Wanting To Show Our Independence

You have been taught that independence is power. You seek to wield that power as an indication of your achievement. You, then, find yourself justifying your choices with apologies to those who counted on you.

The motivation to set yourself apart can, unchecked, isolate you from community. Wanting to set yourself apart can also motivate you toward sustainable contributions to the community. Your uniqueness can steel you to the deceptions to which others fall prey. You can think beyond the current moment to see our common future.

Independence, in truth, is recognition of the power you have even in the absence of titles, positions, and hierarchy. It is the discipline to utilize power with purpose, always having a reasoned approach to action. It is determining the wise course by whether it achieves a collective vision and satisfies a consensus need.

You must learn to distinguish between those that can be trusted and those who cannot. It is true that you are powerful. The promise of community is that other lights combined with yours can illuminate a brighter future. This requires risk. But, this risk is not blind. Those who will combine with you in community will complement your contribution and demonstrate discipline just as you must.

As comfortable and safe as it is to believe the contrary, you are not alone in your quest to succeed. But, this does not diminish the fact that each choice is ultimately yours to make. The risks and investments are yours to live with. You hold responsibility for your choices, but your freedom to make those choices is in the context of a larger community. Purpose gives power. Discipline is power. When we move, let us move together.