Separation of ourselves from others – whether it be individuals, groups, communities, countries – can mean we miss out on so much growth, getting things done, fulfillment and so much more.
Yet, many of us are ‘taught’ to remain separate as a consequence of beliefs and behavioural habits, which we learn from our family, friends, communities, culture and experiences.
This desire to be separate from others often comes from a place of fear. This includes fears such as connection and getting hurt, losing our own identity or freedom, rejection, not belonging, doing things out of the comfort zone that make us feel uncomfortable and so forth.
The antidote to this fear is the opposite to separateness. It’s choosing to connect, and at the end of the day: love.
And if we face our fear and choose connection, our courage shows up, which allows new experiences and therefore growth. And this can potentially dissolve differences. And although the differences may still be there – if we embrace, value and appreciate them – we can also connect.
Dr Yvonne Sum and Mark Dickson of 5 Echo (www.5echo.com) – a leadership development consultancy based in Kuala Lumpur, working with senior leaders, businesses and teams – know these principles only too well on many levels. They are living proof of working in and within a diverse and multicultural team or environment.
Obviously male and female, they were born and lived in different states within Australia. Yvonne moved to Malaysia when she was two and spent her formative years there until aged 15 and then moved back to Sydney, Australia.
And Mark grew up in country Australia, and was posted to Europe and Asia in his 20’s as part of his roles in the army.
Mark and Yvonne also respond to and experience their world through very different ways. For example, Mark is more reflective and pragmatic, while Yvonne is more spontaneous and ‘gut’ oriented.
They met in recent years in the very diverse country of Qatar in the Middle East. Qatar’s population is made up of many different nationalities from all five continents where the local population is a significantly lower percentage versus the total population.