I am borrowing the title of Margaret Wheatley’s book about new ways of being in organizations, Finding Our Way. I read it a few years ago (and recommend it) when I was working in a company where my way of being was challenged by a man who was operating from an old paradigm of crushing creativity to show his power and thus gain control. It didn’t work for him as it isn’t working at all anymore. We are being asked to consider alternate routes in our behavior. It is nearly to the point of the planet demanding that we do things differently. I believe we are at that point. We are taking a look at our acceptable lives and making some changes.

A decade ago I changed up my life in a very big way. I thought I had everything I needed to begin this new life I envisioned. It didn’t work out that way. Instead of finding what I planned, I found this person I kinda knew was there way down deep inside, hiding mostly because I was sure she was not what people wanted to see, not good enough I thought. I did the comparison and I normally came up short.

Along the way I have met a whole bunch of other people who felt the same way and many who still do. We are learning the value of being ourselves, warts and all. Life is exhilarating once those steps are taken, or at the least very interesting. The whole of existence conspires to help us along and when we pay attention there is an brand new road laid out before us.

We are not so different from one another. We may be at different stages of growth, different life circumstances, economic means but we are pretty much the same on the inside. We are, as the bumper sticker pronounces, all one…and we’re here to support one another to live the life of our dreams. The one where we get to be who we are, whoever that is. If we aren’t who we are, who will be? Nobody else can be. Each of us is individually beautifully part of one big puzzle. And you know what happens when there is a piece missing.