Understanding starts when fear end…

Ironically, I often fear our current societal divide is at a historic state. Driven by a combination of deep economic inequalities, fear, misinformation and political agendas – the barrage of amplifiers continue to grow at an alarming rate. The division is seeping into our communities, families, and friendships – the stakes (and opportunities) have never been higher.

I see my own biases and perceptions that sometimes contradict the person I hope to be. To help me reset, I developed these four pillars as a guide.

• First seek to understand – Understanding of others as well as awareness of personal perceptions.
• Do you need to be right or kind? – This is a frequent question I ask myself before sharing an opposing opinion. Sometimes, kindness is helping others see beyond their blind spots; this may escalate when their views are a threat to yours.
• People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care”. – A powerful reminder during coaching or training exercises. When you are the change agent, a successful paradigm shift begins with trust.
• Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? – Often, we are so hyper focused on the biases of others that we ignore or role in the misalignment. This can be difficult when fear or pain is at a heightened state, albeit proportionately critical.

Strong personal boundaries will create some life non-negotiables that we should always honor and… routinely audit for continued relevance. A boundary based on fear may create strong limiting beliefs that dilute our capacities.