In my many years, I have learned that when we act on a feeling or situation there are distinctively different sources of energy we use. Most people have learned, as I have, to respond in a way that protects us from harm in some way. Our minds have been conditioned to sort through events using our experiences to make decisions. Most times our perception of the world is molded by people and events that have had the most influence on us since childhood. Every one begins living at the starting line.
What is truth for one person may not be for another. And time also influences what our truth is. Even scientifically, truth changes over time because of new findings and experiences. A thousand years ago we "knew" the sun revolved around earth. Five hundred years ago we "knew" the Earth was flat.......What will we "know" tomorrow? Will there be room for new ideas to grow? Convince me.
Many of my truths have been altered during my life time. I used to operate from my ego, as that is the place I was taught through both the worlds of work and education and most of the people I knew operated from there. If I accomplished something, it gave me a feeling of greatness and was rewarded by gold stars on my forehead or pay raises or some other form of recognition. Instant gratification.
Even entering the realm of the executive chef didn't change my perspective about my own power and ego until after a few years of practice. After all the years leading up to that exalted position, and all the stuff I had learned along the way, I still thought of myself as the person fixing any problem, be it people's or situation's, until I realized I was only the facilitator for getting problems solved. I found that people contributed to the process with new and fresh ideas and approaches. I saw that, maybe, I was out dated. I realized, deep down, that there was much I could still contribute but I had to allow new idea people to take hold and go forward with me as the "brakeman" on a revitalized journey. Advise and advice would have to be my role if new things were to be discovered in a new light, if the "train" was to leave the platform. I also discovered a lot of what had been learned about others, over time; and of myself, over the years, was false. The place where the most power rests in our hearts, not our egos. Our egos are self serving! Our hearts are what should be serving this association......indeed the entire ACF.
When there is betrayal, injustice or confusion in our lives, it is not unusual for most of us to become fearful and seek ways to shield ourselves. That is, in my opinion, our ego exerting its power over us. But going into our hearts and asking the right questions, honestly and objectively, we will find what is best for everyone, even if it's challenging. It allows us to grow into better human beings, leaders, inventors of new, innovative ideas, not simply more powerful people with super egos. There is really a season for all things....to bloom and to wither, to serve and step aside. Time wears every one out.
Managing people and organizations for over thirty years, I can now see that many times I "shot" from my ego. I was not a ruthless person. I didn't see my own heart's desire to truly serve those around me. I "needed" to have total control. I was not, under any circumstances, about to give up an inch of it, even when I realized I was no longer a modern leader with all the schemes and ideas necessary to be politically correct, a new thing, for me to remember at all cost and at all times. I was acting on my ego and not wanting to recognize the power in the other players, and mostly, not willing to give any of it up.
Power plays among people: family members, friends, colleagues make life more complicated, frustrating and hurtful. It is, again, the ego operating and keeping us away from our hearts. When we act with love being one of our intentions, passion for the organization we serve and its members is easy. We learn to live from our hearts and not our egos. It's easy. Sometimes stop and ask your heart what's best to do in a situation so that everyone will benefit. Yeah, if it means stepping down, or aside; so be it! A 90 year old Tambur warrior once said, "When we listen to our hearts, we hear the voice of the universe." Our egos and our hearts are two very different places from which we can live and govern from. What's your choice. If you've been a leader for many years, isn't it time you let go the control and allow new people to give leadership a try?.....With our advise and advisement, our federation and its chapters will grow and mature over the next 20 years. ACF needs desperately to grow, and now!

Being practical sometimes means being realistic and in turn realism is always truth.