We can't go on as we have.
We are at a crossroads and things have to change.
Business is one of the biggest reasons we find ourselves at this point.
Prevailing dynamics and measurements have pushed an exploitative model which continues to strip out natural resources at the expense of every environment on the planet.
Conversations about change always seem to come back to technological solutions we can invent to solve the problems we've created.
But at a political level at least they never turn to the one place that has the answers.
Nature.
The notion of listening to nature to find our path into a healthy future is simply too far-fetched.
It flies in the face of science and data which are the deities of the modern age.
Not to mention the fact that it would knock the human race off its self-constructed pedestal above nature,
Separate from it and lord over it.
Under the harshness of this reality though more and more people are turning to nature and feeling its power to restore.
We know how good it is for our health to be in nature.
Study after study has confirmed the positive impact of even small amounts of time just soaking it in.
This is just the tip of the iceberg.
Nature can get us out of the mess we created by choosing to live separately from it.
We can collaborate with nature to restore the health of the planet and our own well-being at the same time.
We just have to listen.
We are nature we forgot but now we have to remember and in so doing we can restore the wisdom that is part of our DNA and relearn how to be in this world.
Then we will reveal the solutions for transforming business and economy into a force of nature.
Sometimes the simplest of lessons can have the most profound impact.
What follows are seven pieces of wisdom shared by the natural world that I am privileged to be rooted in.
Collaborate.
We are not separate from anything.
We are part of everything.
Business is the perfect opportunity to work with life rather than against it or apart from it.
You can shine because you are part of the whole in health rather than because the other parts are dull and dusty having suffered at the expense of your success.
We chase shiny objects because we think they are vital but this is rarely so.
They are illusions.
The whole has to be healthy for the parts to thrive and flourish.
Any business depends upon the health of the whole to be truly healthy.
So create,
Curate and nurture a collaborative dynamic in business.
Rhythm.
Living isn't always about being on the go.
Stopping is part of life too.
Find a rhythm and flow of being and becoming.
Follow the rhythm of life by connecting to the life around you.
Clean up your airwaves and make it possible to reconnect to the pure energy of natural rhythm.
Switch off the tech.
Switch off the incessant noise.
Stop and feel the rhythm of life.
Shaped from within.
Nothing in life is without purpose.
Everything has its place.
Everything is individual and unique.
Don't focus on the label.
See the expression and the individuality within.
Environment and experiences may shape us from the outside but the most powerful influence that shapes us comes from within.
Connect to what is within and reshape what appears on the outside.
Be yourself.
Be true to you in everything you do.
Take the time to connect to who you are and understand what this means for you and how you live.
Then live your life and do your work uncompromisingly in your own unique stream of expression.
Health is wealth.
Fulfilling work and the expression of your true purpose and being is a harmonizer and health restorer for you and the wider world.
Look after your mind,
Body and spirit in business life.
Challenge yourself to grow,
Support yourself and live from within.
Consider all parts of you when you consider how healthy your life really is.
Balance.
Balance isn't what you think it is.
It is never the same from moment to moment.
Every spring there is a succession of plants and animal life that rises and falls as part of the natural rhythm of life.
Balance doesn't look or feel the same day to day or even moment to moment.
When the whole is healthy,
As the conditions change,
Different parts will flourish.
But if the whole isn't healthy,
Balance is never possible in any form.
One will win while the other loses.
Long-term balance comes through short-term changes in the appearance of balance.
Be.
Take some time to just be.
Remember how to be.
Stop the pressure.
Life is precious.
There is beauty all around you which you will only be able to see when you let yourself be.
The simplest of messages are so often overlooked despite their power to irrevocably transform.
The most powerful message nature can share with us right now is to listen.
I invite you to do just that.
Step outside.
Find some stillness and ask the nature you can connect with to show you the steps needed to get you firmly on the path of change that will provide hope for us all.
