SOUL FLOW 2/22/2025

If you're frustrated with the state of the world, you're not alone. But the real problem is that we keep searching for solutions inside a system that is focused on short-term gain, power, and control.

Sixteen years ago, I was awakened to the value of universal basic rights and freedoms—speech, expression, mobility, and assembly. I saw Iranians rise up in mass uprisings, risking their lives for these rights, making it clear to the world that the regime ruling over them did not represent them.

That summer, in 2009, I dedicated my life to the freedom movement in Iran. And in the sixteen years since, I have uncovered truths that challenge everything we’ve been taught to accept as reality.

We feel powerless because we are searching for solutions inside a system that is not designed to prioritize humanity.It is not even incentivized to.

What I’ve Learned in 16 Years

✔ What we value shapes the world.
Right now, the world values business deals and status over human well-being.

✔ We have been conditioned to accept authoritarianism.
We do not connect human well-being to universal rights. We have been programmed to group governments with the people they rule over.

✔ This conditioning is why authoritarianism is rising.
When we talk about governments as if they are their nations, we erase the people. We help oppressive regimes maintain the illusion of legitimacy.

✔ We need to stop looking for answers inside the system and start creating new paths forward.

Decentralized Leadership: Autonomy Through Community

Instead of waiting for governments to fix the world, we need to build stronger communities where people support each other through shared principles.

✔ Self-sufficiency & skill-sharing
✔ More acts of kindness & compassion
✔ Less dependence on broken systems

When we shift how we think and act, we shift what the world prioritizes.

Group Discussion: Shifting How We See, Think, and Act

I want you to take a moment to reflect on this:

1️⃣ Discovering Your Principles Through Your Own Challenges

Think of a challenge you’ve faced and overcome.
What thoughts, feelings, and actions helped you through it?
What did you learn from it?
What principles did you develop?

2️⃣ Reprogramming How We See the World

Have we been conditioned to accept authoritarianism as normal?
When we talk about a country, are we talking about the people or their government?
How does shifting this perspective change how we see global issues?

3️⃣ Building Stronger Communities

What do you have to offer? Skills, knowledge, resources?
How can we exchange and share these to create networks that make us less dependent on broken systems?
What small, daily actions—acts of generosity and kindness—can shift priorities toward well-being instead of control?

4️⃣ Creating Accountability & Shifting What Society Values

The system follows what people prioritize. How do we stop accepting human rights as optional?
How do we apply our own life experiences and values to make change in the world?

Final Thought

When we change how we think and act, we change what is seen as normal. And when we shift our priorities, we shift the future.