By Rosaelenad on September 6, 2017 • ( Leave a comment )
Are You Powerful Enough to Make a Dent in the World?
Nelson Mandela’s death wasn’t a happy event, but at least he died at home surrounded by family. Surprisingly in this world, few people with his ideals could do it even though they deserve it.
How does this affect the rest of us?
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Dr. Joe Dispenza nails this question with his answer “…an unconscious stigma exists that suggests that all visionary leaders must give their lives for the truth. But maybe we’ve finally arrived at the time in history when it’s more important to live for the truth than to die for it.”
Visionary leaders will multiply as we evolve, conquer our fears, go even further to express who we are, and believe we are powerful enough to make a dent in the world. In this respect, Nilofer Merchant calls this phenomenon “onlyness”, and explains it in her book The Power of Onlyness.
The impact of people that lost their lives for their purpose is undeniable, but not all paths are so dangerous. Moreover, The Power of Onlyness shows stories useful to “reshape industries. To advance agendas. To right wrongs. To invent things. To address age-old problems. To simply get things done.”
The key point according to Merchant is “every one of the 7.5 billion humans on this planet has value to offer.” My question—why do some people fail to express it? I would love to believe this statement, and someday it will be true for all.
The Power of Onlyness came along after two years of research and writing of nearly three hundred dent makers.
Twenty of their stories in this book reveal “how ordinary people who would once have been unable to make a dent in the world have done so by acting from their purpose, finding meaningful allies, and then mobilizing many to act as one.”
Merchant considers three main points in her book:
1.- Your Dent
This part of the book deals with “the power of claiming your spot in the world.”
It’s simple, but not always easy to embrace our onlyness, “How many of us have faced such situations—crossroads where we encounter immovable forces, where we must decide between making someone else’s choice or our own?
We’ll meet critics along the way to fulfillment; envy takes so many forms! On the other hand, we’ll meet “our people” too.
For our part, time or money can be an excuse not to follow our hearts, Merchant advises “you can always find time for things that matter by consuming less and creating more.”
2.- Co-Denters
“Co-ownership of an idea is what leads to successful execution which, in turn, transforms that idea into what matters: a new reality.”
To find your people is significant to make a dent in the world, great ideas come through a community of like-minded people, “sometimes means having to walk away from places you don’t fit in, rather than trying to squeeze yourself into a too tight space with the aim to belong.”
Who should we let in our lives?
“…People who play a multiplicity of roles: to cheer us on, challenge us to do better, and even admonish us if we’re not living up to our ideas.”
3.- Denting
Create “a future that works for not the few, but for many.” I could add, the sooner the better.
Be careful not to hurt while you think you’re helping.
“The more crowds act like herds, the less wise they are. Fear can direct groups to do damage. This is why the design of acceptable outcomes and norms matters so much.”
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Thanks to more people waking up to their destiny, after all past suffering, we’ll have a different world. Consequently, I agree with Dr. Joe Dispenza, “We might just have too many leaders to remove.”
Do you wonder if The Power of Onlyness is for you?
“The book I did wind up writing is, quite simply, for you. You, who have suppressed your original ideas, struggled to find your “people,” or been told your vision for what was possible was simply “too much.” For you, who knew deep inside that you had a lot to offer the world if you could just find a way to give it.”
As Nilofer Merchant expresses “Let’s go dent the world.”