The Bridge
I had been walking for some way and some time along this path. I was tired. Sick and tired.
It felt like a chore and there was no beauty in it any more. It felt like an obligation where I was getting nothing back. I was doing my duty.
I tried different paths. Ones that appeared to be different. As I progressed the paths started to look familiar until I realised they were actually the original path.
It was dispiriting. I met people along the way. Many of them shared my feelings. I listened to their stories. They explained the rules of the path and how it came to be. This knowledge helped ease the feelings. It also provided greater motivation.
I learnt that the path was not just part of the world. I was part of the path too. I had been infected in some way. This seemed impossible to escape.
Until I was pushed off the path. I was told I was no longer needed. I had been talking about leaving the path, doing the research, but had never actually taken the first step. Part of me was angry but accepted it as the gift that it truly was.
Even then I found myself finding ways back to the path which were similar but different. More acceptable. Convincing myself that it was too dangerous to leave it entirely. We needed money after all. To be safe. That was part of the rules of the path. My family wouldn’t accept that was what I thought. We were all on the same path after all.
Finally I started exploring the territory away from the path. Exploring and imagining how it might work. Building my knowledge and connecting with others. Connecting with people who were similarly dispirited with the path.
One day someone pointed behind me to a bridge that I must have crossed. I had never seen it before but it was clear as day. He was an adventurer so it was no surprise to me that he had discovered it.
I realised then how this new land was so different to the land that I had started to despise. In this new land there were many new and exciting ideas being shared. New possibilities that would help us all thrive. ALL humans and all non-humans.
In this land, the currency was connection, relationships, not money. As an experienced traveller told me, we needed a new keystone species (Yellowstone wolves example) to transform the landscape. She was trying to understand the ways of nature as I was to help navigate. Her idea that relationships could be the keystone species or keystone idea or story hit me powerfully.
I was troubled by the bridge and this other land. It spoke of division, separation and judgement. I was falling into the traps that I looked out for. Division and wanting to be right; breaking groups into polar extremes was one of the rules of that path that I was trying to escape. The new land recognized there was a middle way. Constantly trying to rebalance and create harmony, recognizing there was no single right answer.
I recognized the power of being in this new land with this knowledge and shared understanding.
Valuing relationships and connection. Valuing diversity and seeing the beauty in naturalness and complexity. Valuing space for discovering my own nature and sharing my gifts.
But how to cross the bridge into the land that I had left behind and create connections there?
Whilst supporting and strengthening the community of those who were committed to this new path.
I created a banner as an experiment. A rallying cry and a call to action.
Bringing heart and soul back into work
I carried the banner across the bridge. As I looked back the bridge had disappeared. Perhaps it was only in my mind.
I walked on and stopped and waited to see if anyone was curious. I was uncomfortable being the centre of attention. I accepted the discomfort and sat quietly. I knew how important it was to listen to your emotions.
I took strength from a friend who had told me how she had accepted having her ‘thing’ that was hers alone. Recognizing it was important and ok to have my own needs and to put them at the front. She talked about people having natural authority which struck a chord.
There were some faces I recognized from the land on the other side of the bridge that had joined. As well as some new faces.
I told them this story.
And then I asked them what attracted them and what they needed.
People spoke and there was a powerful stillness.
Ideas took flight and ideas evolved.
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I explore how we might gather together in support of each other in the camp fire.
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The following people provided gifts that have helped make this narrative (and demonstrated the currency of connection in this new land):
Gary King introduced the idea of The Bridge which is the backbone of this story. He is also someone who uses Adventurer in his Linked In profile. I describe myself as an adventurer so we were bound to get on!
Kathy Allen shared the idea of relationships or connection as being a keystone species in the business environment. Keystone species play a pivotal role in creating a thriving, complex and diverse ecosystem.
Andy Brogan shared his feelings around moral outrage in the workplace (public and private sector, employee and customer and why this might be important). He is facilitating a community discussion in Next Stage Radicals and exploring this topic further in this event. My participation in this triggered the idea of starting a movement around bringing heart and soul back into work. Although I now like the idea of stillness, rather than movement. Our society values visible activity when, in fact, the greatest insights come in moments of quiet contemplation.
Jo Woods provided a moment of insight recently when talking about this idea and inspiring me to take ownership of this fully. Up until then I had been looking for a collaborator and, if I am honest, someone to validate my ideas. I was afraid of going ahead alone. She encouraged me through her words and example to simply own and grow this idea into a living thing. Jo shared this article as a source of the idea of natural authority which has inspired me further.
Hannah Lyons-Tsai shared her go to theory of change which provided the scaffolding and language for the concept of the bridge. And some invaluable conversations and offers of support.
Tabitha Jayne has helped me this year to understand nature and, more importantly, my inner nature so that I am able to help others. The impact of this will be felt over the rest of my life. The knowledge, understanding and practices that I am continually developing are influencing everything I do and creating a fertile soil in which to plant my future.
