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Hello again , hope you are keeping well? In the midst of terrifying predictions about the state of the climate and the Earth, with all its
inhabitants, I continue to share with you approaches that can help us stay hopeful and to make a difference, and to share things that already have.
Tip: best in landscape, with Display Images turned on.)
So we continue to spiral back to the 4Rs of Deep Adaptation which considers ways we might best live approach what's coming,
You'll recall that Relinquishment is one aspect of this approach, looking at what can we usefully let go of, not with a sigh of, 'oh no, what else have I got to give up now?', but rather with a sort of relief, a feeling that we might be getting back on a better path.
'Hyper-individualism' could be one of those thoughts that we may be better off without. To focus too much on our individual being and personhood is really quite a modern idea, and not at all as obvious as we in our 'developed' Western culture might assume it is. It links to ideas of identity, thinking
that our worth comes from things like my role, my career, my life-style, my bank account, my qualifications. And that the point of my life is to develop myself as much as I can, put myself first and pursue my dreams...
Perhaps we need to sit lightly with such assumptions, remembering always that we are social beings and that ultimately, it's our
relationships that matter more. I think about St Peter waiting at his pearly gates and asking, not 'how much money did you earn, what degrees have you got', but rather, 'who did you love, who did you help...'
How does this seem to you?
We've been looking at aspects of the Great Turning, as identified by Joanna Macy ; i.e. 'holding actions' as mentioned last time; analysis and alternatives; a radical shift in consciousness.
We'll have a brief look at the second one today, what Joanna calls 'Gaian structures'. This is about the analysis of how we have set up our lives and societies, understanding in detail how we got into this mess, such that we are destroying our own
life support systems, and we do not share the wealth we have with all of Earth's inhabitants. I am reminded of Gandhi's comment that the world has enough for all our needs, but not for all our greed.
On the basis of this understanding rest initiatives to act differently, such as community gardens, co-operatives, local currencies and more. As for community gardens, I'm really
encouraged to see the recent rise of 'parklets' - mini green areas set up in ordinary residential streets, instead of filling the streets with nothing but parked cars.
How does this resonate with you?
What's already being done
I've mentioned a couple of encouraging things already that people are doing, so this week I thought you might like a book suggestion.
I'm currently reading The Good Ancestor by Roman Krznaric, which is all about how we can recover long term thinking, to benefit future generations. He discusses the different ways in which we view time, and how we can begin to think of 'deep time' and our abiding
legacy, leaving us with six questions to ponder. Here are three of them, and the rest are in the book,
- intergenerational justice - what for you are the most powerful reasons for caring about the future generations?
- transcendent goal - what do you think should the ultimate goal be of the human species as a whole?
- cathedral thinking - what long term projects, whose outcome you will not be here to see, could you be involved in?
Well that's it for today, . If there’s something else you’re seriously interested in, let me know by replying to this email and
I’ll do my best to find out about it for you. Why not also keep in touch with me on my main list too: go here (updated links) to subscribe safely. As ever, you can see previous issues in the archive here, to better appreciate the context. (Tip: All best viewed in landscape if you're on your mobile.)
Meanwhile, please spread the word and share this email, as it's so urgent now. Stay well, keep safe, and I'll be in touch again in a couple of weeks, mostly the first and third Mondays of each month.
All best wishes, Barbara
If you don't already know me, you might be wondering who I am and what moves me to create this series. Well, I am an accredited executive and personal Coach,
which basically means I help people to think deeply about their own personal situations and then to act on their thinking.
I have a particular interest in well-being, resilience and effectiveness, and in recent years I've become personally and shockingly aware of the climate emergency and related issues. I'm not a climate or sustainability expert - just a very concerned human.
And so, with many coaching colleagues, including Synergy Global, I want to do what I can to spread information, inspire hope and encourage action. See the buttons above for more.
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