Photo by @lorettarae

Serendipity. Thriving. Possibilities. Stories.

These are words that I kept hearing at Gathering11: a meeting of change-makers who are building better futures.

I’ve left this event with a renewed sense of purpose. I’m stirred but not shaken. I’m feeling uplifted. I’ve been reminded of how supportive it is to connect with like-wired people. The gathering was full of people who lead on the edges of society from the centre of who we are.

Lots will emerge from this meeting. I’ll share some personal reflections soon on what’s germinating for me. In the meantime, these are some words and messages that got my attention:

(Re)creating through possibilities

“You never change things by fighting the existing reality. To change something, build a new model that makes the existing model obsolete.” ~ Bucky Fuller

Bucky set a great tone from the start. Then Jean spoke of the transition that many of us have experienced and are going through—the uncomfortable shift from breakdown (of an old reality) to breakthrough. To thrive as a society we need to keep drawing attention to stories of possibility.

Our world is pregnant with possibilities, but how can we give birth to the latent potential in all of us? John reminded us of the importance of motivating, mobilising and building conviction to create new institutions. We need to tap into the power of pull and magnetic attraction. Great changes come through small initiatives smartly made—so long as we focus our attention on what we are creating and avoid getting reactive. Great changes also come from small groups of people learning and inspiring action together. Building trustworthy relationships is paramount.

Donnie really got my attention when he stood up to say: “In this room we have more access to networks and resources than the world needs.” It wasn’t just the words. It was the strength of conviction behind them. We need to break out of a problems/solutions pathology and a deficit mindset of what we don’t have. Let’s build on what we have and declare a moratorium on problems-thinkings. We are more powerful than we can imagine. The asset mapping activities that we used at the gathering proved this to great effect.

Turning possibilities into new realities needs to be grounded in action too. So Pete—self-professed bogan and social web revolutionary—added some timely words: “I just want to make shit happen, through collective action.” Amen. We need to get in sync with one another with stories that ignite action. Let’s create platforms and narratives that are meaningful for people (as Nick and Ehon highlighted to great effect). Stop procrastinating and just “pull the trigger” (thanks for the slogan Tim).

Leading from our centre

“You can’t remake the world without remaking yourself…Only free people can make a free world. Infect the world with your light.” ~ Ben Okri

Ben Okri wasn’t at the gathering, but his sentiments would have been welcome. There were plenty of conversations around “leading from the edge” to move the core of society in a beneficial direction. To do that we need to lead from our own (heart) centre. That’s why Marigo’s question was important: “what is it I love to do that brings out the best in me?”

If we want to bring out the best in other people and infect our world with possibility, we need to embody changes in our own lives (as Jean emphasised). People will respond well to our personal integrity because they can feel it.

This isn’t easy work. Benny wisely noted that “When we take ideas into reality, the biggest obstacles people face aren’t external resources. They’re internal obstacles, such as lack of confidence and self-doubt.” We can help unlock these obstacles by shifting the metaphors and narratives we live by. We’re given challenges to learn from. I was reminded of Pema Chödrön’s words: “You are never given a challenge without being given, at the same time, the strength and creativity to meet it.” This applies to us personally and as a society.

Intention and action come together when we embody our purpose (this sounds familiar!). We need to focus on the why and where we want to go first. We can work out the how as we go. We can trust that the universe will conspire to support us if we are centered and attentive to what we are noticing. As Sanford Kwinter wisely put it (via a talk by Ash): “Our principal work is to capture and artfully incorporate the signals that surround us.” And as we later heard from the Tao: “It is the world that gives you the answers, not the other way around.”

Experiencing great humanity

The context for this gathering was just as important as the content. It was beautifully hosted. I initially found the pace a bit hasty, but spaces opened up for making deeper connections. There was plenty of important intellectual inquiry. We swam in ideas. There was also improv, miming, tummeling, poetry, dancing, acting and high-fiving. I have laugh creases to prove it. One person said “It felt like Christmas.” If only Christmas was this good.

I’ve been to many events that keep people in their heads. The extraordinary mix of people at this event encouraged us to embody our full humanity. A friend of mine often says that “we don’t live in the world—we live in our stories of the world.” There’s lots of truth in this, which is why we need to shift the myths and stories we live by. But it’s not just about concepts and ideas. What’s most important is the energy behind our stories, which gives our experiences life.

This event was buzzing with energy. I’m still feeling it. I’ve only captured traces of it here. There are dozens more people and projects that I haven’t mentioned. Most importantly, there was also plenty of love.

I’ve often strayed away from using the world love in my work. I tend to use words like compassion, kindness and caring instead, because an old part of me worries that “love” can sound a bit naff to some people. But as Cameron put it: “I’m tired of love being the last taboo… Love, and the demonstration of love, is the ground for everything we do.” I’ve known this for a long time, but it’s time to have the courage to just say it.

I’ve also learned to pay close attention to words that pop out of my mouth when I’m not really thinking. In one conversation I heard myself saying: “truth can’t be thought. It can only be felt.” I loved Tim’s comment that “what renews me is my unrelenting devotion to truth”. If truth can only be felt, then what renews me is love. There’s lots that I dunno. But this I know to be true.

I’m most grateful for the feelings that I’m taking with me from this gathering, and for the relationships that developed, rather than any great ideas. Most of what I heard was very familiar (although Vanessa’s work on the future of money and social networks is awesomely edgy). I’ve come away with a renewed sense of purpose. I’m inspired by the people who were present. I also had a really deep insight, which emerged through serendipity, that will shape my future work. More on that later.

For now: thank you to all the hosts and participants for co-creating this event. It’s already built a better future.