The educator Maxine Green once said: “I find that, when a space is provided, something rather wonderful can happen.” Empty space allows things to evolve in an organic way. It creates room for what we DON’T know and can’t expect. Empty space allows Something greater to come through us. So next time you’re stuck, don’t [ Read more … ]
transformation
Deep creativity is intrinsically motivated.
Great work happens when we’re intrinsically motivated… when our hearts are moved and inspired. We could call de Saint Exupery’s statement the difference between intrinsic motivation and extrinsic motivation: “If you want to build a ship, don’t drum up the men to gather wood, divide the work, and give orders. Instead, teach them to yearn [ Read more … ]
Having the courage to speak up
I grew up in an ordinary, middle-class family in Iowa where I attended public schools. Through a stroke of fate, I was critically injured in a head-on collision in my 20s and received insurance money that allowed me to attend the Ph.D. program at the University of Chicago. My fellow classmates were very different from [ Read more … ]
Metaphors for change that are present in all cultures.
Metaphor stimulates and catalyzes inner transformation. When we define and clarify these deep metaphoric structures, we uncover an unconscious human language. Certain foundational metaphors occur over and over again in the world’s literature. They are: Transitioning from caterpillar to butterfly. Awakening from the dream of reality. Uncovering the veils of illusion. Moving from captivity [ Read more … ]
If we want a new world, we need to listen to what has life.
If we want a new world, we need to learn how to listen to what has life. What does it mean to listen to what has life? Or, we could ask, what does it mean to say something is “alive”? Here is my definition of what is alive: People who are buzzing with gifts to [ Read more … ]