Purpose Inspired #55

PICTURE OF THE WEEK - #INFINITY        

REFLECTION OF THE WEEK - #REGENERATION        

Could regeneration be the new sustainability? Not that sustainable development will disappear (the SDGs run until 2030). But sustainability as an idea – surviving, enduring – has always been a bit uninspiring. Not to mention its frequent misuse by business and government (‘sustainable economic growth’ is a favourite). In contrast, regeneration is a much more exciting idea. It’s not new. Paul Hawken, Michael Braungart, Bill McDonough and John Elkington, among others, have been vocal advocates for years, along with the flourishing and thriveability movements. The difference now is we’re starting to see science-based applications emerging like regenerative agriculture and restorative design.

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QUOTE OF THE WEEK - #CATALYSTS        

“Sustainability catalysts get meaning from initiating change, giving strategic direction and influencing leadership”

Quote from Making a Difference | More quotes on social responsibility, sustainable business and transformational change

INTERVIEW OF THE WEEK - GREEN SWANS BOOK CLUB        

"All organisms, including humans live and breathe and continue to exist because they regenerate". With this central theme in mind, my book Thriving seeks to make systems thinking more tangible than ever through what Stuart Hart describes as, “a roadmap for nothing less than the reinvention of the world”. Join me in conversation with the CEO of Volans at the Green Swans Book Club which I attended on 29 June.

Watch and listen

PODCAST OF THE WEEK - THE FORCE IS WITH US        

My guest this week is Dr Ervin Laszlo, a philosopher and systems scientist, founder and president of the international think tank The Club of Budapest, and author, co-author or editor of 106 books, including The Upshift. Listen to Ervin talk about: Why we are at a chaos point in society – and how that represents a positive evolutionary opportunity; What Putin’s invasion of the Ukraine and other great disruptions could mean from a systems change perspective; How holism is a key organising principle in nature and society – and how this links to a higher purpose or spiritual force; Why he is inviting us to join the upshift movement, a grassroots based international and intercultural movement dedicated to building a better world; What hopeful monsters are – and why they are necessary antidotes to the forces of aggression and breakdown in society.

Listen to the episode (available on Apple, Spotify, Google and other podcast platforms)

POEM OF THE WEEK - MY LETTERS        

I see you found my letters / My bottle on the seas / At last they reached your shoreline / And whispered on the breeze / They hint at new adventures / And childhood left behind / They tell of magic mysteries / Of worlds you’ll seek and find

I see you got my letters / My reasons and my rhymes / I hope they’ll light the darkness / And comfort you sometimes / I hope they’ll find you smiling / Perhaps they’ll make you sigh / But more than that, they’ll always cheer / Your future, as you fly

I see you read my letters / My rainclouds and sunbeams / I hope they’ll travel lightly / In your memory box of dreams / I hope they’ll find you thriving / Perhaps they’ll touch your pain / But more than that, they’ll always show / Your strength to rise again

I see you kept my letters / My wishes and my fears / I hope they’ll find some echo / Of truth across the years / I hope they’ll find you happy / No matter your endeavour / But more than that, they’ll always say: / You’re loved by me forever

Poem link | More poetry

BOOK OF THE WEEK - LANDMARKS FOR SUSTAINABILITY        

Landmarks for Sustainability is a high-impact, quick-reference guide to many of the most critical events and initiatives that have shaped our world, and the sustainable development agenda, between 1919 and 2008. These include high-profile historic events, as well as more subtle but no less important developments, such as trends in fairtrade, ethical codes and sustainable investment. By shining a spotlight on these and other landmark events and initiatives, the book draws into sharp relief the most significant social and environmental challenges of our time. Equally importantly, however, more than half of the book is dedicated to constructive global responses. 

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THOUGHT OF THE WEEK - #DIGNITY        

We discover dignity when we affirm our common humanity. Dignity draws on what is good in human beings – our generosity, our compassion, our selflessness – not because we deny what is bad, but because we know we have the choice. In all our actions, will we listen our higher nature or our baser self?

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THRIVING FEATURE OF THE WEEK - WHOLES        

Holism—a term that Jan Smuts coined and derived from the Greek holos—proposed that wholes are “the real units of nature … a unity of parts which is so close and intense as to become more than the sum of its parts.” Smuts’ theory of holism suggests that every organism, every plant or animal, is a whole, with a certain internal organiSation and measure of self-direction and an individual specific character of its own. This is true of the lowest microorganism no less than the most highly developed and complex human personality or society. Smuts also saw holism as the driving force behind evolution, which creatively enables the development of ever more complex and significant wholes.

Order a copy of the Thriving (available as a hardback, ebook and audiobook)

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