by SS Sham Kaur Khalsa, La Paz, Bolivia
Winter 2019
The world we live in is a world of high polarization, of constant changes that require a high level of resilience. Humanity faces great challenges and the risk of extinction. The scientific community is telling us that humanity needs to change its ways dramatically in order to maintain the increase of global temperature to 1.5 Degrees Celsius and we only have eight years to do it. It is a period where consciousness is awakening from a deep unconsciousness, it is the age of Aquarius.
Today’s economic reality is embedded in a global eco-system of environmental, social, political, and cultural contexts that are highly intertwined and that evolve in uncertain, complex, and volatile ways.
While ecological and social divides concern the split between self and nature and between self and other, the spiritual-cultural divide concerns the split between self and Self.
These conditions require leadership that is more open, attentive, adaptive, and tuned-in to emerging changes. It requires us to respond to the current waves of disruptive change from a deep place that connects us to the emerging future rather than to react against the patterns of the past. We need to lead from a higher consciousness.
Leading with Humility
As yogis and as Khalsa we are trained to go through difficult times with grace, determination, and humility to know our own shadow and strengths, to surrender to the divinity inside us, and to lead ourselves to be able to lead and serve others.
The Siri Singh Sahib said, “Nobody has become a leader without a challenge—it goes with the territory and no carbon has become a diamond without the pressure of crystallization of time and space.”
The Khalsa Spiritual Path requires the development of character, the inner qualities that allow a person to come through for oneself and for others, the ideal which every Khalsa aspires is to be the prototype Warrior Saint, a Leader, in the image of Guru Gobind Singh, a perfect living example of fearlessness, service and unconditional love.
The leader inside of us needs to emerge to serve the times. We have trained for many years for this moment. We need to serve humanity. We need to expand our reach and scale up our impact so we can succeed. So lets’ do it!
About the Author
SS Sham Kaur Khalsa is an ordained Sikh Dharma Minister. She serves as a Regional Minister Coordinator for South America and is deeply committed to her work with the homeless and needy in her community. She has participated in the Lord of Miracles Tour and serves selflessly in her role as a Khalsa woman, Minister and Kundalini Yoga instructor.