Pathfinding or pathmaking? A good question. And the answer is yes… … both, and it depends. Looking back on my life, I’ve been a quiet pathmaker. I’ve stepped out and done things that were not usual in my culture or era. And I’ve created room for others to follow. Yet I have other friends who … Read more
There isn’t an absolute answer to how fast is fast. It’s contextual – it all depends. Perhaps the question is, who or what is driving the speed? Whose agenda is it anyway? And that equally applies to going slow… So whose life are we living? Pause. See differently. Re-story 🌿
Have you noticed that when you have something on your mind, you tend to see it everywhere? Continuing to muse on fruitfulness, my attention was caught by the colourful abundance of a rowan tree along the green path. But something was odd. The angle wasn’t right. And then I realised that the weight of the … Read more
Words surround us. They can be generated so easily that we’re drowning in them. Yet they are the very stuff of our connection with each other. We hurry them. Excuse them in the name of authenticity and treat them as something to throw away when they no longer serve our needs. Yet they are also … Read more
I wonder if we have lost sight of wisdom. Or have forgotten how to recognise it. Because wisdom isn’t knowledge on steroids. It’s not the verdict of the most well-read person or someone with the most qualifications. It is a quality of a different order and isn’t in service of the person exercising it. Instead, … Read more
I grew up in a culture which valued being right. And to be right first time was the greatest prize of all. Sadly I have to unlearn so much as I get older. But it is so liberating! Pause. See differently. Re-story 🌿
We can do some things on our own but are far better together. Take repairing fences, for example. Yes, we do have the tools to do a solo job. But it’s much easier and quicker when we are two. And then there are things that we cannot do alone. Take shearing the alpacas, for example. … Read more
Accepting the gifts we have and that we are, isn’t passive. As custodians of this little valley, with its more-than-human inhabitants, we pay active attention to the environment. This is wisdom at work. And likewise, we need to pay attention to the place where we, and our creativity, flourish. Or, in the wise words of … Read more
How we look and the posture we take in the looking shapes what we expect to find. That’s fine if we’re searching for something tangible we’ve mislaid, and we know where we lost it. Because it stops us from wasting effort and attention, both of which are precious. But how often is this the case? … Read more
This phrase – we don’t celebrate the first pancake – was one of the gems from a recent two-part podcast. Brené Brown, Adam Grant and Simon Sinek gathered for an extended conversation without agenda. Simon hosted it for his podcast A Bit of Optimism. It’s a lovely shorthand to remind us that it’s not about … Read more