We need agency but it demands everything.
Only when we are self-empowered can we create the changes we seek. That’s why we need agency, but to gain it we must confront our self-created reality. And right now we are avoiding it.
Wanting to change the world is easy. Actually being able to change the world is the hard part.
Only when we are self-empowered can we create the changes we seek. That’s why we need agency, but to gain it we must confront our self-created reality. And right now we are avoiding it.
Globally, we share a social fabric that abandons agency instead of fostering it. Our societies minimize active participation in creation and decision-making. We follow a destructive power principle, trading representation for agency and allowing elites to define society. School systems suppress the self-leadership and potential of our children while workplaces diminish creativity, strength, and power.
But what strikes me most is how often I see people actively avoid agency. Many of us see agency as a personal threat, because:
→ it demands that we take responsibility for every single aspect of our lives;
→ it urges us to discover ourselves and then stand up for ourselves;
→ agency asks us to make the profound personal changes necessary to be able to act, and
→ it confronts us with the fact that we are the creators of our own lives and worlds, not mere spectators.
People avoid taking responsibility for their own lives. They see doing so as a burden that creates risks for them. But that’s a fallacy. Embracing responsibility can be a significant source of personal power, well-being, and a fulfilling life. It enables us to gain agency and expand our sphere of influence.
Agency asks for a clear decision. From that point forward, it demands decisiveness and determination.
Are you willing to commit to that?
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