I want to start this with a story I heard from Dr. Wayne Dyer on TV. I don’t remember his exact words, but the idea remains.
“A man was walking along and noticed a butterfly trying to get out of its cocoon. He watched it struggle for a while and decided to help. He ripped open the cocoon, but instead of flying away, the butterfly just hobbled around. Its wings weren’t strong enough to lift its body. The body was still too heavy for the little wings to fly. The man’s help was not what the butterfly needed. Sometimes, the wisdom of nature needs to be understood before we act.”
The man made a mistake out of compassion. As human beings, we can make mistakes and learn from them, but our intentions should be for the betterment of humanity. Unfortunately, many people don’t realize that clipping someone’s wings is a mistake. From parents to politicians, and society to religions, this mistake is often repeated with or without good intentions. Many social, religious, and governing systems are designed to control individuals. They shamelessly use the politics of belonging to undermine individuality.
I believe in interdependence, but with a balance of reciprocation to achieve full potential. If an individual has potential but is controlled, they can’t reciprocate, which I view as non-spiritual. An evolved human strengthens humanity and God more than one who is controlled. Our traditions and customs often overprotect, ripping the cocoon or clipping the wings of even our offspring.
Each of us, if we have five dollars, is potentially a CEO and destined to contribute to humanity and God while benefiting ourselves. Gender is not a limitation unless imposed by some entity, society, or oneself. Stigmatizing even one individual through stereotyping removes many potential contributors from the equation. For instance, if women don’t work and are limited to just bearing and caring for children, they become dependent. This removes a significant portion of the potential workforce that could help society progress. Consequently, it keeps the individual and society at a substandard level. This can be seen globally; it just requires the ability to think, see, and judge.
My focus is on equal human rights and the spiritual reciprocation of all individuals, so we can collectively evolve to reach our potential as intended by God. Every cell in our bodies has a job, receiving nutrients and oxygen to survive, function, and reciprocate. We, like our body cells, must function to help humanity and God.
If any political practice, tradition, custom, or rule—even from religions—prevents individuals from reciprocating, it is against God, humanity, and spirituality. Even a functioning God is meaningless without human reciprocation. If you are a female and believe you can contribute more than just bearing children, you see yourself as the CEO of your life. Reproduction is essential, but life is not complete without reciprocation.
Reaching our potential individually and collectively is the purpose of our lives. The destination is not what religions preach; it’s about living years where you benefit and help humanity and God move forward. The belief in life after death gives hope and courage to push through life’s difficulties. However, life after death is unknown and based on assumptions. Living for the afterlife without reciprocation is misguided, especially when beliefs are imposed by force. Forced beliefs are political, not spiritual, because they block individuals from reaching their potential to serve humanity.
Religions often impose rules to control individuals, which is fear-driven, showing a lack of trust and optimism. This lack of belief contradicts the trust in God’s will. If you truly believe in God, why control outcomes according to personal choices? Either you believe in God’s will or you don’t. The main reason God and religions have endured is that belief systems help individuals.
To reduce life’s stresses, you must genuinely believe. Only then can God and religion remove deep-seated fears. Yet, popular religions often instill rather than remove fears. This reflects the politics of belonging, existing so individuals give up their potential for a promised spot in heaven. This political manipulation undermines the individual.
As a religious leader, you are first a human being and the CEO of your life. If you preach to suppress others, you follow outdated rules, not your personal spirituality. Questioning, thinking, and creating is a PhD; following a book without personal thought is a master’s degree. Help as a whole individual, not as an ideology’s extension. Everyone has similar abilities, so choose to be a CEO.
Believing in something is one thing, but the harm of those beliefs to others is your responsibility. Teach and preach for the benefit of humanity and God, not to suppress others. If education robs self-esteem, it hinders contributions to humanity and God. Dependents can’t help God’s work due to a lack of reciprocation.
You can’t just pray for change; God has given you the potential, and you must know its value. Humanity has achieved so much with our intellect; it should not be undermined by religious stigmatization. Our justice systems are separate from religions, but religious political control persists. Conflicts like the niqab case in North America highlight this struggle. Individual rights protect such practices, even against popular opinion.
Conservatives need to recognize societal changes. Refugee selection based on religion, not individual suffering, is divisive politics. Belonging to one group should be outdated; we need governing systems protecting equal human rights.
We must first recognize our humanity before learned identities. The niqab debate is exaggerated by fear-based politics. If we dictate appearances, we infringe on personal freedoms. Polygamy exists due to individual rights, despite societal opposition. We must allow personal choices without harm to others.
The politics of security is prevalent, but real identity lies in being human. Peace comes from individual understanding, not group politics. War and conflict often stem from the loss of love, leading to revenge. This perpetuates violence and emotional turmoil.
Our intellect must guide our actions, not just emotions. Political decisions, like the Iraq war, have far-reaching, uncontrollable consequences, causing suffering and conflict. The true damage is the loss of love, fueling hatred and prejudice.
Human conflicts often disregard emotional and love loss. Our emotions drive us, sometimes overpowering intellect. To solve conflicts, we must embrace our humanity and reject divisive group politics. Each person can be a CEO, solving personal and collective issues by belonging to humanity, not just groups. Understanding ourselves and our potential can extinguish conflict and promote peace.
Say no to innocent killings and suffering. Support systems that consider individual emotions and love. Conflicts arise from the politics of belonging, but peace comes from balancing belonging with freedom. More CEOs lead to better outcomes.