January 2023 - Year three of the disrupted decade |
Three Gems for 2023 Hi 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. We hope you have had a great break and are looking forward to 2023. There were quite a few responses
about our last article of 2022, with many of you agreeing that our assumptions about being an 'exceptional species' (above nature itself) are taking us nowhere good. With this in mind we propose that 2023 be a year of increasing achievement of good things, modesty and humbleness.
Here are our three gems for heading in that direction, with some explanation below. They
are: - Wake up and move with intention.
- Nurture friendships.
- Treasure stillness and quiet.
Waking up and moving with intention It's
unlikely that many of you will remember - or even know of - the Australian 70/80's rock band The Angles. They had a hit in 1980 titled 'Face the Day' (I dont want to). Some of the lyrics... I don't wanna face the day, the day, today, I don't wanna face the day, the day, today. Long night leaves me stranded, Black visions, danger signs - No love, need protection. Feels like I'm on production line, Daggers of dawn, cold hearted-day, why does it have to be morning? Cover my head, stayin' in bed, Too late, the luckless warning. Red lights and hungry eyes, Sucks
like a space invader, The vacuum of its lies. Stealing my strength, stealing my time, It's raining in a world of traders. The video is an entertaining
reality check from 40 plus years ago, it's probably more relevant now than back then. Face the day video. Written before mobile phones (LOL!), we are now facing the day and night with content every single moment if we are open to it. The opportunity for us to be a part of someone else's plan or scheme has never been greater. SO...when you open your eyes in the morning you have a critical choice at that moment - react to the world and what others have in store for you...OR...do what you had planned or intended. We can't stress how important this moment is - it can be the difference between having control over your own life or simply squandering your valuable time in someone else's 'adventures'. There are a few ways to avoid 'reacting to the world' - we each need to think about this and work out what works for us individually. Examples are: - Have a plan, actions and reminders, eg bullet points, a diary or calendar, written notes on the wall or the fridge.
- Meditate the night before and
'pre-program your subconscious' with your very first actions in the new day.
- Have your routine or habits to blindly follow - off to the gym or for a walk BEFORE email or any other external content is allowed to enter your consciousness.
Nurture
friendships This should be obvious. The more we nurture our friendships, the more we are nurturing
ourselves. What goes around comes around and who best to share our lives with than those that know us well and vice-versa? Simple conversation threads, shared experiences and memories all help remind us of who we are, what we care about and what we might become... through thick and thin. The trouble is, in today's busy world there are a lot of alternatives and distractions to friendship that are designed to entice and appeal. The human enterprise is packed full of things and experiences that are designed to excite, stimulate, embolden, or
elevate our minds and egos - normally coming with a price-tag and a reminder that you are missing out on something or that you deserve something bigger, faster or better. Enduring friendships are invaluable, but like all good things we need to do the work to establish and maintain them. Perhaps they are the greatest moderator of 'exceptionalism'?
Treasure stillness and quiet The magic triangle of living intentionally and having close friends is closed through the work we do within ourselves. As mentioned above, there are so many things that can distract, confuse and over-hype our lives. If we are to maintain our footing, centered-ness and capacity to relate to others well, then having control of ourselves is fundamental. How people achieve this a personal choice. Meditation, knitting, pushing some weights with headphones on, walking in the bush, swimming in the sea, taking time
out at the back of the farm, turning a piece of wood, going for a ride or run, or sitting back in a quiet sofa - we all need time to dial down the noise and chatter.
These gems can combine to help build and maintain a sense of self, strength and calmness. Continuously reacting to the world can cause disruption, distraction and disconnection within us. It can zap our energy, weaken us and prevent us from thriving. This state can be the beginning of a negative spiral that can feed on the sense of never keeping up or being fulfilled. If we feel this happening, it is time to get intentional, reach out to friends and get some quiet time... take back agency and control! We hope there is something in there for you and wishing you all the best for 2023. Please forward this to a friend that might be interested - we have some great titles coming up over the next few months.
Grant Symons - The Transition Guy |
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