Creating fertile soil for regenerative learning

“People soon get tired of One-Way-Info-Miners”

I recently posted a question on a ‘regenerative’ forum and had the above comment by way of reply (in a private message), suggesting that I don’t post such new person questions again and (helpfully) signposting me to sources of further information.

I was shocked, and it has taken a while to settle in and process the implication for my own self and for the wider regenerative movement.

So I wanted to explore some of the issues that I believe this kind of encounter raises (and I’d welcome thoughts and comments too).

For me personally:

• This has forced me to reflect on whether I do sometimes act in a way that is extractive rather than reciprocal. A bit of self-reflection is always a good thing (shining a light on our thoughts and actions in a non-judgemental way).
• My reflections are that we perhaps all do – consuming is a way that we have been raised.? ‘Just reach out and grab what you can’, ‘have it now’ runs deep through advertising, media and culture.
• On the other hand, I know that suggestions that I being extractive hurt deeply when I try daily to make a difference in the world in my life and work.
• And that it’s triggered the ‘inner child’ feelings of being that annoying kid who asked loads of questions in class and was bullied by the kids for it and asked to shut up by some teachers (which incidentally has continued into adult learning experiences too).
• I’ve had to listen to (and calm) the voices that say ‘run away from the world and live in the woods’ as an answer.? (and thanks to Giles Hutchins I can process this a lot easier thanks to my stay at his Spring Wood earlier this year and deepening of my understanding of 'sticking points' on the natural 'adaptive' cycles that living systems go through.
• I’ve also had to reflect on what it means for my relationship with the person who said that (who I respect)

More importantly, what does this kind of encounter mean for the wider community of regenerative practices (and improved education systems in general) that we are trying to encourage?

• I believe that asking questions is how people learn best, and it's how we explore how to bring our unique wholeness to the world. This bringing forward of potential is one of the keys to successful transformations, on an inner personal development level, and more widely in bringing our visions for life, work and the world into reality.? It can do real harm to suppress that exploration, individually and societally.
• Learning from the ‘wisdom of the group’ is incredibly valuable, moving away from the ‘expert’ culture that has done so much damage.
• How can we move away from the ideas that run deep that ‘all humans are by necessity extractive’ and instead lean into concepts of reciprocity, trusting that a ‘new person question’ will become an informed answer at some point in the future?
• And at the same time how can we honour those that have walked the path before (often alone and with fallout) to ensure they are respected and rewarded for their pioneering spirit and their long-term investments in all of our futures?
• There are questions of leadership – do we want gatekeepers in groups who shame people, or healthy boundaries that provide guidance and cultures?
• I believe that if we are using words that trigger the ‘I want to quit’ response then we could be using more compassionate language, and Non-violent communication (NVC) is an excellent toolkit for exploring that further
• We do need honesty – this isn’t about everyone being nice to each other and never challenging behaviours, but instead learning to find kinder language to communicate the ‘difficult’ stuff.
• Then there are concepts of holism – the word ‘regenerative’ means nothing if we are cherry picking the bits we like, for example being regenerative in our encounters with nature, but not with other humans.
• How can we create cultures where everyone is welcome and people don’t feel like outsiders – because EVERYONE is needed in our collective task of transforming how we live on planet Earth.
• Then there are questions of urgency - can we create the necessary new cultures fast enough, especially when we are immersed daily in cultures of blame, shame, criticism and fear?
• And that a level of tension is inevitable, and desirable because it is the process by which life avoids stagnation and moves to new states. How can we hold space for healthy challenge and tension in learning experiences, without triggering 'fight, flight or freeze'

I know that in my work I strive to welcome all styles of learning - there are no wrong answers, no silly questions, no shaming of our natural processes of exploration, and I am fortunate to work with dedicated and skilled facilitators such as JK (Jennie-Kate) McQuinn and Milly Carmichael who share my passion for this kind of person-led, nature-inspired, compassion-focused, yet deeply practical learning.

So if you choose to journey with us, then we aspire to creates spaces that maximise your individual opportunities for learning, self-exploration and bringing forward of your own unique potential, without judgement from us...

I always think twice about posting such personal posts – but I do know that many people have contacted me in private messages when I’ve posted about such issues before – so I know that it’s an important topic to raise.

I’d love to know what in this article resonates with you?

#regenerativeleadership #education #learning #holisticlearning #leadershipdevelopment #compassion

About me:

Sarah Spencer is a regenerative mentor, trainer, speaker, helping individuals, businesses and organisations to adopt regenerative ways of living and working, inspired by living-systems success.

She is author of Think like a Tree: the natural principles guide to life, Founder of Think like a Tree and is a Design Council Expert for regenerative practices.

She lives in South Derbyshire and is the custodian, with her family, of 19 acres of woodland, meadow and wildness.

Think like a Forest's flagship Regenerative Organisation Fundamentals Programme is now open for enrolment www.thinklikeatree.co.uk/fundamentals and welcomes leaders and team-members from businesses and organisations of all types and size, who have in common a purposeful nature to their work.