Why purpose, intention and love must be at the center of influence today

If you are ready to stand up for what you believe in, now is the time to put your brave boy/girl pants on and do it. If you believe it is time to change the path for humanity and all life on earth, now is our chance to make it happen. If you want to see a kinder, more generous, more loving and equal world, now is the time to claim it.

Yes now, right now, and we can ALL be agents of change to make this happen. Every single one of us.

Our individual belief that we are powerful seems to be the challenge. I speak to professionals and friends all over the world and their throats are constricted in fear of releasing their words – fear of reprisal, criticism, rejection or simply looking stupid.

But here’s the problem. All around the world, a small percentage of the global population are dominating the media landscape – both traditional and social. They have an outsized presence in the information world compared to their physical numbers.

If you woke up from a coma today, I reckon you’d be wondering what the hell had happened to humanity. When did we all get so angry?

However, the dominant voices do not represent all of us and I’m sick of them owning the global conversation. You too?

Well time to raise your voice

What we desperately need right now, is for all of the great people in the world to raise their voice and speak up for how we want life to be. And we need this so very badly, because the extreme right wing voice is more dominant on digital platforms than in reality, and it’s doing great damage to all of us. We can’t let it continue.

Before you bite, I’m not talking about Conservatives, Republicans or Tories, etc – this is the stuff happening on the edge. There’s a clue in the word extreme – think QAnon, Conspiracy Theory believers, Anti Vaxxers, etc…

Their voice appears to be stronger, because they are speaking up for their beliefs – which I believe they have a right to do – and they are organized and united. They are embracing this opportunity.

However, if we don’t like it – which I hope we don’t – then we need to take personal responsibility. This means we speak up about our beliefs and we drown them out, because there are far more of us than them.

You want to see change? Speak up! Speak up loud and strong.

You want a different future for humanity? Then speak up.

You want the climate crisis intelligently discussed and acted on? Then speak up.

You want to help people without hope? Then speak up.

You want dignity to be a central priority for every human on this planet? Then speak up.

You want a better, kinder world for your children? Then speak up.

Speak up my friends, speak up! Support those in your community doing the same too.

If we do this, we can drive the global conversation back into alignment with how the majority of us are feeling, because today, it is out of balance.

Please, we can’t allow the negative and depressing narrative to continue to consume our social media channels. We can’t control them speaking up, but we are bigger and we can be louder. We can take responsibility by speaking up.

How do I do it? How do I start?

You define the message you want to be known for and then you deeply connect to the intention of why you are present in the first place. You sit in the energy of purpose – the change you’re seeking to drive. The awareness you’re seeking to build.

If you can connect on that deepest level – the why you are there – it’s incredibly fortifying. From this position, grow your voice, your influence and your power to create a better future for humanity and all life on earth. Anchor your presence deeply in your intentions and go.

Intention implies little more than what one has in mind to do or bring about. Purpose suggests a more settled determination – Merriam Webster Dictionary

Bringing in Dr. Bertice

To back this up, last week I heard Dr. Bertice Berry speak. Bertice opened the Asia Professional Speakers Convention 2020 and is one of the most talked about speakers from the whole week.

Why? Because she spoke from her heart and communicated so clearly on the importance of intention, purpose, and being agents of change and hope. That’s why I wanted to share this with you, because I know so many are struggling to stand up.

The struggle to unleash your voice is understandable too, because it’s gotten so ugly out there. Why would anyone want to raise their head on such an angry battlefield?

But we must, we must, we can’t let the world spiral into a dark time for humanity. We can’t. We’ve been there before throughout history and it is a path open to us right now. It’s a path of despair and brutality, but we can demand better. We can create better.

The only way we can ensure it doesn’t happen is if we come together and make sure it doesn’t. We are in control. Let’s make sure we don’t let it get to the point that we lose control. That tipping point is not too far off.

Inspiration for your weekend

I have re-listened to Bertice’s speech a couple of times since the event and decided to capture some of her key points, which I think will really help people struggling with their confidence to show up as their true selves in the world right now.

Weaving in personal stories, Bertice helped all of us understand who we should be for this time. What our role is and how we can make a massive contribution to the world.

It was for speakers, but the reality is, this message is for anyone who wants to build their influence to help a world in pain. We can be the voice of hope the world needs.

The first question she asked us to answer: What can I do for others? What can I do for my community?

Spend time answering this great question. Bertice has been extremely busy during the pandemic when most in our profession aren’t getting any work. Bertice came up with her list in March, and all of the work has been in alignment with that original list. It works. It gets you focused.

Who can I do for others? It’s important to include ideas with non-financial rewards here, because you never know where your help will take you.

As an aside, something I’ve discovered in life is, when you put the outcomes you desire on the actions you take, you close off possibilities for outcomes you don’t even know are possible. This means you limit yourself. Focus on who you can help, not outcomes.

Secondly, if you only list actions on work you believe will deliver a financial return (a very logical approach) you’ll never know what rewards your other actions – usually passions – can also deliver to you. This is one of life’s great epiphanies and most miss it. List it all out. Even the skills with no obvious financial rewards.

Some quotes from Bertice’s speech

We have to use our voice to give hope. And let me say it plainly, if you’re not using your voice to bring hope during these very difficult times, shut up. Let someone else use that air. We need folks to inspire hope and a belief we’re going to make it.

We’re being called to bring the shift and move people forward, to help the world become a better place. And if you’re not using everything you possess to make the world a more fragrant place. Then you’re in the way. This time is a very auspicious time. We don’t have time for anything else.

How do we do this? What do we do? Set love as your intention.

Love the people around you. Laugh more, love more.

Be really intentional in how you use your voice.

Slow down. Figure out what you need to say yes too, or what you’d like to say yes too, and begin to say no to some of these things. Don’t do things that don’t bring you joy.

If your family – the people living in your house – can’t get along with you because you’re so angry doing the work that you do, then you need to slow down and love the folks around you. They’re the support you need. The love and the heart and everything you need to keep things going.

The other thing – other than Zoom – that’s a great energy sucker, is trying to be something you’re not. Do you.

When you do you, you’ll find that you’ve got a lane that nobody else has. No one can beat you at being you. Nobody is better at being you than you being you.

It’s a great time to get to know who you truly are, and to love it and to share it.

Be who you truly are, help people be all they need to be.

We get to usher in new ways of being and sharing and teaching and loving and connecting. You are the voice the world needs. We can’t waste it. Don’t worry about money. Yes we need it. BUT seek ways to be who you truly are to give people what they truly need. When you do, the Universe will conspire.

Live your legacy, which isn’t something you leave when you die, it’s what you leave behind when you walk out of a room. If you live it fully, we all move the world further. You don’t need everyone to get it, you just need a critical mass.

We’re doing the work of setting people free.

Do what you know you are called to do.

Self esteem is for the self but comes from the people around you. The people, music, books, television, etc… What you watch and what you allow into your spirit, dictates how you guard that spirit, how you care for your gift. Monitor and navigate your environment so that you’re bringing in more of what you need and less of what you don’t.

A good thought for all the binge-watching going on at the moment. Are you taking in information good for your spirit? My hubby and I started to watch something new this week and I’m like no, I don’t need to watch that. It’s too ugly. I was definitely more conscious because of Bertice’s remarks.

Know your audience. Your audience is not everyone. If you want to make money without the mission you’re not my audience. Money follows the mission – believe it and know it.

Money follows the mission, it follows the mission, it follows the mission, it follows the mission. Curiosity didn’t kill the cat, comparison did. If you follow others, you might get the troubles that come with it too.

Chase true purpose, true heart, true self.

Are you going to hoard or give-away freely? Are you going to hoard what you have or give it all away and make the world better?

How can we impact at a larger level?

Set the intention and go at it. Don’t think any act is too small. There is no such thing as a little ripple, because we are all connected.

You can’t write the script. You have to wake up with the intention and the belief that your work is meaningful because your heart means it and your intention is true. You’re not small. You make a difference.

Realize that everyone you touch is important.

Amen huh?

In response to the question, why do so many people struggle so much with being authentically ourselves?

We get so many messages of who and how to be. We get so much coming at us – look this way, turn this way, wear this style, do this thing, and you become so much more beautiful when you are who you are.

You are gorgeous from the word go, but guess what, so am I. To be able to see that and know that, you begin to own your own self. And you begin to know that you have a purpose and a calling and you use it that way. You use it because, I am because we are, and without you, there is no me.

You just have to know it, you can’t give it to the audience. You have to know it, and when you know it, you give it and when you give it, they give it back to you.

Bertice is a beautiful soul. You can follow her on Facebook and Instagram, where she is sharing daily messages of hope.

Wrapping up

When I work with professionals about identifying what they want to be known for as social leaders, and work to unlock that powerful message within, I get a fairly consistent response. People don’t think they haven’t got anything special to add to the global discourse – it’s all been said or done before. Why would anyone care what I have to say?

And the simple answer is – that’s not true. The way we think about things, and position that thinking for our audiences, is always completely unique. Yes, we all need to refine our message to be relevant to our specific audience, but EVERYONE has something special. Everyone.

If you don’t know the answer to: what should I be known for? Ask your community, people you trust AND pay attention to people resonating with your words. That’s the sign you’ve got something an audience – even if it’s an audience of one – wants to hear.

The world is headed in a dark direction. I will do everything I can to make sure we don’t go that way, but I can’t do it alone. I need you to join me. And then you convince others to join us. And on it goes, creating a massive ripple of change for all. Are you in?

Please, claim it, claim your voice, be a social leader. It not only helps your career, but it’s how we can all impact great change. The first challenge to overcome is you’ve got to believe. Do you believe?

Thank you Dr. Bertice. You are a gift to the world.

Cheers

Andrea

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I believe it’s time for all of us to embrace our voice and embrace the future. We do this by working and living ‘out loud’ with meaning, intention, integrity and by being true to ourselves. If you own your voice, you will own your future.