“I know it is possible for leaders to use their power and influence, their insight and compassion, to lead people back to an understanding of who we are as human beings, to create conditions for our basic human qualities of generosity, contribution, community, and love to be evoked no matter what.”
“I know it is possible to create islands of sanity in the midst of disruptive seas. … And I have studied enough history to know that such leaders always arise when they are most needed.
Now it’s our turn.” ~ Margaret Wheatley, Who Do We Choose to Be?

Being, creating, islands of sanity. Love that.
We see, it seems, more of the insane and inhumane greed-centered ‘leadership’ these days. Studies in bling-hoarding and power-over.
But that can be something of a ‘clarifying angel‘ for us, too. If not that, then what?
Of course, in order to be and create and presence the more humane, inspirited, healing kind of leadership and ‘islands of sanity’, we first have to be restored to the sort of sanity Meg Wheatley speaks of here.
What, don’t think you’re a leader, or have that kind of leader in you, itchin’ to get out and play?
When we think ‘leader’, what might come to mind is the celebrity business gazillionaire or political leader. A celebrity, in short.
That’s the invitation extended here, and you may well already being doing that, knowingly or not.
Wheatley, a fellow Berrett-Koehler author, has long been an inspiration to me, given that my own calling and vocation is very much related to what she shares here. I greatly appreciate the true Wise Elder and mentor that she is to us.
And she inspires the Life-initiated guides and mentors who follow in her tracks, so that we can step up more fully — however we’re called to do that — and share our own Life-wisened experience, presence, generosity and other “uncommon skills.”
I appreciate her question, and in all honesty, have been re-centering with this question — and posing it to clients and mentees for awhile:
How do you want to be?
And also, How do you want others to be affected by your presence?
Inquiry and Reflection:

~ Does something of this calling stir heart-and-soul recognition in you, too?
~ Is all that you’ve experienced, the challenges and Underworld passages that have ‘wisened’ you, shaping you with uncommon skills and wise-mentor-knowing meant to be given presence and expression?
For related inspiration, and to stir that recognition more deeply, delve into these Sophia’s Children musings:
~ The Mission: Uncommon Skills
~ Inspirited Leaders: Shadow, Light, and Knowing Thyself
~ From ‘Fears of Older’ to ‘the Wisdom of Elder’
For mentor-coaching, Wise-Mentor apprenticing, or Sophiastrology clue-tracking to explore your own uncommon skills and wise-mentor-presencing, have a look at the current featured offerings.
Big Love,
Featured Image Credit: The Path, by Nicholas Roerich.

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Lots of love,
September 25, 2017 at 4:26 pm
Reblogged this on Blue Dragon Journal.
September 25, 2017 at 5:17 pm
Awesome quote! Yes,islands of sanity,I really like that. 🙂
September 25, 2017 at 7:19 pm
That’s a good one, isn’t it IB? 🙂 You’ve got your own Island of Sanity going on there, too.
September 25, 2017 at 6:59 pm
An Awesome Post Jamie.. We may think we are islands.. Yet we are all of us surrounded by the same Energies.. And each of us no matter how separated we may feel we are, can tap into that energy any time and place our oars in the water and create ripples that extend outward..
I love your ripples..
And may we continue to make waves..
Love and Blessings
Sue <3
September 25, 2017 at 7:21 pm
Thanks, Sue. Yes indeed … islands of sanity that both tap the energy, and alchemize and send ripples out into the greater ocean of energy (the space between us, as John O’Donohue wrote and spoke). 🙂 That’s a lovely thought.
I love and appreciate your ripples, too. 🙂 Lots of love, Jamie
September 25, 2017 at 7:31 pm
Many thanks Jamie.. And one day those ripples will create a Tsunami, Love and Blessings xx
September 25, 2017 at 9:03 pm
Reblogged this on dreamweaver333.
September 25, 2017 at 10:11 pm
Reblogged this on unity2013.
September 25, 2017 at 11:45 pm
Thank you for the reblog, Susan! And thank you for stopping by Sophia’s Children. Blessings, Jamie
September 26, 2017 at 6:18 pm
I don’t think of myself as a ‘leader’, even in my day job, where that’s my role, but I hope I might be a small island of sanity!
September 26, 2017 at 7:12 pm
There might be a redefinition of ‘leader’ emerging. 🙂 Islands of sanity, that seems a pretty vital role these days … like the calm in the middle of the storm.
September 26, 2017 at 11:39 pm
I like that term “clarifying angel,” I like to use the term the turd floating to the top of the punch bowl so that it may be scooped out. Trump and kin are such turds.
September 30, 2017 at 1:37 pm
Pretty funny. Well, there are the turds that float to the surface to be scooped out, and then the clarifying angels … for better and worse … that help to bring us to a more clear seeing. I agree with the political comment. Fairly insane, really (malignant narcissist, it seems). 🙂
September 30, 2017 at 10:32 pm
Yep. Sometimes I just have dive in there with a deep and meaningful metaphor. Lol. Thats my standard metaphor for pollies. There’s that saying it gets worse before it gets better. I think thats a reference to that surfacing of trauma before, clarity is restored. It seems to be a feature of the detoxification process.
October 5, 2017 at 11:07 pm
True enough, Leeby. I think it’s similar to what in some traditions is called the ‘healing crisis’. Your sense? Big Love and Be well.
October 13, 2017 at 8:24 am
Yes. We’ve got some pretty toxic shit to work out as a species but I have a great deal of faith in human kindness!
October 13, 2017 at 12:48 pm
Yes we do. 🙂 I too have great faith in the power of human heart-fullness and kindness. We shall see. xoxo
October 20, 2017 at 8:18 am
Perhaps it won’t accord with our wildest imaginations. But it can become something beautiful if just let it be!
October 20, 2017 at 9:54 pm
Life has its own Wisdom. 🙂 Thank you Leeby.