There are many great leaders throughout our history. They are found in every area of human endeavor, whether it be political, religious or otherwise. The work and life of these phenomenal individuals involved an awareness of what humanity needs. The majority of us have some level of understanding of what their work was about, and how these men had a significant impact on a great number of lives. The power of their words through their various teachings changed our way of thinking and how we live our lives, indeed. It is important for us to realize that the work of these great leaders has much in common. There is a central theme running through their life which can be clearly seen in everything they were about and everything they did. The core principles these leaders exhibited are far-reaching, as they still affect us today. The implication here is that humanity continues to gain understanding and develop the qualities that these leaders most definitely intended to impart. As we view and study their lives, it becomes clear that the central theme was one of freedom. We can understand what freedom is all about by understanding what we are becoming free of, and once this is accomplished, what it will create or provide for us. Let’s take a look.
Freedom from Oppression
The existence of oppression in our world is based on the need of certain individuals to dominate others. This domination creates the power and influence they seek to acquire only for themselves. If we honestly look at the work and lives of the above leaders, we notice that they had no interest in acquiring personal power and wealth at the expense of others. Their goal and intent was to improve the quality of life for all humanity. They were relatively free of self-interest, which allowed them to focus on what is needed by the greater whole. What they were creating would therefore apply to all individuals. To be free of oppression, then, we need to become aware of our own power and how we can indeed control our own lives and create what we require for ourselves. We cannot allow the self-interest of others to take what rightfully belongs to us.
Freedom from Selfishness
An interesting way to look at selfishness is to understand what it will eventually create. To live only for oneself inevitably creates a reality of isolation. The truth is that we actually have a natural affinity for others and want to be together. The great leaders of our world understand this and are creating ways for us to work together, or rather, make us aware of the need to work together in order to create a better world for all. If we go about our lives with only self-interest in mind, we are alone. The simple truth is that we ultimately cannot survive all by ourselves in the end. If that were the case, no “others” would exist. There is a reason for the “many”, you see, and this will become clearer as we move along into greater self-awareness. The great leaders of our time encourage us to see the glory of being together as one group, with a common purpose and objective.
Freedom from Separateness
The idea that we are separate from the creative source of all things is not a reality in any way. The fear of being isolated and separate from others is also false. These misconceptions we hold in our minds are only temporary. If we simply allow our hearts to open and let others in, our fear and anxiety will subside over time. This is a guarantee. The above images are of men who became aware of our essential unity. They understood themselves to be part of a greater spiritual home, and were more conscious of the glory of creation itself. They were here to show us that our perception of reality is incorrect, and what we need to do to correct it. Our efforts to see one another as brothers and sisters, and not enemies, will most certainly alleviate much of our suffering. This will change our perception of why we are here and eliminate that sense of being alone forever. This is our destiny.
Freedom to Express
Great leaders remind us that we have a right to express ourselves in whatever manner we feel is appropriate, as long as we don’t intentionally harm others in the process. There is no person or group that can tell us we’re wrong or have no right to be ourselves. We are divinely imbued, if you will, with certain qualities and characteristics that allow greater humanity to be what it is. We are created as we are, but we are also developing the understanding that we are always changing and becoming more of who we are. There is no individual or group who is better. Our differences are only slight, unimportant overall, and most definitely temporary. It is our goal to be ourselves and understand that our uniqueness will be an important addition to humanity as a whole. In this way, we make humanity even better, richer and more complete. This is a good thing!
Freedom to be Equal
We are here because God said we could be. We are a manifestation of the universe itself. God and the greater universe is one working whole, of which we are all a part. We are born of this equal, all-important state. There is no other truth for us to comprehend or understand. All great leaders want us to know this simple fact, beyond any doubt. We are free to be equal because we are equal. We, unfortunately, spend almost all our time trying to be special or more important when we are not. We spend too much of our energy and consciousness identifying and focusing on the differences between us, which are ultimately unimportant. Inside us exists a “being” that is the same. We must realize that we are human beings first. Each identification after that is less significant in the grander scheme of things. We all have the same obstacles to overcome and the same need to be loved. To create equality in every way is to properly identify what we have in common, and let the rest go. “If someone is different from me, I must fear them and push them away”, is something we have allowed ourselves to believe for too long now. This belief has given certain persons and groups to also believe they are superior to others, which gives them the right to use and abuse. We need to remember, from a higher perspective, to let others find their own way and have their experience. It has been said, however, that the majority of humanity has enough experience with what personal power and selfishness creates. It is time, therefore, to make a different choice.
Freedom to Access Abundance
If we have a right to be here, we have a right to pursue life. To pursue life and prosper, we need to be reasonably sure we can survive along the way. The abundance given us is great, enough, and belongs to all. The differences in race, sex, religion, and the like are simply used as a justification to be selfish and greedy by those who do not understand what love is. In our past, oppression used to be based on hatred, and we know all hatred is based on fear. This is not so much the case today. Our modern-day oppressors just want to have everything for themselves. There is no need to find a complicated explanation for selfishness. All the great leaders of history, and many leaders today, understand that money is indeed “the root of all evil”. There are in fact abundant resources that exist. It’s simply a matter of sharing what is already available. No life or existence can be sustained with the level of greed that exists today. The good news is that the majority of us are at least beginning to understand this. We are transitioning to a system based on equality for all. We are creating a better world, and we can all participate.
Leading from the Heart
True leadership is not about personal gain. It’s about providing what is needed. The Christ, MLK, Lincoln, Gandhi, Mother Theresa and so many others, were persons of great power and influence for sure. Their power was a power available to all humanity. Their power was not used to dominate, oppress, and acquire only for themselves. The power and leadership they exhibited can only be found in the heart. The heart does not involve aggression and ambition. It involves an awareness and expression of love and compassion. This is what all human beings are becoming. Giving, not taking, was the outstanding behavior of these individuals and their reason for being. Their mission was one of the establishment of freedom and our essential equality.
“We have no conscience in leadership without compassion”
All my love and support, stay safe and be well