The Age of Restoration

I've been away for a while. Not that I haven't been blogging. I went to Kathmandu for a few weeks and created a separate blog to record that trip. You can check it out here: http://halifax-to-kathmandu.blogspot.com/

Now, to the point of this entry: climate change. Oooh this is not a popular phrase. It's over-used, abused, mistreated, capitalized, enlarged and made bold in advertisements and on billboards. Yes, it's almost synonymous with doomsday...almost. But wait a minute! Why is talking about climate change so unpopular? Well, you know that the powers that be, who have an invested interest in there NOT being a climate change crisis, are doing all they can to make 'climate change' a bad word. Are we all that naive? I don't think so, but once media gets into the mix, it's a nightmare.

My point. Climate change is a wake up call. Is it doomsday? No, of course not. We are living in the 'age of restoration', a period of an awakening, where we're waking up to the realities and looking for solutions, innovations, fresh ideas and new ways of thinking. We are identifying with our similarities as opposed to our differences. We are seeking collaborations instead of retreating behind trenches. As a Shaman from Greenland (Angaangaq) stated, we need to melt the ice in the heart of man.

Now is the time to celebrate life, the earth, nature and all mankind. We have to protect that which feeds us, supports us, nourishes us and keeps us alive. We need to celebrate diversity, innovation, community, etc.

I'm inspired by the climate change argument. People are talking about it, thinking about our environment; corporations are being forced, by public opinion, to change their ways. Yes, we are in a dire situation and we have to change our ways now or maybe doomsday will be the reality. My argument is that we shouldn't be getting all depressed and bummed about the situation. Rather, we should be taking on the challenge to change. We should be energized by our new awareness. This is the time to come together and do the right thing. I'm completely engaged in the process and can feel the energy in others who get involved. This new growth of positive energy is infectious and soon we all will be funneling our attentions towards sustainable development and lifestyles.

For all those out there who are in denial about the current state of the world, put down your armour. Now is not the time to get defensive. We are in the age of restoration. As history dictates, enlightenment precedes change...it's hard to stop a moving train.

How does one germinate an idea?

The germination process of a seed embryo is fascinating...an incredible connection between genetics and the environment. There are many varieties of seeds in a wide variety of shapes, all designed to interact with their environment. Depending on the harshness of the environment, for example, the thickness of a particular seed coat will prevent early germination and waits for external triggers. Others are receptive to light, others to moisture. The diversity is spectacular. Seeds need to be motivated to germinate. Some seeds must germinate within a certain amount of time or they will die. Other seeds can survive for thousands of years.

Seeing an image of a seed got me thinking about 'ideas'. Isn't an idea no more than a seed waiting to germinate? Given the right environmental conditions and timing, an idea will develop. Under harsh conditions, an idea might not develop and it could die or remain dormant until the time is right.

If this is true, and every idea is unique, then how do we know what the ideal environment will be that will trigger germination? Can we predict the success of an idea based on the likelihood of an ideal environment? Can we trick a idea into germination by altering the environment? Aha! Yes we can.

In gardening, seeds are often tricked into action by refrigerating the seeds for a while before planting them making them believe Spring has arrived. Can we too create a 'false' environment for our ideas? Absolutely. Take the media as an example, or propaganda. Are these not prime examples of creating 'false environments'?

Going back to the concept of idea as seed, let's explore the germination of an idea in an institution, an educational institution. The idea stemming from the President's office needs to be triggered by external stimulus, i.e. the economy. To germinate an idea to penetrate the surface of the institution, a.k.a. the front line or the students, there has to be a transcription of the ideas, a learning that is passed on from one level of the institution to the next, from the highest level of accountability (the President's office) to the most important level with the biggest impact, the faculty.

There needs to be a vehicle, a motivating force, to trigger the internal germination of an idea, an energy source to fuel the germination of an idea. In this scenario, the institution has to have cross-disciplinary units to see an idea from germination to full growth.

I would call this process 'seeding ideas'. But what about grassroots ideas that grow from unstructured beginnings, wild and free? How do these ideas take root without first being germinated from a seed?

I used the institution seed-idea as an example because, well, I work in an education institution. But this is not to say that only hierarchical structures generate ideas. No, far from it. Going back to the understanding of environmental triggers, there are many more diverse scenarios to consider, cultural, regional and environmental. Triggers are going off all over the world, and from these we often hear about people's "ah-ha" moments when an idea suddenly makes sense and makes its way to the surface.

My point? Simple. Ideas are seeds that can be either falsely germinated or allowed to germinate naturally in environments that will let you know when the time is right. Forced ideas with bad timing will not survive and some ideas, if not germinated quickly, will die. Some ideas however have the patience to wait; and skins strong enough to withstand the harshness of the environment.

Ideas need to be triggered into action. So how do you activiate an idea? Make sure the environment is right. How? Read, follow the news, travel, listen and reflect. You may not grow a field of flowers the first time your idea sprouts but eventually, roots will form and your idea will be passed on.

Service Learning

What makes an idea take flight? What is it that causes a random thought or idea turn into something tangible? I don't know why it happens, it just does. Does it matter how or why it happens? No, not really. What matters is that it does happen.

Recently I've had the pleasure of experiencing the impact of small deeds turning into big deeds. It was fast and unexpected. I found these little African AIDS angels in a little boutique in Halifax and within 2 weeks, I bought and sold 300 of them raising $1500 for kids with AIDS or orphaned by AIDS in Sub-Saharan Africa. Now, a group of Students are getting together to make the Angels as a service learning project at the College.

I'm glad the small act turned into something special for others and can't wait to see how far it can go. The funny thing is that I never expected it. Why? Is it a lack of faith in people? Perhaps. But I learned a valuable lesson. Never doubt the power of one and never underestimate the kindness of others.

It's been a good lesson. It has renewed my faith in people. If I never make or sell another AIDS angel again, a spark has been lit and that is more than I ever expected.

What we need are more small acts. Around the world thousands of people are doing what seem to be small acts of kindness not knowing how they impact the lives of others. These acts require no rewards, no awards, no status, no fee. These acts occur simply because they're the right thing to do.

Now, back to the question of what makes an idea turn into an act. I think that it has to be something to do with allowing yourself to be open to new ideas, keeping an open mind and being willing to try new things...step into the unknown. I'm not talking about jumping off a cliff, just trying something new without knowing what will happen down the road. Some ideas will be good, some will be not so good. But so what? Doing nothing leads to nothing.

I will try to keep an open mind and be open to new ideas as they appear. No longer will I worry about success and failure. The world is a wonderfully surprising and fascinating place. It looks like it will be a very good year.

OMG...I just realized this is an example of Stimergy...cool!