The Jewish holiday of Passover begins tomorrow, Friday April 15th, at sundown. It is a holiday that commemorates the Exodus of the Israelites from Egypt thousands of years ago. On Passover, Jewish people observing the holiday are asked to regard themselves as if they had personally left Egypt out of slavery and into freedom. A central ritual is the asking the 4 Questions: Ma Nishtana – “Why is tonight different from all other nights?” As I am following the news out of the war in Ukraine, I am wondering if anything has changed, or is our species doomed to sad history repeating itself?
I am still pondering the question posed in February by Yuval Noah Harari in The Economist: “… is change possible? Can humans change the way they behave, or does history repeat itself endlessly, with humans forever condemned to re-enact past tragedies without changing anything except the décor?” There is a profound truth beyond the Jewish experience as we ask ourselves “what do justice and freedom mean to me?” personally and on a larger scale, in our community and world-wide.
The Russian invasion of Ukraine is part of Putin’s agenda to undermine democracy. The threat to democracy in Ukraine is an existential threat to all who value humans right to life and liberty. Russia’s aggression placed the people of Ukraine at the forefront of the fight for the values of democracy and freedom. Supporting Ukraine, and all fragile democracies, is supporting human basic rights that are critical to defend. Failure to strongly oppose and combat the malevolent invasion of Ukraine is time playing against Ukraine. I am deeply saddened by the threat to human life, human rights, and fundamental freedoms in Ukraine as well as the global struggle for democracy.
The Second World War was not only the result of Hitler’s aggressive power in capturing territories. It was also the result of the failure of other nations to intervene in the early stages when it was still possible to change the course of the events. This devastating war costing the lives of over fifty million soldiers and civilians, amongst them the six million Jews killed in the Holocaust, started with a peace agreement – the Munich Agreement. The agreement basically handed Hitler the Sudetenland region in Czechoslovakia in order to stop him from continuing on with his expansion plans. Well, we know how that ended. When dealing with megalomaniac tyrants, dishonoring agreements should be expected.
As individuals we may have limited power in influencing world events. But at times of adversity, we cannot be silent. We must live by Martin Luther King Jr.’s words: “Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.” The gift of freedom comes with the responsibility to work for the freedom of others. True freedom lies not only in the pursuit of our own rights but also in fighting for the freedoms of others who are denied them. Let us come together to support Ukraine and democratic values in every way we can. As we remain vigilant in protecting democratic values, we must take advantage of the privileges we have. Take the time to consider how to apply principles of individual freedom of choice in our personal and professional life. Freedom means different things to different people, but at the core, it’s having the autonomy and capacity for self-expression. Freedom and choice go hand in hand. With the freedom to make choices, we need to be willing to accept the responsibility for our decisions, actions, and outcomes. Freedom is the ability to embrace the challenges along our journey and to keep moving forward, to keep evolving and to become better people and high-performing professionals.
Ask: “what does career freedom mean to me?”
On an individual level it means owning your career, making sure you are in the driver’s seat taking responsibility for your professional development. Career freedom requires a proactive strategy to establish and achieve professional dreams and goals. This is an ongoing process of evaluating what you love, what you want, where you are, and where you are heading. Be proactive in managing your career every step of the way freeing yourself of any limiting beliefs in order to achieve professional self-actualization.
If you have any direct reports, I hope you ask yourself what freedom means in leading and managing people. At the core it is about understanding that leadership has nothing to do with a position, title, seniority, authority or pay grade, and everything to do with interpersonal relationship catering to the freedoms and needs of others. Empowerment is giving others expressive freedom to use their talent to excel at their work. You are a leader when you offer people the freedom of choice to fully contribute to the collective knowledge, experience and success of the team and the company.
To practice freedom:
1. Ask the tough questions
Am I proud of the person that I am today? If not, what needs to change?
Am I in control of my life? If not, how can I free myself to take the driver’s seat?
What is holding me back? What would I dare do if fear wasn’t a factor in my choices?
2. Accept that there are no easy solutions
When things aren’t what you want then to be, accept your reality as you look for the possibilities to be an agent of positive change. The are no easy solutions, but there are simple ways to do what you know in your heart is the right thing.
3. Commit to one thing
Stop waiting until the time is right and the conditions are perfect. Commit to doing at least one thing, taking one action, every day to take a step forward in the direction of your aspirations.
May this festival of freedom bring peace and freedom to all of our homes in every aspect of our life and in all our endeavors.
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