For over a decade, I have heard that the American public is losing faith in its institutions. Scandals and missteps have eroded our confidence in governments, universities, churches, courts, and agencies.
Social media (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn) added wind and rain to the erosion that was already happening, speeding up the progress.
Then 2020 happened. The Covid-19 pandemic swept across the planet, and the avalanche of distrust, speculation, and theories came tumbling down.
Now we are stuck under the muck and mire of this muddy, distrustful landslide.
So, what do we do now?
Let’s look at stories to get a clue.
Every story starts with a character who has a problem.
- Dorothy wants to get home.
- Tommy wants must save the company.
- Luke must overcome the Galactic Empire.
But before a character transforms into a hero, she will typically waffle. He will want to hide from the problem. She will blame someone else for the situation.
Why do stories start this way? Because that is exactly what we do in the face of problems.
WHEN THINGS GO TERRIBLY WRONG, WE TEND TO HIDE AND BLAME, and this gets us nowhere.
How do you know if you have fallen into the BLAMING TRAP?
You constantly are talking or posting about “they.” “They are doing this. They are doing that.”
Spending our time and energy blaming others (institutions, the government, etc.) makes us the VICTIM in the story, not the hero.
If you want to be the hero, STOP BLAMING and start taking EXTREME OWNERSHIP OF WHAT IS IN YOUR CONTROL. If you don’t, you are a victim in the story, and no one actually wants to be the victim.
Thanks for being a leader worth following,
Brian Rutherford
Director of Content & Product Strategy
