Britain, EU must become true partners in diverse world. Article in Cape Times on 7th July 2016

The article "Voters' remorse is so high, a new Brexit poll would have the opposite result" by Gwynne Dyer's (Cape Times, June 5) refers.

The following picture shows a gap between "your comfort zone" and "where the magic happens".




This gap is variously known as "the valley of the shadow of death" (Psalm 23), "post decision depression", "buyer's remorse", etc.

This "valley" is an incredibly scary place as one moves from one's comfort zone to where the magic happens.

Paulo Coelho refers to this valley as "the personal legend" and specifically "the fourth obstacle".

Here is a piece from Mr Coelho's blog:

– And what is the fourth obstacle?
– After unearthing your dream, using the power of love for support, spending many years with the scars, a man realizes – from one day to the next – that everything he always wanted is right there, waiting for him, perhaps the very next day. Then comes the fourth obstacle: the fear of realizing the dream he has fought for all his life.
– That makes no sense.
– Oscar Wilde said that we always destroy the thing we love the most. And it is true. The simple possibility of achieving that which we desire causes the soul of the common man to be filled with guilt. He looks around, and sees many others who have not succeeded, and so he thinks he does not deserve it. He forgets everything he overcame, all he suffered, everything he had to renounce in order to come this far. I know many people who, when they are within reach of their Personal Legend, make a series of silly mistakes and do not attain their objective – when it was just one step away.

Britain and the British people have voted for their dream.

Their politicians have no idea how to implement the people's dream, but the people have spoken.

"Global economic recession" and "currency devaluation" and "leaderless political parties" and Martin Shultz, president of the European Parliament saying that "the Tories have taken us hostage" are all blame and scapegoats.

It is time for the British and EU to roll up their sleeves and become true partners in the new globally diverse environment.

I wrote about it in my last Brexit article published, "Only by being unified in diversity can we truly be free: (Cape Times, July 1)​.