We live in a world drowning in information and starving for wisdom. So they say.
I wrote a post on Linkedin this week sharing a few thoughts which I want to share here with some tips on one of the biggest obstacle that gets in the way of sharing wisdom and creative ideas: the belief that “what I have to say doesn’t matter or isn’t important…”
While some take to the political scene, Instagram or other public spaces with bullish confidence, many tell me they’re battling fears of visibility behind closed doors…And it’s time for change.
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When someone sends me an interesting article, I sometimes reply: Thanks. Could you send me something you've written? I’m much more interested in your thoughts. I believe we need to consume less and create more. In fact, I often invite my clients to create their own personal or organisational manifesto. Elon Musk has his axioms, religions have many and I invite my clients to create their own. Your principles are an expression of your values, they let people know what you’re about and they guide your decision-making. Here are 5 of my principles of freedom: 1. Slow down to speed up. 2. There’s no such thing as time management. It’s choice management. 3. Action trumps perfection. 4. The antidote to doubt is commitment. 5. My word creates my world.
What are yours?
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When you create more (poetry) and consume less (news), you rebalance your mind
When you create more (opportunities to rest) and consume less (comfort food), you rebalance your body.
Creating more and consuming less is an act of love towards yourself, others and the environment.
It’s sustainable living on the most profound level.
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If you’re afraid of sharing your thoughts or creative outputs beyond your immediate circle, you can start with clarifying your personal principles or manifesto.
(Whether you realise it or not, your life decisions are governed by your underlying principles and beliefs. So you might as well be clear about them and choose the ones you want to live by).
Public figures simply wear their principles publicly and proudly. They express them through their work in different, creative forms. As a result, they shape the public conversations.
And of course they deal with the fallback: there will always be those who oppose your principles or even overinterpret them in a way you have no control over.
But think about it: if you’re sitting with a friend or colleague talking about ideas, would you expect them to agree with everything you say? Would you decide that what you had to say wasn’t valuable to the conversation if they had different ideas or a misunderstanding occurred?
Of course, you should bring rationality, compassion and kindness to the space and be clear about the origins of your point of view – opinions are not facts.
But one of the things that distinguishes us as a species is that we can share stories, perspectives and principles to live by. We can discuss, discard and refine them.
The more diverse voices are engaged in the conversation, the richer it is and the better chance we have of creating a wise society.
So will you allow your voice to be heard, today?
Have a great week,
Amina
