How to Keep Your Inner Flame Alive
On the one side, it seems like the world is falling apart. On the other, we seem to be living in the most prosperous times of all recorded history. Ultimately whether it’s falling apart or thriving like never before all depends on your own perception of the state of affairs.
For me, there are plenty of things to celebrate. I see innovates creating magic every day. However, we’re also consuming 1.5 planets worth of resources; more people are dying from suicide than in wars; 70%+ of people inside organizations hate their jobs; human trafficking is increasing; in the coming years, many of us will find ourselves replaced by robots — these are just but a few of the indications that something needs a quantum shift. All the magic breakthroughs happening need to outpace the breakdowns, now.
For that to happen, the shift needs to start with me — and maybe you. I believe each of us can be an even greater force for good by keeping our inner flames alive and showing up as kind, open heart-leaders as often as possible. But how do we do this?
How to Fan Your Inner Flame
The Inner Flame of Possibility: Believe that anything is possible and that when people come together they can — and will — change the world for the better.
The Inner Flame of Hope: Acknowledge the young generation of leaders, from all sorts of backgrounds, that are going out into the world in with an open mind, heart, and will to co-create change, regenerate resources, and share the benefits.
The Inner Flame of Connection: Be inspired by the young man from Afghanistan who connected with a young woman from Ohio after a walk exploring the Four levels of listening of Theory U.
The Inner Flame of Commitment: Understand the true meaning of commitment for you. I recently have become more committed to staying “an amateur” and honoring resistance, instead of Turning Pro, as Steven Pressfield eloquently teaches us.
The Inner Flame of Humility: Accept that we never truly can know anything; we can never be absolutely certain. One must be humble enough to say “I don’t know,” and to keep a growth mindset. To stay true to your values when tempted to do otherwise. To stop the insanity of trying to get love, approval, and appreciation from others, when you already contain everything you need. Yes, we also do Byron Katie’s The Work on our limiting beliefs.
The Inner Flame of Community: Find the “people like us that do things like this” that Seth Godin talks about. Finding your tribe: the ones closest to my heart are The League of Intrapreneurs and U.Lab, and I feel very privileged to have recently joined the altMBA and The BMW Responsible Leader’s Network. They’re all full of people who want to come together to change the world — since there is no Planet B, we must collectively and consciously act for the better, now.
The Inner Flame of Joy: Have fun, move, and seek joy. Create a playlist of all the songs that make you happy, and dance like no one is watching. Practice breathing techniques (like yoga for the brain!). Work on moving your body, and make sure to spend a good chunk of time outside.
The Inner Flame of Determination: Persevere, no matter what. Get shit done. Despite the anxieties and the challenges, change only happens if we take collective action. Don’t let a fear of failure or imperfection stop you from putting one foot in front of the next and making things happen.
Today’s busy, chaotic world requires the best of us, which cannot happen when we don’t dedicate the necessary time to fostering our best selves. How do you keep your Inner Flame alive?