Ditch the Reasons

June 26, 2009 by Mary Wynne-Wynter · Comments Off 

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I’m observing that people focus on reasons when they resist change.

It can be a considerable obstacle to my helping people and businesses take a new direction. Reasons run the gamut and include, for example:

  • why they spent instead of saved
  • why they responded late instead of on time
  • why they resisted instead of accepted
  • why they spoke instead of listened
  • why they did nothing instead of acting

The time I spend listening to reasons is mostly wasted because it doesn’t help me help clients with change. This is particularly true post crisis because the reasons are mostly about responding to a world that now no longer exists anyway. Reasons repeated over and over bind people to that world. Reasons aren’t learning, aren’t beliefs and aren’t feelings. They’re obstacles to those and that’s why its important to be vigilant about what triggers reasons.

It makes perfect sense to me that clients made choices and decisions based on what they believed to be true for themselves at the time. What matters most to me is, does that truth serve them now, and if not, what are the beliefs to examine, change and replace?

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Filed under: Belief, Consciousness, In Transition, Metaphysics, Organizations
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Space

May 20, 2009 by Mary Wynne-Wynter · Comments Off 

Creativity and Natural Influence

We’re made up of more space (dark energy and dark matter) than visible form and matter, but we spend most of our lives totally identified with the latter. Its one thing to think about the concept of spaciousness but yet another to experience it, for even a short period of time. Anyway, why would we want to and how do we do that?

We want to because we now know that the physical and conceptual structures that we’re identified with are unstable and will be replaced with new ones that are yet to be created. We want to be part of that. But fear and worry about that instability, and how it will affect our lives and businesses, lead to more attachment and rigidity that then shows up in how we respond to change: protection, judgment, guilt, resentment, complaining, blame, etc.

So instead of a desired growth direction we get stuck on the survival path. Life and business experience becomes relentless reactivity to an endless series of crises and lack . We know that the way towards new and better experience is through creativity and innovation, but forget that creativity comes through us. Its not something we can reach out and attain. Rather, we have to make space for it and knock down the walls that block it.

Making space for creativity in challenging times requires vigilance over individual and collective thought and action. Space is created by ceasing thinking and constant doing, and by softening the physical and conceptual boundaries constructed in attempt to keep out everything not wanted, like vulnerability. It can be as simple as taking deep breaths and setting time aside for short periods of stillness. It can also be more challenging and require a lot of courage, putting oneself on the line without a safety net for one’s convictions, so to speak.

The challenges we’re dealing with now are opportunities for dropping resistance and defenses to receive the wave of creative energy that is always available. It comes through us when we let it. It takes faith. The biblical metaphor for our self-constructed creativity barrier is the Wall of Jericho. When we blast ours down, we’re then freed to enter our Promise Land. That’s the metaphor for the place and point of power from where we can expand our natural influence, and contribute the best of who we are to what is yet to be created.

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Filed under: Cognition, Consciousness, Creativity, Metaphysics, Natural influence, creative habit, direction, expansion, innovation, intention, metaphor, mind mapping, presence, shift, wave
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Being Creative When It Seems Impossible

February 25, 2009 by Mary Wynne-Wynter · Comments Off 

As global shifts accelerate, the path of creativity can seem less practical or even unattainable. But whatever response to change is chosen, its more important than ever to be aware that, whatever the circumstance or situation, we’re always creating.

We create every form in our world, moment by moment, experiencing it through our senses and making sense of it with our brain.

One way to increase our awareness of how we create things, out of “no-things” is to read about someone who temporarily lost this ability

Stained Glass Brain by Dr. Jill Taylor

Stained Glass Brain by Dr. Jill Taylor


Neuroanatomist Jill Bolte Taylor vividly describes, in her fascinating book: My Stroke of Insight, the effects of the stroke she suffered in the left side of her brain, temporarily giving the right side almost complete right of way. Not only does she remember the event, but she describes it from the unique perspective of a scientist/musician/artist/storyteller and recovered stroke victim. Her purpose is not only to improve understanding, treatment and care of brain trauma patients, but also to raise individual awareness of the brain for a greater life experience.

Unfortunately, as the world becomes increasingly conceptual, the left brain (interpreter, controller, ego, analytic, reasoner etc.) can become increasingly dominant. But now we’re seeing the downside to being so attached to our left brain “concepts” which can suddenly shift and we’re unable to conceive new ones to take their place. This, of course, is playing out every day, individually and collectively, in our personal, economic, political and social experience. We’re out of touch with our imagining faculties.

I recent episode of Battlestar Galactica is a great metaphor for the suffering that follows when we forget about our power to create when we yield to the right. You need not be a fan of the show to get the context. Dean Stockwell, who plays the petulant, jealous, controlling Cylon John/Cavil, flips out in a jealous rage against his creator/mother over his resurrection from pure machine to a human form (skin job).
cavil-bsg

“I saw a star explode and send out the building blocks of the Universe.”

“Other stars, other planets and eventually other life. A supernova! Creation itself!”

“I was there. I wanted to see it and be part of the moment. And you know how I perceived one of the most glorious events in the universe? With these ridiculous gelatinous orbs in my skull! With eyes designed to perceive only a tiny fraction of the EM spectrum. With ears designed only to hear vibrations in the air.”
– Cavil (Dean Stockwell)

Like the above author, the character John/Cavil became aware of what he’d lost. And so must we. Because once we become conscious that we’re creating our experience moment to moment, we then realize that we have the power to create it the way we want it.

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Filed under: Cognition, Consciousness, Creativity, Metaphysics, Natural influence, creative habit, metaphor, self-awareness, shift
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Differentiate Your Professional Service Practice

December 4, 2008 by Mary Wynne-Wynter · Leave a Comment 

Photo credit: Wessex Archaeology's photostream (coastal and marine set) on Flickr

Photo credit: Wessex Archaeology's photostream (coastal and marine set) on Flickr

I get asked over and over by some people about what kind of coaching and consulting I do. They seem to have a preconceived notion, or perception of it and then attempt to reconcile my explanation to somehow fit their worldview. Sometimes I can’t figure out if they’re curious and trying and wanting to understand, or just not listening.

But now I’m realizing that people are pulled out of their comfort level when they’re in the depths, and the depths is my space.

I work with people at the level of often hidden assumptions, expectations and beliefs. In organizations, its collections of those - the culture. I use metaphysical metaphors to support the change facilitation process. I shouldn’t be surprised that people want to stick their toe in the water many times before they risk getting a touch of the bends.

I’m blogging this because I’m getting a sense that there’s a growing desire, or movement, or response to series of crises, to go deeper: in life, business and self-awareness. I think its a great sign that people and businesses are showing willingness and readiness to move beyond the surface of their experience, and with a leap in faith, take the plunge into what’s deep and unknown…that with which we identify but which contradicts what we want and where we want to go.

I don’t believe that “going deep” is only within the realm of professionals who focus on “people” issues. Accountants, consultants, health professionals, lawyers, technology professionals, etc, can practice recognizing opportunities to serve clients at a deeper level. It starts with allowing more space for conversation and sharing, being present without an agenda, and being willing to think differently about everything we and our clients think we know.

Uncertainty is the new reality for our clients. We can help them make it their pivot point of power from which they can create and direct their change and growth, if we dare to be different.

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Filed under: Belief, Metaphysics, Natural influence, change leadership, counter-direction, culture, differentiation, disruption, emergence, going solo, intention, leadership, metaphor, resilience, self-awareness, solo psf
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