and others around you are trying to achieve. If someone is struggling offer to lend a hand. Pitch in, roll up your sleeves and do some heavy lifting. Do it to be nice, because someone needs your help, not because there is something it in for you. My friends and I used to have a saying that went something life this: “My job is to put myself out of a job by achieving a mission that is self-sustaining.” This statement was our motto and provided the unconditional support we had for one another.
The next time you feeling devious, sassy or hateful because of how someone else has behaved or treated you, stop and think. Think about how to change the journey that leads to this position.
Instead ask yourself, “Is this how I want people to remember me?”
TEMENOS CIRCLE 