Stay at the Table.
In a few short days, we will conclude the period in which we exercise our fundamental right and responsibility as citizens of this democracy. Voting will come to a close and we will be informed of the result – hopefully by watching the news or looking on a registrar of voters website – but some speculate we might get the final word from the Supreme Court.
However we get word, and whatever the outcome, we will still be here. We are still Americans, still part of a melting pot. We prioritize family, work hard, pay or struggle to pay bills and dream about a better future for our children.
Regardless of who sits in the White House, we all remain a part of the great democratic experiment, and the great human experience. We share much more in common than we have been encouraged to recognize these past several years. The divisive rhetoric has reached new highs, and some might say, the level of love for each other a new low.
Right now, in this moment, we have a choice. We can decide – today – how we will respond to the outcome.
Because really, this election isn’t a competition where one side wins. If we do our job as human beings who care for the ecosystem, not the egosystem, the common good wins. If we live The ALF Way, staying at the table when it gets hard and the tension is high, because we are committed to being in community and figuring it out, then our democracy wins.
Let’s remember that for some, this election feels like a matter of life and death. For some, there is a real perceived threat to livelihoods and even lives. While we may not have walked in others’ shoes, can we understand their fear? Have we listened enough? How might we make decisions that center the common good?
ALF calls on us to be present and to understand our narrative and each other’s. ALF calls on us to listen, deeply, for the purpose of being fully present and sensing; to bring curiosity to the conversation vs. a full tilt agenda. ALF reminds us that empathy for others and our investment in relationship building is foundational to building community.
In this moment, we have a choice. To remain addicted to social and or other media slants, or to take personal responsibility for the health of our collective citizenry and begin anew with community building conversations across differences. We can stay in anger and resentment, or we can work to move through it, and bring dialogue principles to changemaking tables. We can always be right, or we can have the courage to be wrong, to be open, and to listen.
Today, and every day, we choose how to show up. Do our actions continue to divide, or do they courageously shine a spotlight on possibilities? Does my heart remain closed, or can I hear alternative sides without judgement?
On November 4, just as on January 20, the sun will rise and set. We will tend to family, work, friendships and all of the gifts and challenges that make up daily life. While there is much we have no control over, our commitment to the common good and what lives in our hearts is completely up to us. You and I are invited to stay at the table, with our brothers and sisters in the human experience, to wrestle with our differences and to lead with love. We hope you’re in.
– ALF National Board of Directors