Real change, diversity, equity and empowerment begins with introspection and working on self. Self awareness and self management. Great discovery from podcast session between Chloe Valdary, founder at the theory on enchantment and Simon Sinek. The current and usual forms of building change, empowerment, equity have come of age, yielded dividends but there is always more to unlock. So I particularly find practical alternatives useful and very pivotal to exerting some cadence into the pace of the wide variety of change we want to see in Africa.
Leaning and building on the podcast session but also introspecting via the lens of my personal experiences;
While the measures and lead time to outcomes might split opinions and the demand might seem unfair to the less represented, oppressed, unhappy and depressed. The times I have personally felt the best where the times I unconsciously practiced the below. Not easy work, but something to explore further.
Theory of Enchantment – Soap Box Moment
Tapping into the self love and self gratification, human beings gravitate towards a framework, platforms, people, service that show them the fullness of themselves and their potential.
The theory of Enchantment was created so that We can unravel self, the power of our essence and eventually be in awe of the miracles of being a human and being able to carry the tragedy and beauty of being humans.
Theory of enchantment as a tool for building sustainable communities, diversity, equity and inclusion:
1. Treat people like human beings not political obstruction
2. Criticise to uplift and empower, never to tear down and destroy
3. Root everything you do in love and compassion
Enablers to Practice (Not easy and no illusion about this)
1. Shadow work, everything you do not like about yourself, you project to other people.
2. Identify triggers and introspect to identify traces within you, repeatedly suppresses ego and future trigger. Separate behaviours from human and introspect to identify similar patterns in you. Helps overtime to tone down the ego.
3. Acknowledge similar shortcomings when criticising to uplift (vulnerability).
4. Understand the complexity of human beings.
5. Exploring the power of vulnerability, always show up as a student. Opens people to listen to you. Keeps ego under check, being wrong becomes part of the learning experience.
6. Avoid the illusion of separation, we are all connected.
BJA | TDM 