We are Each Other
With everything that is going on in our world today, I know it can be easy for us to become overwhelmed by the problems we face. As you've probably heard another election has passed and inflation is at an all-time high. At the same time corporate profits, inequality, consumer debt, and the monopolization of pretty much every industry are also at an all-time high.
The reality is we live in a Me-First-Economy, and subsequently a Me-First Culture. In America today, and over the last 50 years or so the dominant philosophy has been "It's a dog-eat-dog world out there. You gotta look out for number one. Kill or be killed." This neo-liberal emphasis on individualism is so pervasive that we often don't even notice it, or have any sense that things ever have been or could ever be different. The proponents of this ideology claim that it's just in our DNA. It's how God and evolution made us, so why fight it?
One of the main purposes of this show is to recognize the fact that while this way of thinking may be the most dominant one in our politics, our culture, and the business community, there is, in fact, another way. We draw from the thousands of years of human history where groups of people lived and worked as communities rather than individuals. And even today there are countless examples of businesses, investors, community organizations, entrepreneurs, and industry leaders who recognize the interconnectedness of our lives and who understand that a rising tide raises all ships.
I genuinely believe that the problems we face today are in part caused by the way that we think. When we see ourselves only as isolated and independent, we tend to objectify others, thinking of our fellow human beings as objects who exist solely to help us get what we want, or who stand in our way. But when we actually take the time to look one another in the eye and pay attention to our common ground and shared humanity, we recognize each other for who we really are, each other.
We all share this planet, and it's the only one we've been given. We are all brothers and sisters and no single individual can change the world on their own. We cannot wait for a superhero to step in and save the day. If we are to survive and thrive in the face of our biggest challenges, it must be done together, but it must also be done within each of our own hearts and our own minds.
For me, this means taking a good hard look at my own attitudes, behaviors, and practices. It means recognizing that sometimes, I'm part of the problem. It means interrogating reality to understand my own selfish tendencies, and remembering to forgive others and myself for not being perfect. If we are going to have a better world and a more mindful marketplace we have to not only relieve the suffering that is caused by oppression, but we must also relieve the suffering that causes oppression within ourselves.
As I mentioned earlier, it's easy to be overwhelmed by all the things we cannot control, but I believe that when we cannot change our circumstances we are challenged to change ourselves. Our path of growth as individuals and as a society is to let go of our illusion of separateness and recognize that the best opportunity any of us have is the chance we get to serve each other. Because, when all is said and done, we are each other. And we are all we have.
