The tempest of emotions, criticism, steward leadership and beauty — a day in the life of Syntropic World
I had been working on a different version of Sunday Syntropy for this week. However, life is emergent, and the Pattern Integrity of Syntropic World includes an active demonstration of emergence. So here I am, changing track.
To birth a Syntropic Enterprise is not easy. Potentially harder than to birth a traditional enterprise or a social enterprise.
We are building new models that make the existing frameworks, legal codes, and enterprise design obsolete.
The best map we have is Nature’s blueprint. And while Nature has the design, we humans in this timeline have not applied Nature’s blueprint to everything we do. So while on the one hand, there is a remembering, on the other, it is new territory.
When I started writing Sunday Syntropy, I purposefully called this section Notes from the Frontier. The enterprise called Syntropic World needs to be the demonstration of a Syntropic Enterprise. If I and those engaged in Syntropic World do not live what we teach, then we have no right to teach this work. This is our rule #1. Be the model. Be open to being held accountable when we fall or fail or do not demonstrate what we teach.
As I write this I am feeling sad. Tears are close to the surface. I know that this moment will pass soon. I am allowing it to be as it is.
For many years, I gave my life force energy to the edification and success of charismatic males who happily put themselves on a pedestal — a higher than thou — position.
In retrospect, this self-sacrifice said more about my inner lack of self-worth and esteem than their glossy spell casting. But unfortunately, the model of abuse and exploitation — in my case, with one exception, not sexual exploitation, but rather power exploitation — is as standard today as it ever was. The charismatic person who says they can fix us, solve our problems, who revels in the power, limelight, adoration of fans, and status. It is a form of grooming and gaslighting. Subtly predatory.
In seeing this pattern in myself, of giving myself and my power away through the seduction of another, I determined that I never wanted to occupy any pedestal-based position, no matter what happened in my life. I do not want to be surrounded by sycophants who pander to me, nor by wonderful people who have subjugated their power, their magnificent humanity, to me or another.
Part of my strategy to ensure this does not happen has been to be sure that people who attend any of the Syntropic programs know I am human, imperfect, I break, I often have no idea what to do next, I am learning, and I make so many mistakes. But, even more importantly, the Syntropic Blue Community — those people in the arena with me — have the safety and permission to give feedback, hold me to account, and challenge my thinking and acting. And, of course, in the business structure that lives in Syntropic Worlds Trust Manifesto — that I have my Integrity Council. People who are courageous and loving enough to hold me to my highest level of integrity.
Todays Notes from the Frontier is me showing up from a place of uncertainty, not knowing, and sorrow.
Like any context, there are multiple dimensions to this.
One dimension is;
I received criticism from a few sources in a few days from people I do not know who publicly stated that Syntropic World is a joke and just business-as-usual. I have asked these people to please point out exactly how and why they came to this conclusion.
Here is the truth. I know that at times in my past I have been the critic from the sidelines, being brutally scathing about someone’s work — offering nothing but harshness and cruelty, driven by my sense of inadequacy yet sounding righteous in my indignation. But unfortunately, I have also provided scathing criticism to people I know without any context and references that might help them learn and grow.
I see myself. Not nice at all. I never want to be that person again.
I take great solace in the remarkable work of Brene Brown, who made a rule for herself when she became instantly famous to only attend to the critic who was in the actual arena with her. Criticism from the stands is cheap, easy and cowardly. I have been that cowardly critic many times.
Another dimension is;
The terrible state of our planet. Our beautiful animals. The ocean. Our reefs. The forests. Oh, my heart cannot take this amount of human cruelty to our Earth and each other. We must stop. We must stop!
Another dimension is;
Creating and building a Syntropic Enterprise is hard. We are speaking a new language. Getting the signal of that language out in a way that reaches people who are seeking the language we speak is like finding a needle in a haystack.
From the inception of Syntropic World, I have been clear that I will not employ the usual marketing strategies like scarcity or seduction. Instead, we will offer an open invitation, be honest and accurate with what we offer, and work at all times with respect, decency and integrity. The key marketing strategy is, of course, word of mouth.
We are bootstrapping Syntropic World at this time. I call it building a cathedral. Slow, slow, steady, steady, thoughtful, considered. To go fast, slow down. We are building for endurance, not a short time.
What is the next step? How do we provision the next step? Take the step. Repeat.
There are times when I have no clue what the next step is. Or where the provisioning will come from.
This can and does feel frightening at times. Yet, it is a place I know well. Single mother, primarily unsupported. Self-employed all my life.
Yet every time I stand back, stop, breathe, find peace and truth inside, the way reveals itself, and the provisioning arrives — so often from the most unexpected place.
And on days like today, the act of holding the shape for emergence — what we call Steward Leadership — is almost too much to bear.
From a Kairos time point of view, the next step is probably to get into the ocean or forest and breathe in life and Nature. The trees, the ocean, and the dolphins know what to do when I do not.
Even better, to apply the Principle of Principles, Synergy. Specifically to reach out to the Syntropic community and speak into the mess on my threshing floor.
Here I am — the swirls of all this playing havoc with my emotions.
And then into this emotional tempest drops two gorgeous videos from two Syntropic Community members.
This one is from poet and coach Dorothy Oger. Dorothy wrote the poem as a summation of the Syntropic Summit experience on March 31st 2022. She has now added visuals and narration. It is under two minutes of beauty. I recommend you take the time.
And this exploration from Ora — who is never afraid of moving through barriers and constraints nor challenging my work. I have delighted to be witness to her new work emerging. If the inner journey of remembering and becoming is where you most need to go now, then Ora might be your partner coach.
We humans are funny creatures. We give so much weight to the negative when all around us, the positive, the beautiful, the courageous, and the bold are living life out loud.
In the gestate days of Syntropic World, I committed to spending my days focused on what we can do to support a world with a future that increases the well-being of Earth and all her creatures. To no longer get trapped into the abyss of business-as-usual and more of the same.
Thank you Ora and Dorothy, for arriving in perfect Kairos time to remind me of my commitment.
And thank you to all of you who are working at the Frontiers of Change for a world with a future for all. We must hold each other up and be bold, generous and kind as we navigate terra incognito.
To those I have been cruel to in my past, I do hope you find a place to know that was my bumbling broken self screaming at you instead of myself. I apologise. I am so sorry for any hurt or alienation. My intention moving forward is to be generous in my feedback, only to criticise when I am in your arena covered in the same blood and dirt, and when I do so, do it in a Syntropic way -leaving you and me better.
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Syntropic World is a global education and community of practice applying the organising principles of nature to enterprise design and human coordination. Creating ecologies of trust, ensuring integrity in everything, enabling collective sense making, and organising around a central purpose — how to create a world that works for 100% of humanity without ecological offence or the disadvantage of anyone.
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