"The future, as always, does not lie in front of successful individuals, it must rest within them. Tourists and refugees inhabit our world, says Italian artist Franceso Clemente -- either you embrace change or you try to escape from it.
Try to control the uncertainties of this world and you'll go nuts. Perhaps, instead, the best thing that we can hope for is some stability and certainty inside ourselves. Forget about weaknesses for a while.
Find your strengths and use them. Be the person that you were meant to be. Reveal that best kept secret of yours to the rest of the world. Get real. Otherwise you are bound to get lost."
-- Kjell A Nordström, Jonas Ridderstråle
Some questions to ponder:
1. What do you want as your future? Why?
2. What is your greatest fear?
3. What is your most prized value?
4. Who do you view as the three most influential leaders to shape the future?
Defining what we're trying to achieve goes a long way to creating a path towards it, harnessing our intention, building on the energy that a conversation we start generates when aimed at true inquiry. Here are my quick answers:
1. Building an environment where each individual with abilities and the will to work for it can achieve the fullest potential. There are many definitions and ways to happiness. I believe that enabling people to build on their stengths and participate in the larger conversation is a way to wipe out many of the frustrations that ail the world. People want to care. Individuals want to count, not be counted. I realize this needs to work hand in hand with choice; freedom to choose who we want to be. When I walk on a dark alley late at night, I am never afraid that someone will jump out from behind a building and tell me something really smart.
2. That we will give up on ourselves and choose not to participate, depriving the world of a unique voice.
3. Willingness to learn.
4. The current Dalai Lama, Stephen Lewis, John McCain