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Lately, I have been going through “some things” and it has been a rough road. I won’t get into any details, but during this “Dark Night of The Soul” I have also come to understand things much differently than I ever have. Things are making sense to me that never have, in ways I’ve never experienced. I don’t know what my next step is. I have no idea what to expect tomorrow, let alone a month from now. I just know, whatever I do next, it is something that will help affect change in a big way. If I’m not working directly on it, I will have to be working towards it. I no longer feel called to work towards worldly goals, but I feel its time to start achieving some spiritual ones. To be honest, I feel called to lead, but at the same time I feel ill equipped and unworthy.
Over the past 14 months, I have been pouring through all types of information and writing my thoughts, ideas, and concepts down constantly. The downside is I struggle to articulate these thoughts in anyway that matters.I don’t know if it is my ADD or it is a practice in futility, but I have been chasing my own tail for months. Recently, I have accepted that much of what I write is only for practice and have been deleting much of what I write within a few days of writing it. Today, I thought I would do something different.
So, instead of moving these thoughts straight to the “Recycle Bin”, I thought I would share it with you. While peoples’ thoughts about me still affect me, they affect me far less today than they did yesterday. I believe I may finally be finding my voice. So here it is, a little perspective on the difference between a leader, which creates followers, and a ruler, which subjugates. The following points meant to illustrate the differences between the personalities of those who lead and those who rule:
• A leader is not a ruler. Though, while they may create rules to lead more effectively, they only lead those who follow. (Following, by its very definition, infers willingness.) Whereas with rulers, they create rules to ensure their subjects have no reasonable choice other than to conform. Conformity makes the population easier to control and manipulate. (Ex. TVs, newspapers, social media, etc. are all technologies, which were born from innovation, but are being used to conform certain demographics of our populations to certain belief patterns, in order to accomplish the motives of the rulers)
• A leader is bestowed with power by the will of their followers.(NOT supernatural power, which can only be bestowed on a leader by God) A ruler takes their power subjugation.
• A true leader seeks the benefit of those he/she leads, even at their own expense. A ruler seeks its own benefit regardless of expense.
• A leader always has a destination in mind for its followers, one which will benefit them greatly. A ruler has a destination in mind for itself, one which will benefit them greatly. (Irrespective of the impact to its subjects)
• In the face of failure, a true leader looks ONLY to himself/herself, accepting the complete and sole responsibility, irrespective of any actions (or lack thereof) of its followers. When a ruler fails, it looks only to the deficiencies of ts subjects.
• Leaders are loved by their followers. Rulers are feared by their subjects.
• A leader has a defined path . To rule, one must have well defined rules and the ability to enforce those rules with strength.
• Above all else, a leader feeds its followers. Rulers consume their subjects.
• A leader’s heart is reflected in its subjects. A rulers heart is reflected in its priorities.
• Leaders offer love through liberty. Rulers command loyalty through law.
• Leaders seek unity above all else. Rulers fight unity through segregation.
• Leaders use truth to liberate their followers. Rulers use deception to imprison their subjects.We see examples of this everywhere in the world today. In sports, society, politics and even elsewhere in the natural world. We are living in times unlike any this world has ever seen. We are seeing things happen that were prophesied thousands of years ago. If we can’t recognize the difference in leaders and dictators, other than by the words they use, then we’re in for some tough times in the days and years ahead. This post in no way has anything to do with US politics as it currently stands (there are both leaders and rulers through out our political system). Rather, I share this to help us recognize the character of a leader from the characteristics of a ruler/dictator. While ruler personalities are uncommon, you will still likely find rulers at your work, in your schools, in your family, and everywhere else the human condition exists. These rulers command attention. They’re what we typically call “Type- A” personalities. On the same token, you can find leaders everywhere as well. While true leaders are as uncommon as rulers, I will admit, they are much more difficult to find though. A true leader doesn’t command respect, it fosters it. A true leader doesn’t desire attention for itself, but rather the attention for its cause and, by extension, its followers. It is more difficult to find a person who avoids the spotlight, than it is to find one who is attracted to it. For the same reason, it is more difficult to identify a person with humility than it is without it. We need leaders to step into their purpose, but there are a lot of them out there that don’t even know they are supposed to lead. If we can identify the leaders in our lives and foster their passions, they can be the leaders that even the rulers will follow. This would change everything. After all, THE HEART OF THE LEADER IS REFLECTED IN HIS FOLLOWERS. It’s time for us to open our eyes and, even more importantly, our hearts. In closing, I will leave you with this:
One of the greatest deceptions currently subscribed to by most of us is that darkness is the OPPOSITE of light. Much like Evil is the opposite of God. This is false. Darkness is but the ABSENCE of light, as Evil is the absence of God. Light and Love are also used interchangeably for God through out the bible. So if Evil can only exist where God isn’t, then evil can only exist in a space where love doesn’t. Young children inherently know this. They know that evil cannot exist in the light, so they go around every room turning on the lights, banishing the dark.
I pray this post will impact your day in the most positive way possible.
Peace, Love, and All That,
Daniel
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