Humanity First (Part II) – Humanity Needed

It’s precisely in these turbulent times of massive change and chaos, that it’s more important than ever, to choose our humanity first. Read more about what that means in Part II below.

Humanity Needed – The Fight for our Collective Soul

My humanity is bound up in yours, for we can only be human together. ~ Desmond Tutu, South African Anglican bishop, theologian, human rights activist

In Part I of our series, the Cost of Fear, we discussed the state of our collective. As this era of turmoil and massive change and transition drives potent emotions and a powerful fear of change in us, these very fears also drive divisions and fractures in our collective. While some of us will courageously move past fear and see and use these times for what they’re meant for: progress, accountability and tremendous individual and collective growth, some in our collective, deeply afraid by the fear of change, will do all in their power to block the inevitable. And in so doing, sacrifice their best human virtues in the process.

Because of this, the fight for our collective (and individual) soul will be one of our greatest challenges this transition cycle. As will safeguarding and protecting our shared humanity against those in our collective willing to sacrifice it. This is the fight of a lifetime we must all participate in.

If we wish to continue to build a prosperous future for ourselves and others and continue on path as an evolving civilization, we must protect the human virtues that make us human against the fear/greed that threatens to break us apart. The virtues of intelligence, compassion, kindness, and decency that differentiate us from other species on this planet. Or else, we risk devolving into our lesser version and guaranteeing a deeply troubled/dystopian future for ourselves and our future generations.

As the turbulent nature of this transition cycle ramps up, it will be our job to courageously fight fear and fiercely lean into our humanity. And it will be our task and mission to lean into our compassion and empathy, our creativity, and our powerful leadership and organizing abilities to help ourselves and each other survive, thrive and drive progress forward. In other words, it is our task and mission to choose humanity first.

Humanity First Approach

By virtue of being born to humanity, every human being has a right to the development and fulfillment of his potentialities as a human being. ~ Ashley Montagu, anthropologist

Humanity first, acknowledges the fundamental value of all of us as human beings, and the value of working to provide an environment where we can all live safely, prosperously and with purpose. To do this, it will ask that we lead with a holistic, whole-self approach, the integrated mind, heart, body, soul approach. Not only leading from logic, as we’re typically taught to do, but also, from the heart and soul (luckily, many of us are already doing this). For example …

• • This means leading with community, understanding that we are all one human race after all, and we’re unified by our very human desire to live prosperously, safely and freely. 
  • This means leading with compassion, equality, leadership and empathy, to seek understanding first and standing up and fighting for those who have no voice and cannot stand up for themselves (yet).
  • This means leading with accountability and responsibility, ensuring that we do not allow power to corrupt those we elect to represent us and they are held to a high standard. And we maintain high integrity and keep accountable those who perpetuate violent, hurtful, divisive behavior, regardless of status or position.
  • This means leading with courage, when oppression and control is the aim, rather than stay silent or retreat in fear, and, supporting those called to lead the charge against it.
  • This means putting our mighty creative powers to work and leading with creativity and innovation, investing and supporting those called to create and reimagine new solutions for the benefit of all, not just for some or just for profit.
  • This means when the opportunity presents itself, and we are compelled to, opening up the lines of communication with those led by fear or apathy, creating an opportunity for the expression and exchange of emotions, new ideas, new perspectives and understanding. This is an emotionally-charged time period for all, emotions will take the lead for some time. We must not forget that.
  • This means using our high capacity brain power to critically think about the world and our part in it. This includes being engaged, and critically thinking through the information we receive. Including thinking through the decisions that are made on our behalf with an understanding of the larger, longer-term consequences on ALL of us, rather than just the shorter-term rewards on some of us.
  • This means leading with our advancing consciousness and heart, knowing we humans, were always meant to grow and evolve and to be diverse and unique. We were always meant to express our singularity within the greater collective. We were never meant to be exact replicas of each other!
    

The Test of Our Time – If We Choose To Accept It

You always get tested the most before you progress to the next level. ~Anon

These times are meant to test our resolve individuals and as a human collective and to test our ability to hold space for each other in the face of great fear, turmoil, violence and hate, from ourselves. So as we are tested, we should remember as Bishop Desmond Tutu profoundly reminds us, we can only be human together.

We are and will always be, bound to each other. And whether we understand this fully or not, what affects one affects all. Which means that while we have those in our collective more than ready for long-awaited change and progress, willing to do what is needed for it, we also have those in our collective who are profoundly afraid it, deeply embedded in the emotional cycles of denial, apathy, and violence as they are. If we continue to allow our collective to be fractured in this way – with some of us moving forward and some of us stuck and left behind, we will continue to perpetuate the same cycles again and again. This time, with those stuck in the old energies of the status quo, now the deeply bitter minority left behind, forever plotting the return of the way things were. We will not make the progress we seek, if continue to find it acceptable to leave our own people behind. We must do better than what we’ve done before.

Evolve Beyond the Old Rules

In this upcoming era, we will be asked to advance beyond the old rules of the game. The old rules that dictated it’s acceptable to leave some of us behind with no chance for redemption or progress, made invisible and less than. The old rules that dictated that most of us were to be stuck in survival mode and fighting for scraps, while only some of us were meant to be powerful and thrive. The old rules that dictated that stuff, things, work, is more important than people or even more important than the Earth we live on.

These times ask us to open our awareness to a greater understanding that we are human – made up of thoughts, emotions, feelings, attachments, etc. Our humanness is our strength and what connects us all. In this new era of growth and evolution, we are asked to remember this and to change the old rules, rebuilding our fractured collective for the better. Not only by understanding who we are at our core, but while we have an opportunity to do so, setting the conditions for ALL of us to thrive. And ensuring as best as we can, we ALL have an opportunity to excel and no one, is left behind.

How we do this, will be up to those called up for the task, and that we, collectively choose (and keep accountable) to do so as our representatives. But it is possible. We only need to remember that we are first and foremost, a part of the powerfully resilient human lineage on this planet. And even while we differ in our cultures, customs, norms, ideas and beliefs, we all still belong to the human family. We all still want the opportunity to live prosperously, to be abundant, to self-actualize, to love, to be safe, to thrive not just survive. And we all, call this extraordinary planet home.

As we push ahead through this dynamically evolving era, may we remember that our humanity is bound up in each other – we are accountable to each other and the planet we share. And may we choose the highest path forward – individually and collectively. May we remember that when we ALL thrive, we ALL thrive as we progress to the next level.

Stay tuned for more on this topic in future posts as we further define our humanity first approach!

~ Love, Carmen