OMELETES
It feels like the globe is in a state of turmoil created by overwhelming changes absent managed and effectively and efficiently led transition. In haste the offering is that we need to genuinely transcend and include others and come together. Let’s move to higher ground where family and community can become reality. In Age of Revolutions: Progress and Backlash from 1600 to the Present, Fareed Zakaria quotes Isaiah Berlin,
If you are truly convinced that there is some solution to all human problems, that one can conceive an ideal society which men (and women) can reach if only they do what is necessary to attain it, then you and your followers must believe that no price can be too high to pay in order to open the gates of such a paradise. Only the stupid and malevolent will resist once certain simple truths are put to them. Those who resist must be persuaded; if they cannot be persuaded, laws must be passed to restrain them; if that does not work, then coercion, if need be violence, will inevitably have to be used…if necessary, terror, slaughter…We must weigh and measure, bargain, compromise, and prevent the crushing of one form of life by its rivals. I know only too well that this is not a flag under which idealistic and enthusiastic young men and women may wish to march…it seems too tame, too reasonable, too bourgeois, it does not engage the generous emotions. But you must believe me, one cannot have everything one wants—not only in practice, but even in theory. The denial of this, the search for a single, overreaching ideal because it is one and only true one for humanity, invariably leads to coercion. And then to destruction, blood—eggs are broken, but the omelet is not in sight, there is only an infinite number of eggs, human lives, ready for the breaking. And in the end the passionate idealists forget the omelet, and just go on breaking eggs. (323)
We are simply breaking eggs. Daily we are witnesses to scurrying about to avoid being identified as the culprit. In our culture there is intense desire to be off the hook; and clever and devious actions taken to get off the hook are known as cover your posterior. Quite simply, desired results do not equal excuses coupled with no desired results; and blaming, justifying, spinning, lying and choosing not to accept responsibility when something goes wrong is a negative life and leadership strategy. Being right is a booby prize! The real prize is the desired result which has not been realized. Blaming and justifying put us at the mercy of other people and events and do not make things happen. A better strategy is not to give away power and influence by blaming and justifying. Take charge: 100% responsibility, I am 100% responsible and others are 0% responsible. Life happens because of me, not to me!
Imagine the power in this country where everyone is assuming 100% responsibility for its success. Imagine how refreshing it would be for politicians, the President, Vice Presidents, Senators, Representatives, and Judges to be examining what they did and what they could do rather than expending energy and plotting how to get off the hook. Perhaps the greatest value of the 100%-0% concept is that it focuses energy on creating desired results rather than finding ways of avoiding responsibility. Because it encourages folks to develop new options to produce desired results, it is a deeply empowering concept. Simply breaking more eggs produces no omelet for breakfast.
Three strategies the Democrats have unfolded are to preserve the soul of the American political system, to strengthen the backbone of the country, and to unite the country. Some of the Democratic tactics being used to earn votes are planned improvement “actions” related to abortion rights, infrastructure, voting rights, immigration, gun safety, and foreign policy. Continued strategies of the GOP are to divide the country, retain white supremacy, deliberately fan the fires of racism, sow fear, and to suppress voting rights of minorities through the tactic of voter suppression legislation in 43 states. Other intentional tactics are lying, working problems, blocking improvements, creating chaos, deconstructing, dismantling, bickering, sowing hate, and dividing.
“Words are singularly the most powerful force available to humanity. We can choose to use this force constructively with words of encouragement, or destructively using words of despair. Words have energy and power with the ability to help, to heal, to hinder, to hurt, to harm, to humiliate and to humble.” (Y. Berg) We are the intrapersonal, interpersonal and person to persons language we create; and a person who controls the message of words has tremendous power over others. And we simply keep breaking eggs!
As 2024 has unfolded, political leadership choices are being revealed. More than likely choices will be driven by words—language—pontificating past results and popular actions. A spectrum of positive words that create the stories and emotions for each of us…freedom, prosperity, security, facts, unity, truth, order, respect, harmony, poise, receptivity, peace, tranquility, positiveness, team effort, teamwork, childcare, guardians, self-mastery, integral life practice, health, non-partisan, wellness and well-being, mindfulness, awareness, self-restraint, values, equality, fairness, globally respected, quality, guiding principles, ethics, peace, clean air, allies, non-partisan, value in diversity, safe schools, no debt, sincerity, trustworthy, believable, passionate, disciplined, generosity, wise, direct, open, nice, 100% responsibility, apology, loving-kindness, patient, tolerant, compassionate, humanness, beautiful, smiling, et al.
An array of negative words that create the stories, mind chatter, and emotions for each of us…lies, lynching, deception, casts, spins, obstruction, abuse, conspiracy, human scum, traitors, chaos, entertainment, dynasty, autocracy, racism, above the law, divisiveness, partisan, war, bombs and bullets, street shootings, smoke and mirrors, impeachment, corruption, fear, abuse of power, obstruction of justice, cult-like, tribal, business failings, pay-offs, porn stars, partisan vulgarity, broken promises, scandals, low character, bad judgement, failed policies, cover-ups, low intellect, disruption, conflict, deconstruction, selfish, narcissist, demagogue, cruel, fraud, short-sighted, chaotic, et al. Simply more broken eggs!
The language we each are is powerful and the paradox of choice is clear: an America for Americans that is inspiring and visionary for generations to come—freedom, love, hope, happiness, peace-of-mind, purpose, and connections created on a foundation of compassion, authenticity, virtue, and good; or an America for Americans that is evil and dictatorial for generations to come—pay-back, fear, hate, vindictive, intimidation, economic insecurity, casts, racism, decay, and global disrespect. Christian D. Larson offers, “So long as we continue to resist or deny evil, we will think about evil, and so long as we think about evil, evil will be impressed upon the subconscious, that the subconscious will reproduce and bring forth into personal life.” When there is only one power which decides who is right and who is wrong, and who should be punished and who not, we have a form of…dictatorship. (James Heiser). The mission is quite clear: to merge with others to co-create, transcend, and include others, and evolve democracy for “We the people, by the people, for the people…” The strategic objective is not to create autocracy for a select few by a select few. Let history record that the civil war of 2024 strategies and tactics of the language and actions we each are won votes to improve, evolve, and preserve democracy for America and Americans. Let’s quit simply breaking eggs! It’s messy and offers no nourishment! Let us wake up and make omelets.
