Today we are going to talk about connection, being in relation, building bridges. Specifically I want to talk about bringing diversity of connections into our lives in order to build the bridges necessary for us and our children to make the jump from “the story” we are currently living in within the educational and societal systems of today to that which we imagine and deep down know we can help create.
I also want to talk about how to build these connections from a small and slow mindset that goes beyond just thinking. I have often used the term “whole systems thinking” or “whole systems design” when talking with both those familiar with permaculture and those who aren’t because the idea of systems thinking has a broader appeal and understanding without extracting the beautiful and natural complexity of all in relation. However, in both the realm of learning or education and in the practicum of applying permaculture to our gardens, farms and physical landscapes we often remain in our comfort zone where we may push the current paradigms of today in our thinking, but changing our philosophical thinking is not enough.
When we experience a shift in our thinking, it is usually followed by a shift in feelings. Our ideas and view of the world is connected to our feelings. In the case of permaculture where people are finding a closer connection to Earth this can often lead to difficult feelings like fear, emptiness, anger and sadness. One might think that a shift in thinking and feeling is enough to change our behavior, but for human beings in mass it is not, which I will talk about in future podcasts. We don’t just go from ideas to feelings and feelings to behavior, or at least the type of dramatic, lasting changes in behavior we are talking about. We are missing a critical component to all of this which is analysis, evaluation and synthesis of our ethics, values and beliefs. It is a shift in these that provides the foundation for lasting change in our behavior.
In this show we cover:
Use and Value Diversity of Connections
3 Dimensions of The Great Turning by Joanna Macy
Integrating Diversity into the Learning Landscape
How We Can Move Forward Together
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