DRKE

EAR to the GROUND -- One of the most gripping aspects of transformational times is that we cannot continue ‘as before’. The fork in the road is clear. There is no reverse. But the path ahead is unfocused and unfamiliar. Now that we've crossed into the space where there is no more ‘normal’, everything?has to be laid bare, which at times is incredibly uncomfortable, but necessary in order to move through. As we start to emerge from dimly lit winter into the fresh blaze of spring and summer, I find myself preparing to dig in, turn up all my senses, and recalibrate -- with myself, my business, my clients. So, let me start with my ears. ?? ? The human ear is a?small marvel. ? Home to more than 20,000 hair cells. ? Able to detect sound waves at frequencies of 20 Hz and as high as 20,000 Hz. ? The site of the body's hardest bone (the temporal bone) and yet still such a fragile structure. (ear infection anyone??) Let me begin with listening. Truly open, receptive, empathic, curious, listening. The cornerstone of connection & collaboration. "To listen is to lean in softly with the willingness to be changed by what you hear." - Mark Nepo ?? DRKE DRKE.co

BOOKING INTO Q2 -- We have available cycles opening up in Q2 for projects of all sizes, speaking engagements, workshops, advisements, creative collaborations, and so on... If you'd like to get a better idea of what we've been up to recently (and not so recently) have a peek here: https://read.cv/katiedreke ? Curious to know more? ? Keen to chat and get to know each other a bit better? ? Not sure what you need, but would like to talk it out? You can always find us here: DRKE.co ??

THE SITUATION is THE BOSS -- 'The Situation Is The Boss' was a statement popularized by Big Steve Parish during his time on the road with The Grateful Dead. It was his special way of saying that it really doesn't matter who *thinks* they're in charge at any given time, The Situation always dictates what is needed, what is prioritized, and what your immediate actions need to look like. ? The weather might be the boss. ? The broken carburetor in your car might be the boss. ? Budget cuts might be the boss. ? An illness or injury might be the boss. This simple statement is loaded with a great truth about situational awareness, humility, perspective, prioritization, and the subtle art of letting go of control, for the higher purpose of moving through and onward. ?? How is The Situation influencing your work right now? ?? Which Situation can you already anticipate is going to be making havoc with your current plans? The climate? Tariffs? AI? ?? How can we invite The Situation into our team meetings and workflows as an invited guest vs. a party crasher? ?? Does your boss know that they are not *really* The Boss? ;) ?? DRKE DRKE.co

LOST & ALIVE -- Rebecca Solnit wrote that "to be lost is to be fully present, and to be fully present is to be capable of being in uncertainty and mystery." Our urgent modern need to make sense of and contain any given experience, prevents us from simply and fully 'experiencing that experience'. We remove ourselves from the moment. We create safety, distance & detachment. Change ourselves from participant -- to -- observer. Look through the viewfinder vs. see with naked eyes. ??? But what a gift, instead, to allow ones self to be LOST. Lost in a moment, in a scene, in a process. For or instant, for an hour, for months at a time. Lost, without a map, hyper aware, bumbling, learning. Keen to every detail. Time slowing down. Every minute stretched. Every possibility possible. Like travel challenges the traveler to pay much closer attention to language, food, currency, landscape, body language, weather, transport and culture. So must we travel inside our own ideas. Journey deeper into and across potential futures. Let 'lost' experiences be our teachers. Allow our senses and instinct to guide our path. And make us "capable of being in uncertainty and mystery." ?? DRKE DRKE.co

THE RHYTHM is THE RITUAL -- Having worked in the world of sport for many years, I've circled the drain repeatedly on the topics of: fitness habits, wellness routines, programs, progress, betterment, recovery, training...etc...ad nauseam. It took some time, but several years ago I stumbled into the gooey spiritual center that all the above examples lack -- but when this element is present it enables every behavior to transcend from mere TASK to elevated CEREMONY. The unlock here is: RITUAL ? Routines and habits focus on the WHAT. ? Rituals focus on the WHY. ? The intent of a routine is to make a task more mundane, obscure, and automatic each time it’s performed. ? The intent of a RITUAL is a cyclical and resonant celebration of its core tenet and purpose. ? Habits make the ordinary mindlessly invisible. ? RITUALS make the ordinary extraordinary. For a fresh twist on well trodden ground I suggest having a look at these seven inspirational thoughts on RITUAL (from Gordon Brander, who writes specifically from the perspective of software design, but which can be applied more widely...): ? Rituals are the feedback loops we construct to construct ourselves ? Rituals shape the medium of time ? Rituals orient us ? Rituals are protocols ? Ritual is a form of play ? Rituals take place in a world set apart ? Rituals make meaning To read more from Gordon this topic click here: https://lnkd.in/dsHy3RrU ?? DRKE DRKE.co

ARRESTED ADULTING -- What if an entire generation isn't actually failing to launch, but rather doing the confronting work of illuminating the fundamental mismatch between traditional adult milestones and our modern economic realities? Wall Street Journal ? Dec 2024 https://lnkd.in/gwdmBcty Despite 30-somethings having 66% more wealth than their parents did at the same age, skyrocketing costs of housing, shifting social norms, and a pervasive sense of future uncertainty have completely transformed the once familiar path to adulthood. The result is a paradoxical generation — earning more than their parents ever did, but feeling poorer. Craving independence while still living with roommates well into their 30s. Increasingly viewing traditional markers of adulthood like marriage, homeownership and children as optional (undesirable?) rather than inevitable non-negotiable steps on life's journey. The whole arc of adult development has transformed over the past several decades, in ways that our psychological theories are still catching up with: ? With adulthood becoming more extended and flexible, and with a greater focus on personal exploration, this has lead to a phase often called "emerging adulthood" where young adults take longer to fully establish themselves compared with previous generations. ? In the 21st century, does it still make sense to refer to “young adulthood,” “midlife” and “late adulthood,” and other traditional cues of life-stages, as psychologists and researchers have been doing for so long? ? If not, what might be more accurate concepts for how adulthood is emerging and morphing before our eyes? ?? DRKE DRKE.co

TRANSLATION as TRANSFORMATION -- In a time of tension and divide, where alignment feels heavier and harder than ever, communication becomes a magic key to unlock new pathways. Imagine all the critical and truly game-changing conversations that simply AREN'T happening because of an avoidance of tension and confrontation. ? The line between debate & conflict can be subtle. ? The difference between discussion & argument can be subjective. ? The experience between sparring & fighting can be hard to define. "A talent for speaking differently, rather than arguing well, is the chief instrument of cultural change." - Richard Rorty To become functional participants in these times of transformation we must invite ourselves into a refreshed relationship with language and constructive dialogue -- to strip old combative dynamics of their negative attributes, to neutralize and diffuse them, to employ our natural born talents for "speaking differently" -- ultimately transforming conversations into forums of possibility and progress. Let us push each other to our sharpest edges. Let us talk of?things never before dreamed, seen or built. Let us rally communities to face what has never been dared. Let us speak truth. The?pure, aching, irreconcilable truth. Let us whisper to each other about life's exquisite beauty and impermanence. Let us give the greatest we’ve got -- and let it start with our words. ?? DRKE DRKE.co

YES WE CAN -- In?'What We Owe the Future', the philosopher William MacAskill offers this hypothetical scenario to make the simple point that future people matter. >> Imagine you’re hiking, and on this sunny day, you see something glinting. Kneeling down, you realize it’s a shard of glass, a buried broken bottle, exposed on the trail. You’d have to dig it out, and you reason that if you don’t, there’s a fair chance someone—perhaps a child—could cut themselves badly on the shard. Feeling moved to save this person from that potential future pain, you take the bottle away with you. << “In deciding whether to clean it up, does it matter?when?the child will cut herself?” he writes. “Should I care whether it’s a week, or a decade, or a century from now? No. Harm is harm, whenever it occurs.” ? But do people really believe that? ? And if they do, do they believe it enough to take action? ? Do they have as much empathy for pain now as for pain still to come? Most of us have a?onboard present-bias. It's hardwired in us to protect and survive in the now vs. plan for a far-distant and unknown future. “We know that for our own well-being we systematically under-invest in our future,” says Coleman. “This is in part because we have this empathy gap between our present and future selves. We therefore seem to be under-investing in our collective future as a society,” he says, “with imminent problems like climate change and other technological advancements that pose risks.” But this is where art and creativity comes in. Powerful storytelling and poignant imagery, in artistic works like?novels?and?films?and?video games, can transform our feelings toward issues and people we know nothing or care little about—either now or in the?speculative future. “Making others’ well-being vivid and concrete and easy to imagine,” says Coleman, “is one very powerful strategy for increasing and marshaling care toward future generations.” ?? DRKE DRKE.co

Sometimes DEUX is better than one. ???

THE RENEWAL of SUNSET-- When electricity was first introduced into the home, there were letters written to newspapers about how it would undermine family togetherness. ? "Now there would be no need to gather around a shared hearth!", people fretted. ? In 1903, a famous psychologist even worried that young people would lose their connection to dusk and it's contemplative moments. It all sounds pretty silly. Until you stop to ask yourself -- when was the last time you stopped what you were doing and went outside simply to enjoy the golden hour of dusk? "Never go too long without watching a sunset." - Atticus With every technological introduction, advancement, invention there is a worry. And with every new worry, there is a grain of truth within. AI is the latest and greatest thing on everyone's minds. It's dominating the conversation, and kicking up concerns a plenty. But don't let it ever stop you from touching grass and enjoying the contemplative gifts of the natural world around us. There will always be newness. Change is the only predictable constant. We have agency. We have choice. We have the sunset -- everyday. ?? DRKE DRKE.co