Would you like a delicious fruit salad? A bowl of different fruits, like for example, crunchy apple and watery sweet watermelon bites; juicy grapes that make you feel like a king of the desert; or the smooth, creamy and fresh banana slices that make you feel like a king of the jungle; and what about the sweet and brittle texture of strawberries, a queen of romance. I am sure you can already taste and feel the effects of such a blissful mix.
The fruits are mixed together in a bowl, each fruit retaining its distinctive individual flavor, however, still contributing to a healthy fresh bowl of fruits just for your savoring pleasure. These pieces of fruit could represent the people of different backgrounds in our community living in this bowl, our island, "dushi Kòrsou."
Now, imagine, if these different people would unite and work together to make a better living for the whole community. Can you imagine the results that we can accomplish? Each individual contributing with what makes them different to come up with the best for the community. We can accomplish anything when we are united.
Well let me give you one of many examples from Mother nature of how united we could be. You may have seen how a school of fish behaves, all moving in one direction as one unit, like one big fish, for the best living condition of the school. When one turns in another direction they all almost instantly turn as well. When we are united like that we would move into one firm direction as well. It has been demonstrated many times over that this is possible.
In my own experience this has been possible on several occasions, when working with teams of people either in realizing the objectives of a meeting, an event, or any other project; of course, it is a challenge when working towards achieving the desired results. However, all team members experience a feeling of euphoria when they all have their nose pointing into the same direction, working together for the same outcome. A bliss of energy is released and a strong feeling of camaraderie and connectedness is experienced. We can do it! Not compromising for anything less then the ultimate alternative, the best out of seemly opposing alternatives, balanced and integrated in a way that best serves the whole community. In the end, a great feeling of satisfaction is shared. We did it!
You know that in order to reach such a level of unity requires a high level of trust on which constant and effective communication can foster. Trust is a crucial element in any exchange between two people. If either one person in a conversation does not trust the other, it will be difficult to reach any important agreement or outcome. It is even possible that the conversation can deteriorate into a serious dispute or fight, if neither party concedes to truthfully understand the other. Examples of this abounds. The way that the school of fish moves, we say that they move at the speed of trust. This becomes possible because there is no conflict or friction that fragments the community of fish or impedes their effective communication between each other. How could we as a community move at the speed of trust?
Fortunately, there are ways that when practiced can ensure that our common best interests are always put forth to accomplish the most optimal results, either at an individual level, or more importantly, as a team, an organization, or a community. In his powerful book, and a New York Times bestseller, The Four AgreementsTM, Don Miguel Ruiz, reveals four principles that when adopted can rapidly transform our lives to experience freedom, real happiness, and love, and thus make us more effective when dealing with others.
The first principle: Be impeccable with your word.
Don Miguel explains that you should speak with integrity, say only what you mean, and use the power of your word in the direction of truth and love.
The second principle: Don't Take Anything Personally.
According to Don Miguel, nothing others do is because of you. What others say and do is a projection of their own reality, their own dream. When you are immune to the opinions and actions of others, you won't be the victim of needless suffering.
The third principle: Don't Make Assumptions.
As Don Miguel continues, be courageous and ask questions and express what you really want. Communicate with others as clearly as you can to avoid misunderstandings, sadness, and drama. With just this one agreement, you can completely transform your life.
The last principle: Always Do Your Best.
Your best is going to be different from moment to moment; it will be different when you are healthy as opposed to sick. Under any circumstance, simply do your best, and you will avoid self-judgment, self abuse and regret.Thus much like a bowl of fruit with all its different colors and succulent flavors resulting in an exquisite meal; or the community of fish that behaves and moves as one big fish at the speed of trust; we too can be united and can achieve anything. Unity has never been so needed at this time. As the 21st president of the United States, Woodrow Wilson, once said, "We cannot be separate in interest or divided in purpose, we stand together until the end."
So, let's apply these principles in our own lives, and stand together. Let’s be more accepting and respectful of our differences. Let's be inspired by these differences and come up with a collective answer to our problems. Let’s be clear about what we want from each other, always putting our best forth and then move with focus to achieve our common best. Let's unite and be one big community! Let's be one!
