Thinking Feeling Being

Culture Culture is not what you aspire to. It's not what you write down, it's not what your ambition is. It is the lived experience of other people. It is how you made them feel. It is the results of your actions. It is the impact of your behavior. That is what culture is.

We need to move beyond the concept of "mental health" as merely the idea that something is wrong in the mind. Instead, we should recognize that we are complex beings—embodied, living within communities, and facing challenges that are not necessarily "abnormal" (and who defines "normal," anyway?). Perhaps it’s time to shift our focus toward human flourishing. Flourishing encompasses far more than mental health, physical fitness, or community involvement—it integrates meaning, purpose, and our connections to others. It transcends ego, identity, action, and rigid formulas. True flourishing is holistic and integrated, extending beyond the boundaries of mind or body. It’s about who we are at our core and how we relate to the world around us. Tim HJ Rogers, Coach, Consultant, Change-Manager #CoachingForSuccess #CoachMindset #PerformanceCoaching #EmpowermentThroughCoaching #UnlockPotential #MentorshipMatters #MentoringLeaders #SupportAndGuide #MentorMindset #BeTheGuide #HighPerformance #PerformanceMatters #AchieveExcellence #DriveResults #PerformanceImprovement Simon Nash Matt Falla Michael Kirkwood Jennifer Neill Phil Romeril Joe Dickinson Kiley Henley Dr Glenda Rivoallan

Salvador Dalí’s painting Crisalida (Chrysalis) is a striking piece commissioned by a pharmaceutical company in the mid-20th century. This work is often cited as an example of how art was used to propagate the idea that health—particularly mental health—is primarily an individual responsibility, rather than something shaped by broader societal and systemic factors. Dalí and Pharmaceutical Advertising Dalí, known for his surrealist style, created Crisalida to depict the transformation and potential of the human mind and body. The pharmaceutical company behind the commission sought to align this message with the notion that medications could unlock personal health and well-being. The painting’s imagery blends biological and psychological motifs, emphasizing inner change and suggesting that healing lies within the individual rather than external circumstances. This campaign aligned with a growing trend in the mid-20th century: the medicalization of distress. As psychiatric drugs gained prominence, pharmaceutical companies promoted the idea that illnesses—both physical and mental—stemmed from imbalances or flaws within the individual, downplaying societal factors such as poverty, inequality, or trauma. Criticism and Context The commission and its message have been criticized for advancing a reductive view of health. By focusing on pharmacological solutions, it marginalized the role of systemic issues—such as social inequality, workplace stress, or community disconnection—that contribute to distress. Critics argue that this approach served corporate interests, promoting drug sales while discouraging investments in societal change. For example, it shifted public discourse away from reforms that could address root causes, such as improving housing, labor conditions, or social support systems. Dalí’s involvement in such campaigns raises questions about the intersection of art and commerce. While the artist may not have shared the pharmaceutical company’s agenda, his work undeniably contributed to a narrative that placed the burden of health on individuals. A Broader Perspective The ideas promoted by such campaigns are still relevant today. Many critiques of modern healthcare systems echo this concern, highlighting the over-reliance on medication and the neglect of social determinants of health. The Power Threat Meaning Framework, for instance, counters this narrative by emphasizing the influence of power dynamics and societal factors on well-being. Dalí’s Crisalida remains a potent symbol of the tension between personal transformation and societal change, serving as a reminder of how art can both reflect and reinforce cultural and economic forces. By revisiting works like this, we can critically examine the narratives they helped construct and explore more holistic approaches to health and healing.

Power Threat Meaning Framework (PTMF) The Power Threat Meaning Framework (PTMF), developed by clinical psychologists Lucy Johnstone and Mary Boyle, offers an alternative to psychiatric diagnostic models. Instead of focusing on mental health "disorders," it examines how social, psychological, and biological factors interact in the context of power dynamics, threats, and meaning-making. Core Principles 1. Power: Explores the role of power in an individual’s life, including its use, misuse, and the impact of systemic inequalities and oppression. 2. Threat: Examines the ways in which power dynamics create threats to a person’s well-being or safety, whether physical, emotional, or social. 3. Meaning: Focuses on how individuals interpret and make sense of their experiences of threats and power, shaped by personal, cultural, and societal narratives. 4. Response: Considers how people respond to threats, which may include distress, coping strategies, and survival mechanisms, rather than viewing them as "symptoms." The framework acknowledges that distress is often a natural reaction to adverse circumstances, emphasizing the need to understand experiences in their broader social and cultural contexts. Key Questions of PTMF These questions are designed to help understand the interconnected dynamics of power, threat, meaning, and response: 1. What has happened to you? Explores the impact of power and adversity in a person's life (e.g., abuse, trauma, systemic oppression). 2. How did it affect you? Identifies the threats posed by these experiences and their impact on physical and emotional well-being. 3. What sense did you make of it? Investigates how the individual interprets and understands these experiences, including personal and cultural narratives. 4. What did you have to do to survive? Examines the person’s responses to threats, including coping strategies, behaviors, and emotional patterns. 5. What are your strengths? Recognizes the individual’s resources, resilience, and ways they have managed to navigate challenges. 6. What is your story? Encourages individuals to craft a coherent narrative that integrates their experiences, strengths, and goals for the future. Applications Therapeutic Contexts: Helps individuals create empowering narratives about their experiences without pathologizing them. Community and Social Justice: Addresses the systemic roots of distress by recognizing the role of societal inequities. Trauma-Informed Care: Shifts focus from "What's wrong with you?" to "What happened to you?" The PTMF emphasizes compassion, context, and collaboration, offering a holistic way to understand and address human distress. Tim HJ Rogers, Coach, Consultant, Change-Manager #ChangeManagement #AdaptToChange #TransformationJourney #EmbraceChange #ChangeLeadership #CoachingForSuccess #CoachMindset #PerformanceCoaching #EmpowermentThroughCoaching #UnlockPotential #MentorshipMatters #MentoringLeaders #SupportAndGuide #MentorMindset #BeTheGuide

Exploring Functional & Dysfunctional Psychological Defence In 2022, Sweden launched its Psychological Defence Agency to shield its society from misinformation and psychological manipulation—a concept rooted in the Cold War. Sweden’s approach, aimed at building mental resilience across all levels of society, raises an important question: what if organizations did the same? The Agency’s work, mirroring insights from authors like Daniel Kahneman and Daniel Goleman, suggests that psychological defenses—like emotional intelligence and critical thinking—can protect against today’s stressors and information overload. The Swedish approach offers a thought-provoking model: if organizations could adopt a version of psychological defense, they might better support mental well-being. Encouraging critical thinking, fostering emotional intelligence, and promoting a culture of open communication can serve as organizational defenses against misinformation and stress. The goal? A resilient workforce equipped not only to process information effectively but also to navigate emotional and cognitive demands with clarity. Tim HJ Rogers, Coach, Consultant, Change-Manager #ChangeManagement #AdaptToChange #TransformationJourney #EmbraceChange #ChangeLeadership #LeadershipDevelopment #LeadWithPurpose #FutureLeaders #ImpactfulLeadership #ResonantLeadership #HighPerformance #PerformanceMatters #AchieveExcellence #DriveResults #PerformanceImprovement #PsychologicalDefense #MentalHealth #OrganizationalResilience Read full article in comments ------

As part of my personal challenge to see at least one interesting piece of art each day, I visited the ArtHouse Jersey venue where they're currently exhibiting a fascinating installation. This piece features an array of T-shirts and other clothing items, each with its own story, originally strung up as a colorful canopy at Charing Cross. Now moved indoors to the Gallery beside the Town Church, the exhibit has taken on new dimensions with added music and accompanying stories that reveal more about each garment. It’s a powerful and beautifully curated display, and I highly recommend checking it out—it’s a unique experience that captures both individual and collective narratives.

ADD TO YOUR 5 A DAY WITH ONE PIECE OF ART Exposing yourself to art can be thought-provoking and beneficial for the brain, the mind, and your overall thinking. Inspired by Glen Perotte’s expedition-themed exhibition, I've set myself a personal challenge this week: to seek out a piece of art each day at lunchtime. Glenn’s exhibit, which I highly recommend, captivated me so much that I returned to CCA Galleries today. As well as the images from Kenya, upstairs I found his 2020 album filled with powerful photos and stories. That’s the beauty of art: it’s not only something to see but also something to contemplate. Every piece speaks volumes, inviting reflection—whether we love it, feel challenged by it, or even feel uncertain about it. Art always elicits a reaction, and exploring these reactions can be deeply rewarding. In Glen’s photography, I’m especially drawn to how he captures the vibrant life of plants against stark backdrops—the misty mountains, the austere rocks—creating a striking contrast that highlights nature’s resilience within rugged surroundings. This juxtaposition brings depth, showing how something alive and vibrant can stand out against cold, harsh settings. It reminds me how we all reflect and interpret art differently, finding connections to ourselves or simply appreciating the unique compositions. If you have the chance, I wholeheartedly recommend visiting Glen’s exhibit at CCA Galleries. Or perhaps follow my challenge: make it your goal this week or next to experience one inspiring piece of art each day. Let it move you, provoke you, and spark your own reflections. ArtHouse Jersey Paul Milbank Simon Nash Rod Bryans

SOME PSYCHOLOGICAL DYSFUNCTIONS IN LEADERS This checklist of 12 traits provides a structured lens to evaluate leadership behaviour in the workplace, offering a brief overview of each trait’s origins, warning signs, impact on teams, and strategies for improvement. As you read, consider whether these patterns are universal aspects of human nature or reflections of a past era's social structure. Do these traits still resonate, or are they outdated? I’d love to hear your thoughts on how these insights apply to leadership today, and how we might use them to foster a more emotionally intelligent and balanced approach to management.

It's fascinating to contrast the journeys of humans and nature through life. As humans, we rely on artificial constructs to navigate our world: we transact through money and organize our tasks into units of time—weeks, months, and years. Yet, when we observe the animal kingdom, no tiger or swan schedules its day by a timetable. Their boundaries are less artificial, more honest. Humans move from one constructed boundary to another, while nature unfolds in a continuous, progressive transition. There is no strict boundary between spring and summer, or youth and old age. These transitions flow naturally, unlike our lives, marked by distinct dates for beginnings and endings, like the start and end of employment. Consider the starling, which knows by temperature and instinct when to migrate. It doesn't require any of the tools that an explorer might need to make a similar journey. The paths of the starling and the explorer could not be more different, yet each is guided by its own approach to transitions and journeys through life. Humans deeply value freedom, flexibility, and liberty, yet we also grapple with uncertainty and anxiety. We crave stability—culture, community, family, home, and job provide anchors that ground us but can also restrain our nomadic inclinations, our free will, our spirit. I suspect these desires are not binary; life’s ebb and flow allows for both. In each day, each season, each generation, there is security in climbing the ladder one rung at a time and freedom in swimming in an ocean of possibility. Each has its own value and virtue. Our preferences are shaped by our personalities, circumstances, and life stages. It’s up to us to decide whether we’ll climb or descend the next rung, or leap into an ocean of uncertainty. What I do know is that neither tiger nor swan would debate these questions. They simply live in the moment, being who they are, doing what they do, because the present moment is all they have. And, if we look closely, it’s the same for us, even if our minds build structures of “what if?”—comparison, opportunity, striving, or anxiety.

The "thinking cap" began as a metaphor likely inspired by historical practices in which monks, scholars, and spiritual leaders used specific headwear to signal focus, contemplation, and dedication to study. In medieval times, monks donned hoods to reduce distraction, allowing inward reflection. Early university scholars in Europe sometimes wore caps symbolizing intellectual commitment. Even in Judaism and Eastern monastic traditions, head coverings enhanced meditative focus. These practices cemented the idea that special attire could aid thought. Today, the “thinking cap” has evolved into a mental tool rather than physical attire, representing the psychological act of focusing deeply and problem-solving. Encouraging someone to "put on their thinking cap" still evokes the benefit of blocking out distractions to enhance creativity, critical thinking, and concentration. This enduring concept serves as a reminder that intentional shifts in focus can improve our ability to solve complex issues and innovate in a fast-paced world.