This is the “IDG Challenge” | 11 & 12

#IDG?#InnerDevelopmentGoals

Relating — Caring for Others and the World

Appreciating, caring for, and feeling connected to others, such as neighbors, future generations or the biosphere, helps us create more just and sustainable systems and societies for everyone.

#Relating #CaringOthersWorld

The third dimension of the Inner Development Goals goes beyond our selves. Not anymore the introspection on our very own being and thinking, but opening the windows of perception to our environment, to our fellow human beings (and “thinkings”), and to the world at large. From a Theory U perspective, it allows us to take a look at ourselves from the outside in reflection of what surrounds us.

And while this might be still easily manageable with the people we know, “future generations” and the “biosphere” are more abstract concepts, going well beyond what we might be able to comprehend. Instead of immediate sensations and experiences, we then might have to deal with ideas and hypotheses. What could help from my point of view is to use the immediate sensations and experiences with the people we know (and even with those we do not know, yet) as a basis for generative conversations on the more abstract ideas and hypotheses. To enable us to comprehend together, and to bring the ideas and hypotheses to the more concrete level of concepts, instruments, and action.

And while we all may harbour ideas and perspectives and preferred actions differing very much from those being held dear by the “others”, we all relate to the one entity we should care for: the blue marble we call our home.

The post is a little belated, so be warned, this is a double feature ...

Appreciation

Relating to others and to the world with a basic sense of appreciation, gratitude and joy.

#Appreciation

During the last ten days, I met quite a number of people I am still connected to. Some more closely, some more loosely. A lot of threads picked up again where they were dropped 2, 3, even 4 years ago. I consider myself not to be the most accomplished person when it comes to maintaining relationships over time and distance. A bit like “out of sight, out of mind”. Be it with friends or even family.

And so I am very grateful to everyone of my peeps who welcomed my reaching out to them and took the time and effort to meet me. A lot of warm feelings …

I like to be present with people, having a direct and immediate conversation. And this seems to do somehow the “trick”. Maybe because people appreciate that when I’m with them, I’m really there with them. Undivided attention. Being able to get in sync in an instant.

And what great conversations we had again !?Lots of valuable insights, shared experiences, new ideas.

Still, one of my objectives in life is to be more active in keeping remote relations alive, not just drop the thread, but reaching out and spinning it across the distance. Which has become much easier nowadays with all the technologies enabling virtual presence. One of the better lessons learned during the pandemic. However, one has to make the step from thinking about friends to making time and actually calling them. Any suggestions on that for yours truly ?

And here's the second ...

Connectedness

Having a keen sense of being connected with and/or being a part of a larger whole, such as a community, humanity or global ecosystem.

#Connectedness

I didn’t grow up in a large family, so the sense of belonging to and interacting with a certain community was not really instilled in me. Additionally to that, I preferred to be on my own, and thus my social skills did not quite develop. And as the quote goes, I wouldn’t want to be in a club that accepted me as a member. Only, it would have been very nice to belong to some kind of tribe. But, and twisting the quote a bit, the club which I would accept membership of was not invented. However, some friends I made along the way, quite an eclectic selection, passing successfully a very long probation time.

Going to India as an expat ripped me out of this carefully knitted personal network, putting me in a place where I had to make new connections and had to find ways to maintain at least the very minimum of existing ones. This was the time when I discovered social media for me and when I was forced to improve my underdeveloped social skills. Still struggling with it, as I already wrote. Interestingly, and what made it easier, in this strange new world I found a lot of people from various nationalities on very much the same wavelength as me.

Sometimes you have to leave the place you spend your life to find home.

And you may find out that your tribe is quite a nomadic one ...

What I really find fascinating is how this tribe keeps moving, encompassing the globe, maintaining relations with light hand. And not in a superficial way. Some of the deepest conversations I had after five minutes of meeting someone I hadn’t seen in years. By sharing access to a constantly evolving treasure trove of knowledge and experience, their horizon becomes your horizon. Expanding almost to infinity.

It’s this kind of connectedness that I cherish so much and that helps me transcend the limitations of my own perception. I hope I help with the little that I can contribute …