This post is about how in search of co-existence I discovered a movement of regeneration, which flipped me inside out.
If you’re reading this, by now, you should know I love questions. So the third question that have changed me and my path in life was: “How might we co-exist?”
At some point in life, I felt a disconnect within me, between others, society, everything. I recall that time like a void where I would not see a point. Life seemed meaningless, time going by, people around me rushing in work-evening-weekend routines, …
We had to move. We have let go our apartment already. We had to hit the road. So we packed a few prescious plants that we had left, and everything else in between, like a fish tank, and with an old black BMW we hit the road. It was the journey to nowhere. We were homeless, really. But we were also on the path towards adventure called volunteering.
These months of rural living was quite a book in itself. I have to disappoint you. I won’t tell you all truths in here. Instead, I want to cover one key learning from those months of the big pause.
How I Discovered Regeneration Movement
Soil. First, it was the basic stuff. We were mostly volunteering in people’s houses helping with gardening. The soil on my hands that I haven’t felt since childhood. I read the soil is full of B12. Oh, my inquisitive mind!
Trees. In one place, two books were given to me. One was about the Forest Therapy. The other one about how trees communicate through roots and mycelium networks. OMG! Trees talk? Trees make people feel relaxed?
Helping Others. Connecting with people in other terms than a boss and employee relationship, and more so – “How can I help you? We’re here to help.”
Self-Care. Obviously after a day of physical work the body depends on rest.
Networks. Interestingly, around the same time, I discovered BFI Space Camps which gave a bird eye’s view on nature. I discovered terms like “living systems” and “regeneration”. Soon I was in their online art incubator – Design Science Studio and Living Systems Collaboratory and Fritjof Capra course, where I dived deeper. In parallel, I found myself in Spiritual Ecology from Emergence Magazine community, where I met my collaborator on another side of the Earth (Malu), with whom we played with the concepts of Symbiotic Evolution as symbiotic creativity.
How I Changed
Everything is alive: The body, the forest, the planet, even the black matter in the Universe!
We depend on each others: If the evolution partly happened through cooperation, what is the society about these days? Community, partnership, collaboration, co-creation, co-existence of different truths simultaneously.
Values shift. Nature really seems to be about cycles and rhythms, pluralism, decentralisation, systemic views, interdependencies, …
Composting. Did I mention I was sick so much in these 2 years? And it wasn’t Covid. It was digesting the past, composting some things and integrating the new values, I guess.
I was reflecting lately, what ideas are worth attention these days… While everyone is talking about robots taking over, to me, I feel drawn towards nature, my daily forest walks that keep me grounded, even if I feel like creating castles in the sky. The idea of regeneration I feel is important to explore, create about, these days. The idea that is full of new set of values, social norms, models and methods for creating new products and services, collaborating and constructing the future together now.
Wow, this was a long post. I wish it would be more on point. But natural way is messy. It takes time to hit the point.
So happy exploring! What’s your view on regeneration? It’s trending, haven’t you seen?