Integrating patterns for real change

20-01-15

We are already some days ahead 2015. A brand new year that we hope in many regards it is much better than 2014. I know what when well for me in 2014 and what did not fully work, or emerge yet. I am aware as well as some things that when well and not so well for my family, my business and for some of my good friends. And some awareness for what worked well and not so well extends to my closest and farthest communities to which I belong. There’s certainly many things to celebrate yet many things to work on, some more urgent, some more painful, some more simple and some more complex.

As things do not improve by themselves it is clear that one has to ask oneself where do I want to put my focus on? We know that were we place our focus our energy goes. We also know that we have to limit the amount of things we are going to focus on, just as well as to leverage those in which we can have a real impact in and with them.

Here, I like to share a personal reflection that lead me to a new focus and direction for this year. Hoping humbly this is might inspire a reflection on you as well… here it goes:

One of the patterns that I run into in my life is precisely link to “where can I have impact ?” And my way to normally resolve this is to focus on myself and the things that I can get done by myself and as myself. Obviously, this pattern has been a great source and guiding element for me to develop myself, educate and continuously engage in self-developmental practices. This pattern as well has determined my most comfortable direction to work on with Individual clients, empowering individual change to influence the collective. Great to begin and thrive so far.

I can clearly see as well the assumptions, biases and shadow elements this way of going has embed with it. In shadow for instance, I can see how this explains my discomfort and my hesitancy in merging myself or participating in groups, social groups in general, and specifically those that mean to work on a social cause. And my underlying argument for that was, “How can they change honestly something if they are not trying to change themselves?”. As partially correct this might be, this with no doubt has been a trap for me as well. And there’s a counter-side to it as well that could go like this “why so much focus on himself, can he see how much work there’s to do for those most in need?”

Of course if I desire real change, I need to integrate both ways to approach change and impact: the individual and the collective. Yes, with no doubt, the integration of both in oneself is what would be most ideal: for oneself and for the results this collective can offer to society as transformational change.

I am glad though to observe that in my life I do have friends and groups/communities that I belong to that share my interest for personal growth and development and who are actively working on putting that into services of groups, communities and organizations. I do hear in me for this 2015 a longing to do more with them, or with other groups I can find this polarity well balanced, even to join those groups that work on a cause that is attune to my heart but are not so well balanced… maybe there is precisely where I need to be.

I am grateful and thankful for those that are already doing the work and it is my focus and area of growth for me this year! Because I feel the world is calling me, you and all of us to work on ourselves as individuals and as communities to alleviate suffering of this world and this planet.