Music, money, volunteers 🎶💲🆓

Published: Mon, 07/04/22

Hello again , hope you are okay?

Today we have some more suggestions from Deep Adaptation and Joanna Macy, plus a couple of book reviews/websites that you may find inspiring, as I have!

Restoration 4

We've been looking in turn at each of the 4Rs of Deep Adaptation which considers ways we might best live approach what's coming, and today we are having another look at Restoration, what we might bring back and start doing again.

There's a long list, happily! Here's just two more ideas to consider. You don't have to do everything, of course, just what feels right to you.

Shared rituals and celebrations could be something to restore; during the pandemic, when many of us even had to cancel Christmas, we realised only too well how important this is. And whatever you thought about 'clapping for the NHS', it did bring people out of their separate houses and maybe even to meet their neighbours for the first time. The recent UK Jubilee celebrations also helped bring people together. These rituals and celebrations could be on a small or large scale; every family has meaningful memories that they like to repeat, and they really matter.

Another thing, that seems to be growing these days, is local live music. You don't have to squelch in a muddy field for three days to get this - even a folk club in a pub counts! The point is that the music should be live. Of course, it's good to hear a perfect recording of your favourite music, but if it is not a shared experience, there is a dimension missing. Music seems fundamental to human civilisation, and it's good for us on lots of levels; for example singing can promote deeper and better breathing.

More on the Great Turning

We've been looking at aspects of the Great Turning, as identified by Joanna Macy ; i.e. 'holding actions'; analysis and alternatives; a radical shift in consciousness.

Looking again at 'structural causes', rather a sociological mouthful, I know, but bear with - it doesn't take long to see that many of the ways we organise ourselves as capitalist societies lead inexorably to poorer outcomes for the vast majority of the world's people. If monetary profit is the single goal of an organisation - and thankfully many now at least aspire more widely - then ecological ruin, injustice and increasing inequality will inevitably rise. I tread carefully here, because politics and sociology has never been my area of expertise, but I find I can't avoid it these days. I am trying to learn all I can about it, and how my actions may affect the whole, for good or ill.

So one of the actions of The Work that Reconnects is to study these areas and to pass on such understanding, so that we can be as well-informed as possible, and thus to act effectively. For example, they have a free intro course to 'Active Hope', which goes into more detail about the topics I've alluded to. You can see it here.

What's already being done

There are now so many resources out there that it can be hard to know where to start, so here are a couple of recommendations that I have found helpful.

First a book, Climate Change Coaching, from whose title you might think is only any use for coaches like me. However it is powerful stuff, relevant for anyone who has any sort of influence or leadership role. This book explains the skills of change coaching - which in a nutshell is what coaches do - in the context of promoting that necessary sense of agency to enable the change humanity needs. I was moved and interested to see that the authors situate this firmly in the context of personal relationships, which in the end, is really all we've got.

Secondly, another inspiring website, Job One for Humanity. It was founded in 2008 as 'a non-profit and independent climate change think tank that provides a "big picture" holistic view and analysis of the inter-connected and inter-dependent climate systems creating our current climate change emergency'. They analyse and promote research, provide a regular newsletter and it's run entirely by volunteers. There are stacks of volunteer opportunities here, if this draws you.

There's so much we can get involved with, without getting overwhelmed; no-one can do Everything but Everyone can do Something.

See you next time!

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 of this newsletter 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

Links to everything else I do

Climate Consciousness Analysis

Book a free call

PS - Why me?

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.