(If you haven’t read the previous article, that might be helpful for context before reading this one.)

As it relates to the long list of things I ardently resist from the prior article, one of the things I hear many “social justice warriors” talk about is systemic racism, and how that needs to be dismantled. To be clear, I completely agree with this statement. However, that’s about as effective as trying to create a new method of air travel by first dismantling all the current airplanes.

What I don’t hear discussed is what will be put in it’s place. Life doesn’t exist in a vacuum. If you dismantle a system, it will need to be replaced by something else, or it will be filled by something different, but built on the same broken principles that inhabited the first one.

There is also a lot of talk about justice. But people have differing views on what Justice looks like. Who’s justice do we abide by? Talking only about justice is hollow at best, and violent at worst.

If we as a human society aren’t clear and unified on what it is we want the world to look like, then, without a doubt, we will simply create new systems which will be different, but will still contain bias, oppression, exclusion, and violence.

Yes, more is required of us than simply dismantling systems of oppression, or demanding justice. To avoid the same mistakes we’ve made repeatedly before, we need to go deeper. We need to go all the way to the heart of things.

I believe the solution to these problematic systemic injustices rests in our individual and collective hearts.

It will therefore come as no surprise to anyone who knows me that I believe the antidote to all the above is a potent mixture of Love, Kindness, and Curiosity rooted firmly in each individual heart, and thereby in the heart of our collective society. There is no situation that I’ve been able to conjure that can not be healed completely applying even two of those three.

I believe at the heart of healing and repair is a potent mixture of Love, Kindness, and Curiosity.

But isn’t that kind-of pollyanna-ish? Meaning, isn’t that a bit blindly optimistic? (Please be assured, I get this question/accusation a lot.)

I resolutely say, “not at all.”

While it’s elegantly simple, working at the level of the heart is much more challenging work.

However, it’s where real solutions are found.

Human systems don’t just create themselves. Human create them. We can’t just tear down systemic racism and build something new, without shifting the heart condition of the humans doing the building. Otherwise, we get new systems built with the same problems. They might look and feel different. They might oppress and hurt a different group. Different segments might have more power than before. But all of these scenarios are simply, as I like to say, “The same ol’ shit, wearing different clothes.” (Since when did shit start wearing clothes?)

We must learn what Love truly is, in all its forms and facets. It’s not just some soft, fluffy feeling of attraction. Love also includes power, beauty, justice, fairness, and acceptance. Combined with kindness, and a willigness to be curious, nothing is unsurmountable.

This solution is the long path, the one with more challenge, fraught with more potential pain, but ultimately, it’s the solution I believe addresses, solves, guides, and heals everything that ails humanity. It certainly isn’t wrong to take a step in this direction, and call that a win. Absolutely. However, my heart insists that, just as it’s important to name the real problem, it’s important to name the real solution.

Closely tied to beliefs and principles, are concepts or ideas which I and ∞actualinfinity support. This list is not exhaustive, but I want to be name clearly where I stand.

I believe in supporting, centering, uplifting, freeing, liberating, dignifying, loving, respecting, and pursuIng wholeness and acceptance, for our fellow humans with black and/or brown skin, those who are natives and/or indigenous, all people of color, trans women and men, those in the LGBTQIA+ community, women, migrants, those who are physically, neurologically, emotionally, or spiritually divergent or uncommonly wired, those who are economically disadvantaged, the elderly, etc. and using curiosity to create structures and systems rooted in love and kindness to support, expand, and further these beliefs.

Yes… Black Lives Matter.

I also believe that curiosity, love, and kindness are the root of building healthy business that heals the world, instead of raping it. These values guide my heart and my work here at ∞actualinfinity.