Three Questions for Elevating our Humanity in Today’s World

by Jason A. Wolf, PhD., CPXP

Last week we had the honor of hosting almost a thousand members of our global experience family in the room and around the world online as we convened for The Beryl Institute‘s ELEVATE PX. As I wrote in my recent post: “Elevate is truly unique. It is the “un-conference”. What we experience in coming together is something much more than an event, it is a moment for our movement, grounded in community and spirit, commitment and care, connection and as we heard often this week, love.”

And as we came together for what many call our experience family reunion, I opened the conference with a reflection of our humanity and what we can do as leaders in our movement around the world in the moment we find ourselves.

We are all as I often have said – human beings. We are vulnerable, but purposeful. And healthcare is grounded on that very idea – of human beings caring for human beings.

With that reality we are faced with an interesting opportunity.

We are a world of a billion+ HUMAN stories, each one individual, unique, and beautiful. Yet we too are a world of ONE story – one of our shared humanity. The amazing pilot of the current Artemis II mission, Victor Glover, reminded us of that just this weekend noting as we look back at our home, we share one earth, as one people, we have one beautiful oasis on which we exist together. But that idea of being uniquely human and honoring our shared humanity requires us to hold a tension: How do we meet the needs of people individually, while addressing the collective needs of our humanity?

I would offer that is through human experience.

And it is delivered in both big and small moments, through actions, at the point of interactions between two people, but also in quiet moments alone. When we realize our mortality, when we show up for others, when we find moments of joy in what we see others achieve, or rise from moments of doubt on what we ourselves can do.

In a world right now, that is pushing at us in more ways than we can count – with economic pressure, war, a healthcare system under stress, and more – our humanity is being challenged to find and hold that tension. And while some thrive on seeking to tear at the fabrics of our humanity…WE…our community…this community…and those who believe in a greater human experience have an opportunity: to elevate that beauty of our individualism AND our collective needs…yes…as human beings caring for human beings.

So, you may ask, what is my role…what can I do?

I offer in a world of a billion stories, you write your own every day. And you are a character in so many others…

And in those stories, you will inevitably find opportunity and challenge, hope and fear, but always possibility. Possibility driven by our common core…a care for one another. For those we know and those we don’t. For those we understand and those we don’t. For those (we believe) we like and those (we think) we don’t.

You see care is not just a “thing,” more importantly it is an action…and to care…to care is human.

In every interaction, we build the bonds that bring us closer. That sew together our shared existence and heal our humanity. That in our connection ensures we stand stronger than the forces that seek to divide us.

So, care is found in the actions EACH OF US choose to take…and it is found in three ideas and questions I hope you will each consider as you lead in your own way:

• How will you be a champion of CHOICE? Choice is where you hold your power! Where values meet action. Where humanity prevails.
• How will you be a steward for STORYTELLING? Stories are the purist form of data. We must commit to listen for and willingly share them, and we can lead by writing our own each day.
• How will you be a catalyst for CARE? Care is an action we must champion relentlessly for our patients, peers, and communities. It is the elixir our world so badly needs and what each of you have the power to deliver.

There is a quote from Bishop Desmond Tutu, that I often reference that I hope will inspire us forward. He said,

“My humanity is bound up in yours, for we can only be human together.”

I look forward to hearing how you each will be human together as we answer these questions and consider the choices you will make, the stories you will write, and the care you will give to yourself and others.

We have an opportunity now more than ever, to recognize that to care is human…and if we can each ask and answer these questions for ourselves and be human together, I know the world, our one Earth, will be in very good hands…and for that I remain hopeful and forever grateful.