Envisioning the Change that Does Not (Yet) Exist
What can we do right now?
A core tenet of 1o1.org is the understanding that individual and community well-being are inextricably connected, i.e., one cannot flourish without the other. We must first discover and establish well-being within ourselves to create good and just markets. And we’re not just talking about physical well-being but the emotional, mental, and spiritual well-being that comes from engaging in a meaningful vocation, forging relationships in community, and sharing your unique gifts with the world.
“There are many wonderful things that will never be done if you don’t do them.” – Charles Gill
But where do we start if most don’t know what well-being or fulfillment feels like? How do we strive for something we don’t even realize is possible? How do we start building teams, organizations, and systems we have no blueprint for?
To get there, we can start by identifying what doesn’t work.
1. Identifying What Doesn’t Work
We can agree that it’s often far easier to point out what is wrong with the world without holding a mirror up to ourselves first. Unfortunately, leadership based on contradiction alone often produces flawed solutions that, for the most part, have been failing us and our planet.
When we start by addressing what’s not working within, we can more precisely identify how these flaws are reflected in our institutions, giving us more clarity to create alternatives for ourselves and the world at large. When we act toward our holistic well-being, we contribute to the collective.
“The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step” is a famous quote attributed to the ancient Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu
A life of agency, creativity, growth, and well-being starts with asking ourselves:
- Of the approximately 35,000 breaths and 50,000 thoughts we will each have today, how many are conscious and/or creative?
- What aspects of our work, relationships, and contributions lack meaning, value, or beneficial outcomes?
- What barriers prevent us from experiencing holistic well-being on personal and communal levels?
- At what point do we lose track of time doing something we love?
2. Imagining What Can Be
From this place of profound clarity within, we can create holistic, well-functioning systems and frameworks that radically introduce meaning and the experience of love into the world. We raise the bar for ourselves and the work we put into the work, and as a result, we expand our imaginations. We envision possibilities where we translate our superpowers into a purpose directed toward positive social change. We build a life devoted to service—to ourselves and a larger world.
“Everyone has a purpose in life and a unique talent to give to others. And when we blend this unique talent with service to others, we experience the ecstasy and exultation of our spirit, which is the ultimate goal of all goals.” – Kallam Anji Reddy
Doing this work alone can feel daunting and lonely. For changemakers to reach their full potential, they need a web of dedicated visionaries to feed their dreams and help them create new ideological constellations. That’s where 1o1.org comes in.
With the support of like-minded individuals, you exponentially increase your changemaking potential, expand your ideas of what’s possible, and more readily lean into concepts that may seem “idyllic” or “utopic” at first glance. In community, you bridge the gap between what’s needed and what’s possible. The starting point? Bridging the gap between “self” and “other”.
3. Bridging The Gap Between “Self” & “Other” with 1o1.org
Break through the illusion of false separation
One of the biggest misconceptions of the human experience is that we exist in a vacuum, when deep down, we all intuitively know that everything is connected; deep down, we know when one of us succeeds, we are all enriched. Likewise, when one of us suffers needlessly, we are collectively diminished. This disillusionment also comes from our collective confusion about what “love” means.
Helping people see through these misunderstood paradoxes empowers changemakers with a rock-solid foundation for navigating a life of intention and service. Once you have grasped this, you will never feel the need to give your power away again. Once you understand the true nature of love (as an action), you start to see all the ways it is missing from our world.
Engaging with other changemakers at 1o1.org empowers you to translate your truth into action. Through cross-pollination and mutual visioning, we expand our imagination of what’s possible and create exponentially more impactful futures than we would have created alone.
Alone, we get a glimpse of change. Together, we weave futures that don’t yet exist. Join us in rediscovering our humanity and witnessing the transformative power of love as action.
P.S. As with most (good) ideas, this post has many authors; it is (perhaps perpetually) in Beta; please participate in shaping and improving its shared value; feel free to post your thoughts, improvements, concerns, and suggested edits to v 0.1 HERE
