An Enlightened Society will value Stewardship Over Ownership, and Leadership Over Power (to Barack Obama)

Joshua Scott Onysko

Pangea Organics CEO letter to Barack Obama

February 2011

Dear Mr. President:

As we progress as culture, many changes will take place; things may get worse before they get better, but it will only happen in the shadows of a new world rising. As people, we make choices everyday—sometimes we think about how they effect the world and sometimes we don’t, but regardless, they do.

In general as a culture, we are obsessed with the idea of ownership and power. Why? Well, when we want to own something, we feel like we can control it, but really, when we strive for ownership instead of embracing stewardship, we will find that the things we try to own, own us.

Another plague we face is our need for power; we are constantly in a power struggle with ourselves, with our partners, with our emotions, with pretty much everything. The answer is to let go—really let go. Let the ease of the breath set you free, and shed the oppressive yoke of the ego’s need to lead. (The ego has its place—just not in front).

The future that we seek will embrace stewardship over ownership and leadership over power. What’s the difference? Well, stewardship is that we truly understand that we “own” nothing, yet we embrace our responsibility to the world around us. We will make decisions in every moment to reflect a world in which we wish to be. Leadership is having an understanding that a leader’s true job is to enable and to empower the people who follow him or her. A leader truly understands the importance of leading into the future, for the future.

Innovation that is spawned from ego, that lacks vision and does not create a solution to our cultures wasteful nature, is not true innovation. It’s just marketing. Make no mistakes about it, marketing works and works well; it really has been the driving force that has enabled us to be where we are today. We are blinded by wants and not needs and disregarding our most precious resource: the future that we leave for our children.

For what?

I ask you this Mr. Obama: when you decided to not to take action against genetically modified organisms, have you failed to truly be a steward for us, for our children and our future? Have you misused your power? Have you chosen to lead us to a future that will be unsafe, not just for us but also for all life on earth?

The answer is yes…

Allowing the use of unregulated GMOs into our food supply will cripple our human race and destroy the natural function of the ecosystems that have and continue to give us so much. In exchange, we open ever wider the floodgates to a bio-tech industry that profits from the selling off our future.

Though, I, like most people, fought hard to get you into office, until you embrace true leadership and stewardship, you may be our president, but you are not my leader. I speak for the future, and I only follow those who do as well.

Sincerely yours,

Joshua Scott Onysko

Founder/CEO

Pangea Organics

Joshua-Scott Onysko, a longtime friend to elephant, is founder and CEO of Pangea Organics. You can read more from Josh here.