Transition Edge - Doubling down when the heat is on

Published: Thu, 05/26/22

Transition Edge

May 2022 - Year three of the disrupted decade

Operating under pressure

Thank you for being a reader of Transition Edge. Please feel free to forward it to friends who you think might enjoy it too.

I’m Grant Symons. I convene Transition Edge to help us understand how we can transition to a low carbon sustainable world using leading thinking and practices.

When we started writing the Transition Edge, (nearly 100 editions ago) of course we didn't know what the future would hold... but we had a sense that perhaps disruptions to life and business as usual were imminent.

Some of the things we have contemplated and written about have become a reality, while new ones have completely surprised us:

A global pandemic was a possibility that most people knew existed, but we really had no idea that Covid would create the impact that it has and continues to create.
While the recent outbreak of war in Europe has been a possibility for Russia for many years - it never seemed that step would happen, but there is no doubting the horror of its' reality now. These two events will spur even more change as the global flows of energy, resources, food and goods reconfigure. Inflation is a product.
Climate change events at the frequency being experienced.

With disruption after disruption, we might rightly ask where are we headed... and how to thrive in a dynamic world?

Humans are a very adaptable species, especially when the change is seemingly something extra or bigger (a pay increase) or better (a new electric car) or more convenient (working from home / Uber eats).

On the flip side, most of us are allergic to real or perceived loss. When negatives emerge, change comes as a surprise, or we are suffering material threats or losses in our lives - to our families and the things we care about - we tend towards viewing these as disruptions to be avoided or mitigated. Sometimes we put our 'head in the sand' and ignore everything only to realise there is no 'other world'.

And, when such disruptions are complex, large in scale and otherwise beyond our ability to cope, we truly are in uncomfortable territory.

With change increasing and potential challenges mounting, let's look at how we might:

maintain our composure
be comfortable with the life we have
move beyond our comfort zone
make changes that help the world!

Here are some perspectives that might be useful in your toolkit, as you move forward.

When things are changing and you are under a heavy load, ever found your thoughts spinning around, bouncing from issue to issue, with the slightest extra thing added to the heap threatening to completely flip you out? This is the kind of state that can:

cause us to lash out in frustration;
sour otherwise good relationships;
lead us to making bad decisions;
constrain performance to sub-par levels;
stress us further and perhaps damage our health; and
a host of other consequences.

How do we get to this? Consider the affect on our inner survival mechanisms when we compound factors such as:

existing stress
lack of information
fatigue
out of date assumptions
poor advice
lack of personal relationship and support
over commitment at work, home or both
questionable influences on one's beliefs- eg fake news
unhelpful default foci

This is not unusual. But what to do?

Ask, "what is the reality?" Often things are not as bad (or good) as they first appear. We have incredible conscious and unconscious brain capacity that can conspire against us. Our ability to imagine stuff sets us apart as a species, while often a good thing, this can lead to negative compounding affects.

Did you know that the subconscious part of our brain is estimated at 95% of all of our brain power?. Trying to use the conscious 5% on complex problems is very constraining and potentially debilitating!

So, if we are affected by any, or a combination, of these, we need to take corrective action. What follows is probably just a reminder, (list of the well known things we can do)...but of course, they only count when we put them into practice!...

Maintain habits that create positive energy or release negativity - such as meditation or exercise
Learn to shift internal focus away from pain or trauma
Practice gratitude, it can help to ground / level us
Be mentally prepared for and aware of possibilities / risks
Time out from the situation - take a break to rethink and reset
Foster situational awareness and discuss the bigger picture from time to time
Engage in everyday dialogue that 'points out incongruities' or 'flawed assumptions' so we can correct ourselves as we go in real time
Enjoy nutrition, breathing and exercise - Eg yoga is very effective
Seek knowledge and wisdom from elders or mentors
Have a purpose / role / fight, in our lives

Those that have high trust relationships, ongoing dialogue and make time for their subconscious to do much of the heavy lifting seem to have an advantage. No one exists as an island - we truly are better together, especially when we can live without fear of loss.

This weeks quote

Courage is grace under pressure

- Ernest Hemmingway

Through the REAL TRANSITION LEADERS experience, we aim to ADD these into your life:

New knowledge and understanding
Extra colleagues, a support network
A safe place to share perspectives and get feedback
A reference base to build and regenerate from
Future opportunities to grow with the community/tribe
A critical thinking toolkit
Optimism for the future

If you are interested in registering individually or are considering being a sponsor of a group (this is an exciting option), we look forward to talking.

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And finally, we recommend checking this event out, organised by the good folks at Wise Response. A public workshop hosted by Rachel Brooking (MP) at the Beehive and mediated by the School of Government. (Available on Zoom - See below)

How to respond to a future with less abundant resources?

Thursday 2nd June 2022 - 12.00 - 1.30pm

This second workshop brings an international perspective to what physical, energy and economic changes to NZ's current operating system would best meet its essential needs post-growth.

Speakers:

Professor Tom Murphy – Physicist (UC. San Diego)

Professor Joshua Farley – Economist (U Vermont)

Professor Emer. Bonnie Nardi – Anthropologist (UC. Irvin)

Zoom address: https://vuw.zoom.us/j/97235936727

Chair: Dr Girol Karacaoglu, (Head of School of Government)

The (outstanding) content from workshop 1 (September 2021) can be found here

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Grant Symons - The Transition Guy