At a Greendrinks networking event I met a guy in the heating business. He asked me if I ever wondered why a certain temperature in the summer feels fine but in the winter feels chilly. He explained that the walls and objects are literally using us as a heat supply. We rarely think of our own role in the chain of heat distribution.
And rarely do we think about the universal impact we make along the way of creating a robust career track. We rarely think about how we might be interdependent roots warming up the next guy - whether we want to or not. We rarely account for the fact that when a butterfly flaps its wings in Hong Kong, the effects are felt in NY. In the moment, it is impossible to comprehend the ultimate impact of a decision. But we know that when people feel in sync with the rippling of the sea around themselves, they tend to make more sustainable choices that are more beneficial to themselves and to others.
You can work in resistance of a flow you can't change or you can do what they advised in the 60's: go with the flow. No matter which you choose, you'll be rubbing up against more people in more dimensions of your life than humans ever have before. Just like the elements of a room warm and take warmth from one another, we are impacting each other and the world around us in ways we've only begun to grasp.
Just like the infrared rays that naturally flow from our bodies to the walls and objects around us, we seem to have all sorts of interdependent energetic flows amongst us. We can clearly measure a little bit about those flows but in most professional computations we don't. It will likely be a few generations before we understand how our interdependence works and how to work with it, but we already know that, in terms of making a living, every level of the food chain verifies the value of working in balance with the flow of life around you.
It's statistically clear now that when interlinked systems cooperate life flourishes and when they don't life suffers. The more consciousness someone develops about the more universal aspects of bumping up against each other, the more responsibility that person has for playing the prophetic role of demanding results for the highest good for all affected. The Natives taught us, in every deliberation, to consider the highest good for 7 generations. In this culture of quarterly profits driven decision-making, questions of highest good stand on risky ground.
The bottom line results of making conscious, values-driven choices confirm that the Golden Rule rules. There is a version of the Golden Rule in every major religion so we've had agreement on it all over the world for centuries yet we've created a world-dominating infrastructure that's based on its disregard. We've had cultural amnesia for the Golden Rule-based world we're hard-wired to want. We are waking up - learning to better connect the dots between everyday decisions, abundance, and handing a world we feel good about off to our grandkids.
But even tho0ugh we now know unequivocally that there are the resources on the planet to feed, shelter and educate every child born (which would greatly alleviate the incentives for war), we've created a world that won't. We need to reinvent systems that go against the flow of Humanitarianism - starting with Capitalism. Because it's like a Cathch-22 - we're all functioning in the economic flow of a system that does not adhere to the Golden Rule, but we've defined success by its standards.
It's not always easy to stand firmly in your own standards but it's the only way to truly create the work you love, the life you desire and the world we all want to live in. Take the risk: Don't choose what you think you should, stand where you know you must.
Coaching questions:
What in your professional life feels like it's not flowing? What would make your work flow better?
How are you"should-ing" on yourself? Who are you should-ing on and when will you stop?
Where is the Golden Rule compromised in your life - on the giving and receiving ends?
What risk will you take this week?
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Dr. Joni Carley's international coaching practice serves successful leaders, professionals and entrepreneurs. Whether she’s working at the United Nations or in the private sector, just like Olympic coaches work with athletes who are already strong, Dr. Joni coaches individual clients and MasterMind groups to go for the gold and get it. She has incomparable expertise in facilitating transformation from the inside out, and in helping close the gaps between where you are and where you want to be. Her clients maintain a sharp "leaderful edge" to produce an abundant triple bottom line in terms of people, profits and the planet.
Dr. Joni's been coaching, speaking and teaching for 25+ years. She’s studied and collaborated with personal and professional development thought-leaders throughout the world, holds a Doctorate in The Reinvention of Work, and is sought after for her expertise in values-driven leadership. Her coaching and consulting addresses core issues for sustainable results - so clients do more than excel; they leave legacies.
Audiences say she "changed my life," "inspired me," and that they'll "use her material for the rest of my life" -because Dr. Joni’s content draws from a unique depth and breadth of experience ranging from the jungle to the boardroom; from the United Nations to college campuses; from top-level corporate executives to solopreneurs.
For information on individual and MasterMind coaching, articles, audios, and other resources: www.drjoni.com