Myths of change
Ever since I admitted to myself I have a desire to -in some shape or form- help create a society that is more regenerative, I have been impatient, even judgy at times.
Once you see the depth and urgency of the change that is needed, it is hard not to feel rushed.
We need fiery action and radical change, both deep (throughout the veins of our cultures), wide (throughout our global systems and societies), and urgently (as in: now).
So yes, I have been impatient with myself, with me figuring out what my role in all this can be. How to best apply my skills, with whom and where and how.
And this impatience has often led me to judgement, and paralysis. Forming perfect gateways to shame: 'Make up your mind! What's with all this doubt? All words and no action... come on, don't be such a pain in the ass... just do it already!'
Which is a very different place than we need to be in, I think, to be able to face the times we live in. Quite different from the strong, stable, grounded base that we need to be able to experiment and explore. And far from the creative and expansive state in which we can start to imagine new futures.
We built an 'advanced' global society that brought a lot of 'progress'. But in the process, we broke down the natural world we are part of and depend on. While being unsuccessful in meeting the basic needs of most people. (I heard Otto Scharmer describe it as "organised irresponsibility")
More and more of us are able and willing to see that the world we (and generations before us, in the Global North) spent our lives building (and are often still actively, daily, contributing to) is coming to an end.
We realise there is so much to deconstruct and break down. That we need to reshape, reinvent. And build something new. Together. Without knowing yet how and what that will look like.
And that is all quite intense. Scary, and painful. Anxiety-inducing.
So I think we need compassion. Compassion for ourselves and each other in this process - in leaving the old behind and exploring the new, and all the heartbreak, fear, and doubt that goes with it.
Compassion for ourselves and each other, while we are "figuring out how we can contribute to the tipping point" and shift extractive organisations and cultures towards more regenerative ones, like Dr. Kathleen Allen* pointedly described in the Regenerative Leadership Journey**.
Let us aim for deep change, and be fierce, bold, fiery and relentless, towards all that needs to be disentangled and broken down.
And also, let's bring tenderness, and understanding, and patience to our change-making as well. Towards our paths, our experiments, and to our brave, wobbly steps.
If only because we are going to be in this for the long haul, if we really mean it. A life-time, I'd say. So we will need both patience and power. Make sure we breathe both in, and out.
* Dr Kathleen Allen authored Leading from the Roots on nature as a source of inspiration to help see new ways of leading and designing organisations.
** The Regenerative Leadership Journey is part of the Regenerators Academy and has the mission to aid the transformation towards a regenerative future by offering wisdom and community needed to get there.