What is a leader in this competitive world?

A leader allows people to take different perspectives, while facilitating openness and honesty when ideas seem to clash. Everyone’s voices should be heard, and sometimes it’s as easy as actually taking turns in a circle, not interrupting what the speaker has to say. Leaders in America are often the ones that speak the loudest or most frequently, but they may be speaking the wrong message. In some cases, when the squeaky wheel gets the oil, we forget that wheels are supposed to turn together. We forget that the parts all make up the same system and that it shouldn’t have to compete with itself. It’s like treating the index finger as the righteous victor because it is the most useful (hypothetically speaking). It’s like restraining your other fingers from movement because you are so in love with the index finger’s loudness. We often forget about the hand, and are too zoned into wanting our fingers to be the best. Shall we just have 5 opposable thumbs?

In terms of competition- you might be wondering about whether or not it is bad to have a directional pull towards an idea. When two basketball players are playing basketball, they are pushing and pulling their ideas of the art of basketball toward the direction of elegance and force---wanting the outcome to go their way. But, beauty is not a zero sums game, and if both players are skilled enough in the sport, they can realize that the game goes the way it ought to go, and that both are experiencing a phenomenon only capable of happening through each other. The victor does not claim to have experienced the game fuller than the the other. Can both be victorious in that both experienced the emotions, perhaps different emotions----sadness and love. Can the humbed ever feel a deeper connection to a game that they have less skills in. What about the skill of love and joy. I’d like to ask a child this question. I’d ask them why they run through the forest, even though the man is faster. Surely speed is the name of the game? Or is experience of joy what cultivates beauty, curiosity, and the ultimate sense of victory?

You can lose a hand, and walk away with absolute unfathomable respect, love, and humility for this game of life. You can lose a loved one. You can lose yourself, and you can still appreciate this beautiful moment in time.