OPINION: The Highest Priority of the 21st Century is Being Overlooked
I originally published this on LinkedIn and on no1ranked.com on September 3rd, 2019. Time to dust it off…
Let’s Start With the Why
The world is in a constant state of crisis, so I’ve chosen words that cut through the sugar coating. This thing is broken and dying and we don’t know how to fix it because we’re missing the point. The number one ranked priority—we don’t even notice it. Someone who does notice, needs to say something because we’re dangerously close to wrecking it all.
I’m not a writer, but I’ve seen enough and believe it’s time to build a case for what the problem really is and how we, the people of Earth, can all get it right.
Now that we’ve introduced ourselves…
So how are we doing right now guys? We the people of the world. Not well huh? This is hard. There are so many problems it’s hard to know where to begin. Our planet is being torn apart before our eyes, attacked every day and in every unbelievable way imaginable. The shootings, the fires, the outbreaks, the hate, the greed to name just a few.
I'll explain our current state of the world with one hilarious movie quote.
"Blue Steel? Ferrari? Le Tigra? They're the same face!! Doesn't anybody notice this? I feel like I'm taking crazy pills!!"
You know the Zoolander (2001) movie quote. It's the infamous fashion designer Mugatu, played by Will Ferrell who vents at the fact that no one else in the fashion world notices that male supermodel Derek Zoolander's signature looks are nothing more than him doing the same face over and over again. It's a hilarious quote and also a metaphor for how rediculous and dangerous our current existence has become. I chose it to help explain mainstream (un)reality in 2019 regarding the ongoing destruction of our world. But...but, each world crisis is giving us clues, keys to their solutions every time they happen because it's the same face every time. Does anybody notice?
It seems that most either don't notice or actively avoid the conversation that much of this nonsense is being caused by people with darkness in their hearts. In fact, it feels like most are puzzled and in awe and in despair of these new faces that evil shows. In reality, however, each crisis is the same problem just dressed differently.
The homeless crisis. The climate crisis. Sexual assault. Refugees. Slavery. Blue Steel. Ferrari. Le Tigra. They're the same signature look. It's not going to change if we approach change the same way we always have. We humans typically see a problem and attempt to “fix” it with policy, nonprofit foundations, mindful company missions, benefit concerts, marketing campaigns, lemonade stands, and on and on. A problem appears, we react. That's fine as a temporary help, but what are we doing about the source?
And we debate.
And we wonder.
The cost of staying the same is greater than the cost of changing.
So for a few years, I kind of forgot that I actually know people and culture well enough to write about this issue. Let's just say I've been caught up in other things. My current titles include film producer and branding designer, but over the last 20 years, I’ve worked with just about every age group professionally. I've been trained how to engage people effectively by some of the best leaders in the world and trained some of the best leaders myself. I’ve also taught elementary, middle school, high school. I’ve coached young athletes. I've interviewed college students—a few thousand of them. I’ve been in and led several thousand groups with young people, and older people. I’ve done meetings, calls, and emails with corporate America and Hollywood VIPs. What have I learned? Problems originate with people.
We need a long haul "source strategy" and the resources to fund it.
So here’s my case and my passion that I’ve recently started to synthesize which I’ll be writing more about from a data-driven approach in future articles. To find real solutions we the people of Earth, all of us, must first square up to one inconvenient truth: our own hearts are the quiet origin of world chaos. The nature of mankind secretly sabotages every generation from the beginning of time until now and its signature look is so obvious. Not many are brave enough to venture there because it's uncomfortable.
And that is the inconvenient route we must take when there are solution conversations about violence in our cities, epidemics in the jungles, and silent threats in our small towns. Even the slow leaks eroding away at our communities need uncomfortable heart evaluation. For example, not many will say the American K-12 education system is broken or talk about why. Here’s why guys: we don’t value kids. That’s it I said it. Our hearts aren’t right so we put our money into other things that make more money. But that would be too uncomfortable to admit.
Obvious elephant.
Of the titles I hold as a man in my early 40s, I’m most involved in conflict negotiations. I’m a dad of boys. My boys are fun. My boys eat. They're loud, they eat, they bang into things while they’re eating. And they fight like raccoons when their hearts go sideways. Sometimes a brother won’t own something he said and/or did and try to avoid the real issue that unleashed chaos in my home. One of my tasks as conflict negotiator (with my amazing wife) is to detect and bring it back to the thing that caused the whole mess. The heart of the matter that’s being hidden behind deflecting words, shifty eyes, pointed fingers. The old saying, “there’s an elephant in the room” is defined by Google as a major problem or controversial issue that is obviously present but avoided as a subject for discussion because it is more comfortable to do so.
"Hey Siri, get directions to HEART CHANGE."
Here's what the right change route starts to look like:
When a person's heart changes--truly gets right--their beliefs and attitudes will change.
That change immediately affects their behavior, which, if trained well for years, will determine the kind of character they walk in.
Our world needs people of character released into the wild if we’re going to turn the tide on earth in the next two generations.
Strategies and resources directed at the rescuing of human hearts are needed if we're going to turn this thing around. We still need all the foundations, and startups and all of that but what if we saw the human heart as the highest priority cause on the planet in the 21st century? Would that high of a value change things? If Boomers, Xers, and Millenials--the world's current decision-makers--can get this right in the next thirty years, our kids will run with it and our grandkids could toast to New Year's 2120 on a pretty great planet they're proud to call home. A world recovering and ruled by honest and good people. What if we start with these questions:
How do corrupt, self-centered hearts transform to become honest and good hearts? No matter skin color, religion, politics, location, orientation, or shoe size.
When are the most optimal ages or situations for a person to become honest and good?
Once hearts change, how can we develop and deploy people to become world changers who influence others at the heart level?
More to come.