The path to Real Change

I am still a bit in shock over what I saw last night while watching the Presidential debate.  I am sad and grieved.  This morning I am left with a feeling that I have a vote, but beyond that I feel bit out of control to actually change the fact that a snowball starting to roll down the hill.  The snowball is not tied to a particular candidate, but has to do with the fact that ‘we the people’ are slipping.   This is to be expected because we are after all – people – but what can we really do to bring about change?

So, the reality of our slippage has brought me to this quote this morning:

Too many leadership initiatives or programs are begun with a sales and marketing mindset : How do we seduce people to sign up and feel good about doing things they may not want to do? Real change, however, is a self-inflicted wound. People need to self-enroll in order to experience their freedom and commitment. 

Peter Block in Community: The Structure of Belonging (p. 118). 

Real change is not something we legislate or delegate, it is indeed a self-inflicted wound.

Change has been a constant theme of those running for office, those wanting to start new things, or those rebelling against a set of institutional rules and regulations.  But real change, happens when an individual is willing to stare in the mirror and allow change to start with them.

Again, just an observation:  those that declare the need for change talk so much about “Those people” out there.  Rarely, do we hear the the first person invoked in regards to change.

So here is my challenge for us today – let’s make time to ask these questions:

1.  What is the real change you need to make in your life so that others around you will live fuller and freer lives? 

2. What is the deep change you have been avoiding because it seems too large and looming?

We have a choice today.  We can demean and demolish the candidate that gets our worse words, or we can take that energy and work on the real change that needs to happen within our own hearts and lives.

You will give a wound today, allow it to be the self-inflicted wound of real change.  Self enroll in order to experience freedom and commitment.