Our English language values precision. Words sit in boxes. And we talk about “dotting the ‘i’s and crossing the ‘t’s.” Yet life is not singular, and neither is action discrete. We live on a connected continuum. I do, and I keep on doing – present continuous. And who I am is an expression of being, … Read more
What shall we call this time,this season whose borderswe have stepped across. Do we know who you are,can we know your name? Whom should we call ourselvesin this space, in this place,friend or foe, lover or unknown… And you, who are you?Why are you hereon this road today? We’ve missed the signpoststhat tell us where … Read more
Our challenge isn’t to accurately describe what we can see. Instead, it’s the opportunity to capture what we can’t see – yet. And the usual way we use words is woefully inadequate. We need a new language for this emerging now. One which doesn’t try to put us in control, but alongside.
I’ve been wondering if the prevailing notion of time as a measurement isn’t serving us well. We think of time as a unit of existence or resource that can be spent or wasted. Which leads to huge pressure to use it efficiently. Therefore, we feel like we’ve failed if we don’t. And because our language … Read more
Bramble leaves are the first to change colour. I love the richness of the hue. It makes up for the months of being snagged by thorns! And here, in mid-September, we seem to be coming into an abundance. Yes, the glut of blackberries, many left for the birds and alpacas to munch. And the arrival … Read more
How we see the world is framed by our understanding of how things are. And in turn, that is reinforced by the language we use. Suzanne Simard provided a brilliant demonstration of this in her conversation with Krista Tippett for the On Being podcast this week: Forests are wired for wisdom. In talking about her … Read more
Make roomfor what is precious,take timeto see your world;and know thatyou are lovedand appreciatedand seen,even if youcan’t see yourself. Our wordsshape what we see,creating our senseof reality,filtering our emotions.Let’s chooseour words wisely.They colourthe mirrorinto which we gaze. Isn’t it wonderful that we are talking about words and conversations at last? We are human beings, and … Read more
‘For last year’s words belong to last year’s language and next year’s words await another voice.’ T S Eliot wrote these words in Little Giddings, from Four Quartets, while the world was in seismic change nearly a century ago. Arguably, we are now in an even more significant shift, and our current language’s inadequacy is … Read more
There are times when we don’t have the words to express what we are exploring. The words we have are inadequate for the task. They are too small or too loaded to be used for what we are feeling or perceiving. Therefore, sometimes we simply have to sit with the enormity of what we are … Read more
Alan Moore, in his brilliant new book, Do Build: How to make and lead a business the world needs, asks: How will the language we use define us? Pause and sit with his musings: All culture starts with language. Language is meaning-making; it frames and holds worldviews. Look at our current world and see how … Read more