Seeds of Change

Time is an illusion, even Einstein said it, and given the speed of change we’re witnessing these days, there’s no denying it. As if the lockdowns and pandemics weren’t enough to mess with our senses (including our notion of time), everything seems to be changing around us - rising prices, rising inequality, rising temperatures, shortages of materials, famine, migration crises, did I even mention war? But like Nilima Bhat, co-author of Shakti Leadership,?says -?let’s not waste a good crisis!?Indeed, times of uncertainty are ripe with opportunity, so?let’s embrace change.

Nilima?says that humanity is going through a?heroic journey?of its own, awakened by a?global crisis,?thrown into?trauma,?coming to grips with an?unfamiliar world?and now having to?face its worst fears,?only?to be able to?emerge, transformed, and discover its true greatness.?Yes, there is a light at the end of the tunnel.??

Just like the individual journeys of transformation, this heroic journey is not an easy ride. The thing to pay attention to is that...?not journeying is not an option.?

A plethora of conditioning patterns, trauma, fears and other shadows limit individuals, causing people to run around in circles, exhausted, chasing a prize that won’t ever satisfy them (more! bigger!), keeping them trapped in a rat race of no winners, no meaning and no bliss. Typically, the crisis for individuals is triggered by a loss, be it health related or not, the person gets gradually or suddenly sick or depressed, something yanks the rug from right under your feet.?

For collectives, the same thing happens – be it companies, countries, you name it. Collectively conditioned to think that more consumption brings us more happiness, on a quest for highest profit, highest GDP growth, organizations and communities find more turmoil and dissatisfaction, and have to face inflation, unemployment, lockdown, war, famine, we see employees resigning in mass, substance abuse through the roof, mass exodus of refugees… Sound familiar??

The universe designed humans to evolve. If you don’t journey, the crisis will just keep getting more and more intense until you can’t avoid it anymore. Maybe it’s losing your source of income, maybe it’s cancer, maybe it’s the death of someone dear, what will it take for an individual to change its ways? Maybe it’s a pandemic, a contamination, a volcanic eruption, a war, or a nuclear calamity that fills our sky with ashes for a decade or longer.?What will it take for humanity to change its ways?

The good news is that evolution doesn’t have to be triggered by crisis, there is another way.?Ah, enjoy your sigh of relief!?

Indeed, instead of waiting to get smacked out of our comfort zone by shattering events, we have the option to?journey consciously. According to the Shakti Leadership framework, that builds on millennia of ancient wisdom, we can start by?being present?and?anticipating change. How? Really?pay attention?to the?evolutionary impulses?– do you recognize them? At the same time,?let go of what no longer serves you, so you can venture towards change. We know what is blocking us, both at individual and collective level (if you don’t know, start the quest of figuring it out*). Then, we must?develop the capabilities?that are needed for evolution, for the new and improved tomorrow. This is the powerful way, acting in hope and not out of fear.

Individuals can recognize their pain, in most cases - you recognize that you’re lonely, or feel useless, or meaningless, or maybe you’re destroying your body, your relationships, contributing to bring more suffering into the world, destroying natural resources? Whatever it is, we all have the tools within ourselves, we are equipped with incredible software, so be bold and say “enough”, be proud of being different, recognize what you really can do and act now.?Change the dream, make it happen, there’s no time to wait. If you do nothing, you’ll be shaken out of your equilibrium. I often use the metaphor of watching a tsunami wave coming your way – would you opt to turn your back to it, just because there’s nothing wrong with the place you’re in right now and you don’t really want to change? Face it, not journeying is no longer an option. There’s no time to wait. Many are already embracing change, congrats to you if that’s the case, you’re in the right track! And ensure you?connect to a likeminded supportive community?so you don’t get derailed.

Collectively it works the same way, we know what needs to change, we see the tsunami waves coming – we comprehend that natural resources are limited, we see the destruction of oceans, the depletion of soil, we can measure the CO2 into the atmosphere.. It’s not a problem of technology, there’s no lack of funds,?it’s time to collaborate and act!?We are collectively also shackled by traumas of the past, colonialism, gender domination, having been ripped apart from nature, disconnected from community, from spirituality, made to stand alone, “I think, therefore, I am”.??The inner self is powerful and will guide you, no doubt, but it’s the collective that brings us to life, it’s the (re)connection to others and to nature that makes us vibrant.?We are all interconnected.?We are, therefore, I am. If you still doubt the interconnectedness, after COVID, just look at the consequences of global supply chain disruptions in your own town. Recognize the evolutionary impulses! We are now living in the age of transformation, it’s an exciting time. Quoting?Joe Jaworski?“the awareness of our connectedness gives us a different state of mind and being”?and there’s?“a?shift from seeing a world made of things to seeing a world that’s open and primarily made of relationships”.?

The change at collective level is of course our responsibility, each one of us, young and old. And don’t say it’s for the next generation to figure this out, please! The next generation wants to hear from the more experienced, they’re ready to share knowledge and co-create,?with longevity came an openness to intergenerational learning?like never before. In fact, when I teach my International Masters students, who are in their 20’s, they often ask me for guidance. Young generations are also depressed and lost, they don’t want to buy a house or a car, have a closet and drawers full of stuff. They want to belong, to connect, to feel, to enjoy nature, to have healthy and strong bodies, to respect animals and people, to be respected for who they are, they want to be able to show up to work being their whole selves, they want to be loved and recognized. Don’t you?

Change can be achieved quickly, in one generation, we just have to change the dream. Many people in all walks of life already envision and are working towards a different future, building a respectful regenerative world. Decision makers have to collectively share the same dream that new generations are looking towards, so we can tap into the power of our collective intelligence, let go of what no longer serves us and speed up the development of the capabilities we need.?

I was approached in May to join an impressive collective that is working to accelerate energy transition, from Portugal to the world, through the industrial scale production of green hydrogen and green ammonia. I saw this as a chance to be of service and further contribute to developing the capabilities we need, towards our evolution as a species.

When wondering whether I should embrace this deep disruption to my world, after 15 years of entrepreneurship, consulting and teaching, overwhelmed and blocked by my own fears of change, I turned the TV on. My mind was racing, I needed a break. The UN Secretary General was speaking. Guterres said “we need to accelerate the deployment of renewable energy and transform energy production.?We need to shift to sustainable energy systems — everywhere. And we must leave no one behind.”?I recognized this as both a synchronicity in this project (one of several) and an evolutionary impulse that I could not ignore. I am thrilled to share that I accepted the challenge and joined Madoqua Power2X, a European consortium of incredibly talented and motivated men and women who dare to dream a new dream, and that I will be supporting this project as the project development manager.?

As if I/we needed more validation, my son and his colleagues composed and sang a song last week to mark the end of the school year - the song is called “Seeds of Change”. The artists are 11 years old. It goes like this:

“How can we change our tomorrow? Change it by acting today?

So many issues we want to resolve like…

Where does poverty come from, how can we help??

So many questions, I want to yell!

What about gender equality, what about finding clean energy?

Governments are helpful but maybe not enouh.

Knowing where to start, it feels so tough...

Maybe we have a future, maybe we can rise.

We need better leaders that are helpful and wise?

Trying to find hope when the sky is dark,

Making a glow become a spark… become our spark.

Should we share, should we care?

Is this bad or is this fair?

What to do, what to think?

We’re confused ‘bout everything!

But you can change your tomorrow, today.

Hope is the only way

Choose what’s important to you and then make your change.

Because…

We are the seeds of change.

We stand for what we stand on.

It’s our choice, taking care of our home (our home)

It’s our choice, taking care of our home, our home, our home!”

Song by Year 6 students of Oeiras International School, Creative Arts class, teacher Emma Ashton.?

*How could one start? First, articulate your motivation, why do you want to be a better you and an agent for positive change? Second, it’s about investing in yourself, so consider it a wellbeing item (like working out or going to the doctor). Third, understanding your purpose in life, for this you can use a simple framework like IKIGAI and listen deeply to your mind, heart and body, and get input from people that know you. In this process you need to be consciously on the lookout so you recognise and mitigate fears, toxic habits, toxic people, and other conditionings and addictions that can block you. This "coming of age" takes commitment, takes time, takes letting go, takes community and it can reward you with a beautiful life of fulfilment and connection. You can access your true power, so you can share your elixir with the world. And... not journeying is not an option. Consider joining a Shakti Leadership learning circle and feel free to send me a message.