Understanding my worldview
It's not often, if ever, that we consciously try to understand and write down our own worldview - our (unique) perspective and way of looking at the world. Worldview is certainly built upon things like core values and beliefs, which in turn come from our personal experiences, upbringing and culture. Sometimes we get pulled into narratives in the media that shape our worldview, without us consciously questioning whether those narratives are actually true, or helpful.
For someone in the business of communicating with and helping others, I thought it might be a good exercise to try to write down my worldview (and perhaps for you to write yours down too).
My worldview is:
"The world is increasingly broken, but it can be fixed, and it's the responsibility of everyone, but definitely professionals and leaders, to fix. Every professional and leader should aim to have a positive social impact. It's the way to living a happy, balanced and meaningful life. It's the way to reach your potential, and it’s good for the planet."
For me, reaching your potential, and having a positive impact in your community and the world are inseparable. That positive impact could be as simple as knowing your values, and raising your kids the right way. It could be being a loving spouse, parent, child, friend or colleague. Loving starts with listening. Sometimes loving means telling someone what they need to hear, rather than what they might want to hear. Having a positive impact often starts small, then snowballs from there: teaching or mentoring others, creating an organisation or working with one to multiply the positive impact of your and others efforts. Start by changing where you work and where you live for the good. Let new experiences with new communities (that you might not have been part of before) challenge and build your own worldview.
I have an immense faith that the majority of people want to do good, and be good. Being good has nothing to do with always following the rules, doing what you always did, or following what you think that society wants you to do. It means taking the time to understand yourself and what you stand for. It means connecting with the humanity in yourself and in all of us, the timeless qualities like love, compassion, equity and dignity.
It is not an understatement to say that your worldview defines your life. It determines the problems and opportunities you see, and how you respond. It defines whether you are passive, or proactive. There is no way get on the path to reaching your potential without examining your worldview, taking a reality check (finding a diverse set of facts to test it) and then deciding that you're serious making any changes so that your life reflects your worldview.
Changing the world starts with changing yourself, and happens through taking action, and interacting with others. A positive worldview (even one based on the reality of problems to be solved) has a way of infecting others with its positive energy.
What is your worldview?
What do you stand for?
How can your worldview help make a better world?