Ungoverned World

It is easy to imagine that our world is ungoverned when we see the tectonic changes to world order that have taken place over a few decades. Certainly it seems that the world we have known is passing away. Our instinctive reaction is to resist such change. When we think of the world as an ecosystem, of which we’re an integral part, we’re presented with a broader range of considerations. To what extent should we oppose change? To what extent should we embrace it? What is the healthy thing to do?

I’ve come to think of myself as a cell in the body of the world. I have a distinct function as part of a family, a community, even in a national organ, as part of an interdependent whole. In my own body my heartbeat, breathing, digestion and immune systems etc all function unconsciously to maintain my health. My conscious mind is aware of so little of what’s going on yet, when I deliberately establish optimum conditions for nourishment and development, everything works wonderfully and my system heals itself. My body doesn’t need to be closely governed. What it does need is love, leadership in the form of purpose and clear intention, and good quality nourishment – clean air, water and food. My organs all work in concert to optimise my overall health. As a healthy individual I am best able to contribute to the health of my family, community and world.

An interesting observation on the human body is that individual organs don’t tend to fight for resources. The body as a whole will do the best it can with what it’s given. Unfortunately it’s often fed unclean water, polluted air and a diet far removed from that which we evolved to eat. Mentally our diet is tainted by the excessive tensions of our modern world and the unrealistic expectations raised by cultural mores. The result for too many of us is chronic disease both physical and emotional. Small wonder that we find discord everywhere

Perhaps it’s human nature to want to feel in control. Our competitive world encourages wealth accumulation and growth so we set about the task of controlling our circumstances. The problems arise when our desire for control leads to the subjugation or domination of others and the wasting of our planet. Instead of living in harmony we set ourselves in contention and we settle for hostile standoffs. In the body physiological and psychological stresses lead to atherosclerosis as the body protects itself. Arteries fur and narrow, putting us at risk of heart attack and stroke should our standoff accommodation break down.  At the national level we build walls to divide communities, plunder natural resources and amass armies to ‘defend’ our interests. If or when these accommodations break down we face annihilation. What kind of madness allows us to think of this as control?

For our long term health we need to return to a very old paradigm. We need to eat what we evolved to eat and we need to relate to others as equals sharing a common purpose and destiny. From this perspective we will choose to oppose those changes that defile us or our planet. We will embrace the changes that enhance self-awareness and control so that we are best placed to contribute to humanity. We will come to the realisation that doing the right thing is the only thing worth doing.

Ghandi famously said ‘Be the change you want to see in the world’.  Ultimately, if we will only change ourselves we can invoke a Higher Power to govern the world. The world will thrive unconsciously all by itself. It can be governed by none yet governed by all.

Happiness Heals

The first step toward finding your own happiness is gratitude. If you develop and heighten your powers of appreciation by focusing on the beauty in your life instead of the imperfections, you will be halfway there. 

Your efforts will be rewarded. Statistics show that people who are happy live longer – they gain both years in their life and life in their years. Their increased longevity results from reducing stress levels and the accompanying stress hormones. These hormones are a vital part of our ‘fight or flight’ defence system and are designed to be dissipated through intense physical exertion. However, modern life induces stresses and generates hormones that have no natural outlet. These hormones interfere with our eating and sleeping patterns and weaken our immune system. Increased tensions also have a corrosive effect on relationships. When our immune system is compromised we invite cancerous developments or opportunistic infections.

Focusing on beauty and gratitude is not to ignore imperfections and pretend they’re not there. Rather it is a deliberate choice to meet our situation with serenity and not to be demeaned by them. Taking positive action to address imperfections is also good for our self esteem. Incremental improvements are cumulative. Over time they help us to become the people we want to be.

In the organisational setting it is also vital to adopt an attitude of gratitude. There is no greater contribution a leader can make with her team than to grow its capability. Frequent expressions of gratitude show appreciation of other’s efforts and encourage them to repeat their winning ways. Happy teams perform better and last longer. Again we add years to life and life to years.  When the organisation as a whole celebrates its successes it helps build that collective sense of purpose and builds its culture. Another vital dimension is that the organisation celebrates widely with its customers, its suppliers and its host community. In the same way that the individual needs to know he or she is valued for themselves within their environment, so too it is important for the cohesion of the organisation that it knows its contribution to its stakeholders. This builds community and strengthens its sense of itself and its purpose.

Ian Drury overcame his incapacity from Polio to make a great contribution to the music of his day. His classic ‘Reasons to be Cheerful’ is both a two fingered jab to his physical reality and a celebration of life. No matter what our circumstances, it is always more productive to focus on health affirming situations than to feel self pity around failure or oppressed by seemingly unobtainable targets for which you feel no responsibility.

What area of your life needs to be acknowledged and celebrated? Is your organisation appreciative of the community which hosts it, or does it consider the employment it provides to be a gift for which the community should be grateful? What is the driving sense of purpose that will bring happiness and healing into your life and add life to your years?