Understanding the Me to We Philosophy
At heart, Me to We is a life philosophy: it offers us a way to live life, and its wisdom is the kind developed over the course of a lifetime. At the most basic level, it embraces the idea that we can all build a better life-and our ideal world-through reaching out to others. In practice, it involves focusing less on "Me", and more on "We"-our communities, our nation and our world as a whole. Today, Me to We is a worldwide movement of people finding purpose through living with compassion, strengthening community and making a commitment to our shared humanity.
Me to We is about living our lives as socially conscious and responsible people, engaging in daily acts kindness, and building meaningful relationships with others. Some may see this as a step forward, a fresh way of looking at the world. Others might see it as a step backward, a return to the simplest, purest, and most basic impulse of humanity to reach out to each other for survival. From either perspective, this philosophy represents a change in focus, a shift from the inside out. In allowing us to bring age-old wisdom to bear on our modern lives, it empowers us to respond to the challenges facing our world in new ways, and enables us to leave a legacy we can be proud of. In an era in which we are now more interconnected than ever before, it offers us a way to mobilize our collective strengths for the good of all.
On one level, living Me to We means reaching deep within ourselves. It involves developing our capacity for connection by cultivating gratitude and empathy, and redefining happiness. At the same time, it teaches us to look beyond ourselves to create a new, inclusive vision of community. It enables us to move beyond our traditional spheres of compassion, work towards the goals that unite us all, and embrace civic engagement as a means to create a better world both for ourselves and everyone around us, whether that's next door or halfway around the world.
On a daily basis, living Me to We means making a commitment to considering the benefits for "We" when making decisions, whether small choices or major life decisions. This may sound simple enough, but the results are nothing short of life changing. Practicing this philosophy radically alters our approach to our own lives, as well as our contributions to the groups to which we belong, whether that's our family, friendships, workplace, faith group or neighbourhood.
Fundamentally, living Me to We is about being true to the best part of ourselves. It is about answering the call of who we were meant to be, and making a commitment to changing the world for the better in whatever way we can. For this reason, our personal understandings of Me to We are as unique as all of us. This philosophy involves a personal shift that each of us sets in motion as we challenge ourselves to live a more fulfilling life. As you explore the chapters that follow, you will develop your own understanding and definition of Me to We. As you begin to translate your newfound knowledge into small changes in your daily life, we will begin to experience its benefits for yourself.