Understanding the Need for Systemic Change

What does it mean to change a system (economic, political, religious, educational), a pattern of thinking, or a way of behaving and communicating?

First of all it requires an awareness of the underlying drivers of that system or way of thinking. From awareness can arise an inquiry into the degree of usefulness of that system. But relevant change comes through connecting the dots to understand the assumptions that influence the workings of a system.

For example, to truly understand the impacts of deep water oil drilling in the arctic one would also have to understand the impacts such drilling could have on climate change in sub-Saharan Africa. To begin to change any system that is no longer useful (one that serves humanity and the environment) one would have to understand the causal nature of how ideologies shape the very existence of those systems. Here I draw the link between mindset (assumptions, ideologies, beliefs), behavior and the way systems operate to determine external outcomes or context.

Let's use the system of the industrial growth economy as an analogy. By purely observing changes in climate one can conclude that man-made global warming stems from a belief in economic growth (driven by the extraction and exploitation of abundant, cheap fossil fuels) in service of GDP (the measurement countries use to determine the outlook of economic growth).

As far as I can see there are 3 major factors at play when it comes to the need for a new economic system. One, the rise in overall temperatures and extreme weather patterns (climate change). Two, the gap between rich and poor continues to widen (inequality). And three, the cost of living continues to escalate to the detriment of people's well being (peak debt). One can therefore determine that the system of economic growth doesn't serve all of humanity in the least. In fact, it serves continuous inequality and planetary destruction at the benefit of 1% of the population.

Is it not time we discovered a new system to take us into a more abundant future? What about building a system that doesn't destroy all in its wake purely to uphold the profit by any means necessary motive? Is this not just a story we've been told to believe by those in power, the masters of mankind, blind to their own self-righteous indignation?

So what could a new, more abundant system look like? Well, it could be a system that better understands the connection between people and planet. Or it could be a system based more on local communities and local economies. This way people wouldn't have to rely on other countries to service their needs (or exploit their resources). It could be a system based on reduced carbon emissions. Or it could be a system based on cooperation and collaboration instead of competition, scarcity-based thinking and the need to amass more wealth. The possibilities are endless.

However, if there's no realization that our current economic system (one based on GDP and exponential growth on a finite planet) is broken, or at-least damaging to the health and well being of people and planet alike, then the opportunity for something better falls by the wayside.

I think true, far-reaching systemic change is a dual process. On the one hand you have a breaking down of the old system through the questioning process. And on the other hand you have a coming together of communities to understand what the new system could look like. This is where we all have an integral role to play.

How can we utilize our unique skills and talents to build this more authentic, collaborative, connected way of working for a better future? A future no longer based on the ideology that I'm separate from you, and you're separate from me, and we're separate from the planet. But rather a future that combines and works for the betterment of all.

Mindfulness; a Key Attribute of Super-Success

Mindfulness not only shapes your identity, it gives your life vastly superior meaning and purpose. With greater mindfulness you come to realize that you're the master of your fate and this enables you to take responsibility for working towards your goals.

What are some of the key aspects of mindfulness? Some of these aspects may include, but are not limited to...

Awareness: when it comes to building mindfulness, awareness plays a central role. There are an infinite number of questions you can ask yourself to connect with greater awareness. Questions like, are you aware of your thoughts? Are you aware of how your behavior is shaped by your thoughts? Are you aware of how you relate to context? How do you communicate in your relationships? Are you open to listening, understanding new perspectives and engaging authentically? Do you use your communication to meet needs and grow relationships? These are just some of the areas where increased awareness can influence your outcomes and bring you closer to your goals.

Focus: focus is slightly more refined than awareness. Focus allows for a honing in on your goals with more intensity and accuracy. Say for example you're looking to develop a skill such as playing the saxophone. To really advance in this skill as quickly as possible would require a relaxed focus and presence while playing the instrument. This would enable you to understand more fully which areas you need to focus on to correct mistakes and give your work more fluidity. Although focus creates tension, with relaxed focus, it should be a healthy tension - one where you're at your resilient edge of resistance.

Attention: while similar to focus, attention is slightly more fluid and open in that it allows you to connect with your passions, your skills and your talents. So ask yourself, where is your vision taking you and how can you align your attention in the direction of your goals? Growing up someone may have a passion for football. But to develop this passion into a professional skill would require coming to grips with attention. Without relevant attention you're merely a vessel adrift on a vast open sea, with little direction to channel your focus. Attention enables you to connect with your vision, apply yourself to set and meet relevant goals, thereby giving your life greater meaning and purpose.

To become super successful in your chosen field, employ these powers of mindfulness to shuttle you at faster speeds to greater heights of success than ever before.

How to Overcome your Fears through Mind Control

How do you kill old programs or beliefs that hold you back, that prevent you from realizing your full potential?

One way is to really notice how these programs have limited you in any way. Have you had a creative project that you've been dying to get off the ground but haven't started yet due to that voice of reason telling you that it's dangerous, you won't be good enough, you'll be rejected?

Ask yourself if this fear is real, how does it prevent you from engaging with the creative process? How would you go about healing the wounds of separation that have, over time, been built into your psyche through things like religion, education, politics and media? How have these external authorities prevented you from digging deeper into who you are and wish to become?

Another way to overcome this wound of separation is to engage in mindset mastery. This goes a little further than just noticing how your old beliefs limit your creative potentials. It works with stilling the mind so greater clarity and perspective can be gained.

You may even wish to work with some mantras to occupy the monkey mind so that it becomes even more still and calm like a serene lake. As soon as you're able to create some space in your mind, you'll be able to connect with what's truly important to you (your values).

And if you really know that that creative project means a lot to you, you'll do whatever it takes to overcome your fears, transcend old programs that no longer serve you, and step into a new paradigm where your creative talents can come to the fore.

Here's a mantra for this post: my fears are old programs that I need no longer believe. Instead, I connect effortlessly to a sense of calm and ease. This enables me to redirect my attention onto my unique purpose (why I'm here and what's important to me).

Transforming Limiting Beliefs; a Prerequisite for Life Transformation

Who we are and what we believe shapes the way we see and act in the world. Invariably, we don’t see reality the way it is though, but rather we perceive it through a filter that we've built into our thinking and behaving (our wiring). This filter is defined by a certain set of beliefs which are shaped by a particular world-view.

An individual’s beliefs are defined by the way they behave or communicate around others. We haven’t been blessed with super human capabilities to read each other’s minds (unless you’re a highly enlightened yogi or sadhu); we can only infer from people’s behavior what exactly they believe. And ultimately ones beliefs shape ones reality.

As you believe, so do you perceive. Your reality is yours to create (without any form of limitation). At the time when people believed that the world was flat, this belief defined people’s actions accordingly. Ships never sailed far from the shoreline for fear that they would drop off the face of the earth. But as soon as this belief was proved false, a whole new world opened-up and opportunities arose for exploration, insight and discovery.

Beliefs (which are shaped by ones worldview) can neither be perceived as right or wrong (unless they've taken on the qualities of the absolute), but rather should be perceived in terms of degrees of usefulness. The more useful a belief, the greater is its ability to serve ones highest potential for growth and development.

The predominant way to break-down a limiting belief or narrative is to question or contradict the premise upon which that very narrative has been built. From this point of view one can then go on to dismiss that belief outright for a new, more useful belief that’s in alignment with ones highest potential.

So ask yourself the question; how have your own beliefs shaped your reality? How many times have you noticed yourself projecting a belief that never turns out to be true but only limits your potential? Do your beliefs hinder your personal growth, or do they serve your highest vision for the person you want to become?

Shifting the Goalposts from More Stuff to Better Stuff

Shifting the goalposts from more stuff to better stuff could be a game changer. How so? Such a shift in mindset (awareness & action) means living more consciously and sustainably. It means asking myself the question, "do I really need this, or is this just another quick fix?"

Up to now our focus has primarily been on faster, cheaper, newer. And we've subsequently lost touch with what's important to us (our core values) as well as a sense of happiness, wellbeing and community.

From a traditional point of view economists have always been focused on growth - more roads, more malls and more money! When we add all of this up together we get GDP (gross domestic product). Our rules and regulations are designed to perpetuate this notion of endless economic growth. However, what this equation fails to take into consideration is that we live on a finite planet with limited resources.

Thus, the problem is the goal of more growth and more stuff itself. What if we shifted the goalposts from "more" to "better" instead? This would result in a better quality of life for both humans and the planet. For example, what if we shifted our focus to better quality education, renewable energy, better relationships, better and healthier food (food not mass produced with chemicals and depleted minerals)? The answer lies in local solutions to local problems that can then get scaled-up for increased effectiveness.

So how do you go about identifying if a solution is transformational or not? Here are some things to consider.

1. Does it give people (at the local level) more power or is it just the same old concept of giving more money and power to big corporations and governments? In other words, does it build authentic democracy?
2. Does it create a sense of awareness around the fact that happiness and well-being doesn't come from buying more stuff, but from connected relationships, basic needs being met (such as electricity and running water), wellness and having a sense of purpose (please see here for my post on how to discover your purpose http://simoninglis.blogspot.com/2013/10/how-to-discover-your-lifes-purpose.html)?
3. Does it take into account all costs involved in the process, including the cost on people and the environment? There has to be a shift from simply externalizing costs (as most business do), to internalizing costs, thereby taking responsibility for ones actions.
4. Does it contribute to equity by narrowing the enormous gap between rich (people who have way too much stuff) and poor (people who struggle to have their basic needs met)?

When a transformational initiative ticks all these boxes, then you can be sure it begins to move beyond the traditional maxim of more is better. Examples of such initiatives could include things like a bike sharing program, a green cooperative (there's a great one called Ethical Co-op in Cape Town), a solar company or an urban farm.

In conclusion, if you're looking for a game-changing transformational initiative, ask yourself is it sustainable, equitable, and democratic? If it is, you're on the right path to a better, more integrative and holistic future.

How to Overcome a Fear of Failure

This type of fear - the fear of failure - is normally a product of your type of thinking. A correlation can be drawn between a fear of failure, thoughts of not being good enough and the poor-me, narcissist impulse associated with the ego.

This type of thinking is often underpinned by a sense of limitation (I'm not worthy, can't you see how hard I'm trying...) or even some form of righteous indignation (what I call being stuck inside the victim mindset).

So how do you dissolve this limitation so you can overcome a fear of failure or a fear of not being good enough? Here are some pointers.

1. Become intricately familiar with your motive for participation. Notice what's driving your behavior. Is your participation reluctant or is it whole-hearted? If you notice yourself having thoughts that regenerate the idea that I'm not good enough, inquire if this type of thinking serves you or not. If not, make the choice to replace such limiting thoughts with new, empowering and self-fulfilling ones.
2. Skillful means. Another reason you may be stuck with a fear of failure or a fear of not being good enough is due to a lack of skills to handle complex challenges. In order not to feel overwhelmed by challenges and stay in flow, our skills-set must match the complexity of the challenge. And the only way to get better at a skill is through hours of practice. Think of Tiger Woods and the hours and hours he spends on the driving range hitting golf balls - literally millions of golf balls! It was Bruce Lee who said that he fears more the guy whose practiced one kick a thousand times than the guy whose practiced a variety of kicks a thousand times. Get in flow and stay in flow through endless hours of mastering your craft.
3. Use your breath to connect with the present moment. When we feel fearful, our breath tends to become shallow and top-heavy. Relax any tension in your body by first bringing your awareness to it and then breathe into that space. Take deep belly breaths. The Taoists believe that the more fearful one becomes, the greater the distance of their breath from the seat of death - the area of the naval, the pit of the stomach just above the seat of life, the reproductive organs. So next time you have a fear of failure, bring your awareness to your breath and very consciously notice how it affects your state of consciousness (are you relaxed or tense)?
4. Heal pathology. Finally, your fear of failure or your fear of not being good enough could stem from some past failure which you've subsequently integrated into your belief system. Normally when we become our past failures, this influences our behavior moving forward. What's required in this instance is to heal any past pain so it no longer affects you in the present moment. Ken Wilber has a useful technique called the 3-2-1 of Shadow work for this particular need. The 3 steps involve firstly facing your pain head-on, secondly talking to your pain body, and thirdly integrating your pain body so it's no longer your separate self-sense.Once you've integrated your trauma, you can transcend it. 

Overall though, I would say failure is a part of life. Our failures serve as sign posts for further learning, growth and development until we are either ready to get it right or to realign onto a path more suited to our nature. Ask yourself what's the worst that can happen; you're not going to die facing your fear of failure or your fear of not being good enough. At worst, you'll learn something new about yourself.

So use these tools and techniques to help you take responsibility for your feelings, overcome whatever fear you're faced with and to live more authentically and abundantly in the present.

Intention & Vision; an Intricate Balance of Heart & Mind

It's difficult to intentionally bring about your vision without connecting to your heart. It's taken me the best part of 3 years to understand this concept (or should I say feel into this concept). I am very technically minded. I spend a lot of time in the mental realm, contemplating and thinking about things deeply.

There's nothing wrong with this; psychological development is my strength, but when something becomes too one-sided, a sense of balance or equilibrium is lost. It becomes difficult to take on another perspective and this where regression (in terms of growth and development) sets in. As it's difficult to work at a desk cluttered with pieces of paper, pens, books and stationery, so it's difficult to understand what's important to you if you're lost among a myriad of thoughts.

So instead of constantly relying on my mental abilities to see me through, I decided to shift my awareness to my heart centre. And I asked myself the question, "How do I feel about...?" This is a great question to shift your focus back into the present moment. While taking ownership of your feelings (so you're no longer the victim of them), this question also gives one greater perspective on how to relate to people or circumstances.

Becoming aware of how you feel allows you space to reconnect with what's important to you. And once you have a clearer idea of what you want, you can go about creating your vision. Although I still spend most of my time in the mental realm, I'm learning to bring my focus back down to my heart centre. To create a purpose-filled life requires nothing less than an intricate balance of heart and mind.

Using Mindset Mastery (as well as Skills & Talents) to Handle Increasing Complexity

How do you remain relevant in an increasingly complex and fast-changing world?

One way is to keep apace with your skills and talent development. This will afford you some room to maneuver your abilities to meet certain challenges of our time.

But what happens when the complexity of the challenge far outweighs either your technical or natural abilities? A feeling of overwhelm, anxiety, fear or frustration creeps into your consciousness. Quickly, it becomes more about the struggle to overcome the adversity of the challenge. Your outcomes get shaped by negativity due to a primary focus on the obstacle infront of you.

What's missing is some understanding of mindset mastery. It becomes overwhelmingly difficult to align your skills and talents to meet the demand of more complex challenges without any form of psychological maturity.

Training in mindset mastery gives you the opportunity to build your powers of awareness, presence, focus and clarity and peace of mind. You're no longer consumed by a sense of overwhelm with the challenge because you're no longer resisting the uncomfortable feeling that arises when faced with increased complexity.

You can now realign with what's important to you (through your unique vision) and go ahead and develop relevant skills or abilities to see you through the other side. This adds lifetimes to your personal growth.

Here's a secret: your technical skills and natural talents will develop at a much faster pace (while bumping up against less resistance and pain) once you take responsibility for simultaneous development in mindset mastery.

Take the next relevant step: get in touch for a one-on-one consultation to see how mindset mastery can benefit you moving forward.

How to Discover your Life's Purpose

Are you interested in discovering your life's purpose? In this post I outline 4 steps for you to unlock your potential and discover a life of meaning and purpose.

Step 1: Dissolve Limitation.

If you find yourself not living the best version of yourself, it's time to either question or contradict old or limiting beliefs, ideologies or assumptions that no longer serve you. Without the need to delve into past pain (and the healing work required to overcome shadow), you can very quickly observe how your behavior may be limiting your growth and development. How do you do this? Develop your powers of awareness and attention. You'll be astounded at how much limitation you've programmed into your thinking. There's nothing right or wrong with cultural, political, religious or educational conditioning. However, if a certain belief prevents you from uncovering the truth and living more authentically, then perhaps it's time to question that belief by asking yourself if it's standing in the way of deeper insights into who you are and what you want.

Step 2: Discover your Talents.

Here are some useful questions to ask yourself to unlock your strengths: what am I naturally good at? What do I enjoy doing (when am I in flow)? Are my skills underpinned by my passion? Another useful aspect of discovering your talents is defining your values. Once you've dissolved limitation and a mindset that has been conditioned by external influences (politics, finance, society, culture) then you can reconnect with your values. Unearth what values define you as a human being and place these at your core to live with more profound purpose. And thirdly, create a unique vision for your life. How do you see yourself 2, 5, and 10 years down the line? Drawing up a vision for your life generates the space within which to engage with the creative process. Know what you want and determine the price you're prepared to pay to achieve it.

Step 3: Understand Context.

We all have different personal and professional contexts. But what's important to understand is how do you relate to context. The world is undergoing a massive shift and we need to understand how to relate to things like; peak oil (the age of abundant cheap fossil fuels is over), peak debt, climate change and the emergence of extreme weather patterns. How do you relate to old models and systems of education, finance, politics and food? How do you see yourself fitting into new models of sustainability, local economies, resilience, connection and community? What sort of change or impact would you like to make on the world? What legacy will you leave for future generations?

Step 4: Develop an Expansive Mindset.

Unlike the traditional mindset which has shaped pretty much all the systems we have in place today, but which are increasingly starting to creek and buckle under external contexts (see above), the expansive mindset is far more light, intuitive and open. It's more fluid and responsive to creativity, design and collaboration. The feeling is one of excitement, joy and wonderment at the thought of abundance and possibility. The expansive mindset asks; how do I best engage with the creative process so that I can bring to the table the best, most authentic and relevant version of myself? Expansive thinking does not perceive limitation, therefore it rests neatly in a healthy tension which drives the creative process. As soon as you relax and become more open to the creative process, you can see where you fit in (talents and skills). Now it's all about connecting the dots and understanding your place in the universe.

If you feel like you've lost touch with your sense of purpose, use these steps to reconnect you with who you are (truth), what you want (burning desire) and where you wish to go (vision).