You are writing in my wheelhouse because my work translates the movement of movements doing this (I’ve catalogued over 300 now) into something comprehensible to the average person.
I use the word regeneration a lot when comparing our ways of being with extractive systems, but what people respond to best (as far as terms) is “wellbeing economy” which is the vision and “community wealth” which is the how of getting to economies that prioritise wellbeing over GDP, whatever that looks like to the locals.
And what works even better than that?
“An economy that supports all life”
And what works even better than that?
Simply showing the stories of the people already building the new world.
When people can SEE it they can see themselves in it. It’s inspiring.
The words by themselves don’t matter so much unless they touch on the emotional turning point for someone ready for this transition.
Some of the things people say to me when they learn about it about make me cry.
“Knowing community wealth has been implemented is what gives me hope.”
“my soul thirsts for this definition of economy”
“Hope for humanity”
“Something shifted in my being when I read this.”
And some make me laugh:
“wellbeing at the center duh :D”
Thank you for your work in helping get the word out. I am sharing that New Economy video wherever I can!
JL, sounds very interesting and a similar effort that lead to @Paul Hawken‘s great book, Blessed Unrest. What started as a big pile of business cards in a basket on his houseboat, led to similar questions and an original and inspiring vision of grassroots change. If you know his work well you can see one of the most optimistic, yet sober, progressions of a stunning point of view from his works, the Ecology of Commerce, through Blessed, to Drawdown, and then Regeneration. I’ve just cracked Blessed back open (like many should today), ran my finger over his handwritten greeting, and will feast on his wise words again this weekend. By the way, its subtitle is “How the Largest Movement in the World Came into Being and Why No One Saw I coming.” Sounds like what @John Fullerton is talking about.
When I share stories following the guidelines above, people say things like “this is the kind of movement that changes world history” and “hope for humanity!” etc.
Imagine if we coordinate and scale this?
I didn’t know about Paul Hawkens, thank you I will add it to my to-read list. (I am a baby to these movements having been just an ordinary person who accidentally started discovering them three years ago)
@J. L. Friday Which quote? About the greatest movement or my response to John where I said sustainability to me is “creating the conditions for thriving lives for all.” Whichever, use it! Spread it! And, welcome to the world of wonderful weirdos, always looking for a better way. Your fresh eyes and energy aren’t just welcome, they’re vital. Each new voice helps this tribe grow in ways those of us who’ve been at it a while can’t do alone.
If Blessed Unrest resonates, you may love Daniel Quinn’s Ishmael. It revealed to me (and 1000s of others) how “mother culture” convinces us that certain barriers protect us from nature or human “others,” when in fact they keep us from exploring the thousands of other ways people can live and thrive. That book opened my eyes not just to today’s threats, but to the vast potential of creating societies that generate greater collective well-being. I’d love to hear where you take your new passion.
Oh they’re both great quotes! And I’m glad I’m now able to bring in new people to the movement myself now because I’m so exhausted — we need new energy 😅
I went homeless three years ago to make regenerative economies happen. YOLO Lol!
More a calling I couldn’t refuse (even when my life was literally on the line a few times!) than a passion, but once you see this you can’t unsee it can you? You just have to make it happen.
Happy to spread anything you think needs spreading btw. My goal is to take this mainstream this year and we are so close — especially with the network effects.
Anything that’s emotionally resonant especially please feel free to send me.
So happy to connect and always delighted to be a weirdo among weirdos xoxo
@J. L. Friday so glad to read that people are responding to “wellbeing economy” — takes it to the core — we seek “being well.” I’ve seen in Global South cultures, where “wellbeing” is understood as critical for your entire ecosystem, guided by what’s known as “Buen Vivir” (Spanish) or “Sumaq Kawsay” (Quechua), and these are inspired by local cosmologies, which are widely accepted, unlike many other cultures which have lost or forgotten their ancestral roots.
“An economy that supports all life.” Yes! I like coming back to how I understand the word “economy” — the management of home. I would love to see how our economy serves Life, all seen and unseen dimensions of Life. Excited for these times emerging now.
“It’s a new story, for a new era, reconnecting—literally re-membering—with the remarkable intuitions all wisdom traditions share in common, but also extending in ways previously impossible thanks to our unique human genius.” - @John Fullerton
We are speaking the same vision 🙏🏽 This is what’s being called upon me, from living in the Andes for over 20+ years, dedicated to serving Life.
Re*membering with Mother Earth, with 4.5 billion years of wisdom, and we are a part of her, a part of this wisdom; we carry this within, yet we’ve forgotten how to listen.
We easily get lost in distressing statistics and tipping points, according to geopolitical boundaries, and overlook the inner knowing that we’ve fostered through our lifetimes, and beyond time and space.
🌟 Originally stardust, we must be quite brilliant beings!
And so, for us brilliant beings 😊 I’ve created an intimate offering to explore and foster this remembrance: 7-Day Remembrance with Pachamama (Mother Earth in Quechua), an online Initiation into Sacred Relationship for Regeneration. (sacred » holy » whole)
@John Fullerton IMHO no single movement, ideology, religion, framework, protocol, or network can regenerate society alone, because fragmentation itself is the deeper http://crisis.So
At the end of the day— None of us is as Good as All of us.
This is a very thoughtful analysis. I often refer to regenerative leadership as a paradigm shift, and I think that fits the scope of what's happening with regeneration.
Well expressed John! So important that we don’t put a lid on what is possible with our good intentions within this paradigm/frequency. Allowing the emergent energy and information that we are now accessing that is beyond anything we can fathom to guide us into new realities governed by expanded laws that haven’t been available to any but the few sages and shamans in the past is key.
I might suggest you look to Indigenous cosmology for some clues to this new economic model you are creating space for.
In the Indigenous Way of Life the giveaway is foundational. In the higher frequencies there is more abundance than we can fathom - so “saving/hoarding” becomes a thing of the past. Our current economic model was designed to deal with “The Problem of Scarcity” Economics 101.
My ancestors were tuned to this reality and were major philanthropists in the state of Maine.
“Imagine no possessions…” John Lennon was keyed into this reality.
As we shift frequencies it’s a whole new ballgame and you have a sense of this - bravo! Let the emergent energies flow and enable us to align with our hearts and the Universal Laws that govern Creation.
Indeed a worldview shift is foundational as it creates our vibration and thereby our reality.
We address this in our book “The Trust Frequency: Ten Assumptions for a New Paradigm” which you are well aware of. Here is a link to our free ebook “The Conscious Loving Universe: A Guidebook” which is a synopsis of the Teuat Frequency book. Https://TheTrustFrequency.net/portal and here is a new economic theory based on these assumptions “Top-Line Economics” https://bit.ly/ANewFuture2020VR
You are further along the most of us! But once we make the shift from the logic of the machine to the logic of life, we can make up ground fast!
As to gifting, I can attest what brings me joy and happiness now are the little unseen gifts. They are so easy once one sets intention. Often costless, yet generating exponential returns.
Hi John! I hear you classifying movements as having two qualities: 1) that movements are goal-oriented rather than focused on creating conditions, and 2) that movements have a clear and focused identity and therefore siloed.
First, I’ll bring in a framework from Carol Sanford. She saw human activities as falling under three lines of work. First Line: work on oneself. Second Line: work in the wholes of which we’re immediately a part (family, business, community, etc.). Third Line: work on the world (e.g. social movement, things that are too broad to be controlled by any one individual but which are of fundamental importance to world conditions). As I note in the definition, Third Line work is closely associated with movements, and I think that movement building is a foundational theory of change.
If you were to ask me, “what comes to mind when I say movement,” I would cite three examples: 1) the Civil Rights movement, 2) Occupy Wall Street, and 3) Make America Great Again. I would love to hear what you think of as archetypal movements.
Going off of these examples, I disagree with your two stated qualities above. Both the Civil Rights movement and OWS saw themselves as being about “creating conditions” (I think MAGA does too). OWS even explicitly refused to have any stated goals. Similarly, although there is a domain that each of these movements has been working in, I wouldn’t say that they are “siloed” and actually are quite meta. For example, although the Civil Rights movement is most closely associated with racial justice, it also spans other arenas, such as economic justice, and this broad base is what gave it so much power. These movements also have had emergent outcomes (although we’re still waiting to see which emergent outcomes are brought with MAGA); OWS, although “unsuccessful,” has permanently changed the noosphere.
What are examples of “meta-movements” that you would like to emulate? How does orientation with power enter into the equation?
Not sure I int need “siloed” - did I say they? More about clear goals, wide or narrow.
Never discussed with Carol, but I’d be surprised if she saw her work as “movement building”
I think my main concern is practical. Find me a “movement” that has succeeded. Marriage equality is one that comes to mind. Snd may be too early to claim victory. But find me a second. Have we ended “slavery”? Racism” social justice ? Climate change?
My real point is I think regeneration (we need to be careful with language - how about life) transcends “movements”. If we are wise enough to navigate the journey of evolution to not invoke opposition.
I think this would likely be better as a long-form discussion, as it seems like we’re missing each other here to some degree.
Just to help identify a point of divergence: my understanding is that “movements” don’t receive the name until they’ve been successful. In other words, once something is called a “movement,” it has already changed the course of history. The reason the mainstream doesn’t call us the “regenerative movement” or the “bioregional movement” is because we haven’t been successful yet.
Maybe another point of divergence are our premises about the relationships between strategy and outcomes. It seems quite likely that we have different metrics of “success” here, and it could be helpful to look more at what we mean by success.
Daniel schmaxhtenberger said the other night that if you look at the data no movement has ever succeeded. By this I think he means we have a civil rights law but we don’t have civil rights.
For sure we could define suggest in many different ways. I’m not sure I could define “success” any more than I could declare when life is a success!
Anyway, not sure it’s worth much more words. I don’t see it as a right - wrong debate. I mostly wanted us to be careful what we wish for.
Nora Bateson would say “meet don’t match”. By this she means to be effective, we need to be more attuned to how systems change than a fist in the air and a demand. Which is what “movements” often devolve into as I see it.
You are dead right about the struggle of language to communicate effectively. What you are talking about is something that has to be felt. But to anyone who has felt it, on some level, your language makes perfect sense.
Thanks for your post John - I completely agree that it's life. That's what give me most hope. But, with much respect to you and your great work, I think its interesting to also consider the pros and cons of calling it a movement vs debating whether it might not be. I believe treating it as a movement (the signs exist that it is one) helps more people feel like regeneration is inclusive not exclusive. If we need a societal shift, which I believe we do, then we need everyone on board. This movement, since it is life, is for everyone, not a tribe. Then indeed all sectors and their transformation are part of such a movement. I believe the goal we are talking about is a journey - a transformational shift where we start to see the world with new eyes and come to our senses. Then we are able to start participating in life, regenerating our places and healing our relationship to the earth and each other. I believe obscure language and abstract concepts lose a large majority of people - I see it happening a lot. People need to feel purpose and see tangible steps towards something. That's why I wrote the post below, and it is why we have created Meander Magazine - to create a bridge that invite people gently into the world we are working on. In summary I believe it is helpful to build momentum towards what could be the most important movement in the history of humanity, while ALSO recognizing that it is 'more than just a movement'. I hope one day it is no longer a movement and just "business as usual".
Regeneration is a movement - and it's for everyone
Thanks for your perspective. We agree 100% that it’s for everyone! Inclusive. All life. Human and other than human. My concern about “movement” is that movement typically attracts opposition. I’m seeking a “field of attraction” that is irresistible! As life is
A movement for regeneration wouldn’t cut it. But, how about a movement for system change, to go from serving self to being humanitarian, or however you would describe what we are dealing with in the breakdown of the world of selfishness that’s going on? A humanity that’s cooperating to serve the planet would be devoted to creating a regenerative world.
Then, how to create a movement? Did you see the stab I made yesterday at a methodology?
Yes, “movement” doesn’t cut it. And yes, movement for systems change! Systems composting… from serving self to serving Life.
Cooperation would be great, collaboration would be that area of “magic,” I feel, that @John Fullerton — where we are coming from our remembrance of our interrelatedness.
A movement, and a return. We need to rebuild regeneration from within an extraction + exploitation paradigm. No small task but if we show up this way in all our spaces, we can build a more meaningful world.
Real innovation takes us from extractive models to regenerative metabolisms..
"It is this shift in ways of seeing, thinking, being, and doing—it’s the active and intentional how—that defines the regenerative process. It’s not about the what. As Jane Jacobs liked to say, 'It’s not how big you grow, it’s how you grow big.'" There lies the difference between analytical thinking, always indispensable but intrinsically limited, and a direct view of the inexhaustible interdependence of things. We do not necessarily need to know how successful the "movement" is; we just need to do what inspires us so that life can flourish.
Call it what works for you, but for me it’s a new mindset emerging that in its healthiest form won’t negate other mindsets, but transcend and include the strengths of all. I appreciate @John Fullerton ‘s words on conditions crafting. It’s at the heart of my definition of sustainability and purpose statement synthesized from my mentors Ray Anderson, @Janine Benyus and @Paul Hawken.
“Creating the conditions conducive to thriving lives for all.”
By the way, in another reply I highlighted the value of going back to Paul’s great book, Blessed Unrest, to expand your view on what this great human transition can become.
You share my taste at picking mentors! “Creating conditions” is the phrase I first learned from @Janine Benyus but had deeply reinforced in practice with my work with @nrhythm
The though part on creating the conditions for things like a regenerative mindset is you have to ultimately believe that the current trajectory will end badly. To do that you can get pulled into sounding like the alarmist. I have to remember that this work will see results way past my lifetime. That in itself is a tough transition after years of a corporate job that demands ongoing results. I think a much needed skill/awareness we need in helping to create ‘the conditions’ includes helping individuals transition to the long game, even if they are still playing the corporate game to pay the bills.
That’s the link. Her phrase was the catalyst, “Life creates conditions conducive to life.” From there I was inspired by Paul, Amory, and the growing Human Thriving research of Martin Seligman and Gallup to fuse the ideas into a macro design or purpose statement to apply to any challenge. I see the link between sustainability and regeneration differently than most. First, I view “sustainability” as an abbreviation for sustainable development, meaning what we aim to sustain is the upward arc of improvement in the quality, resilience, and fecundity of life not any sentimentalized past state. We want to sustain (or accelerate) a rate of improvement not a position. Then, all the study I’ve done on sustainable systems says that one of their core principles is that they are regenerative in the form of countless nested cycles of life, seasons, nutrients, and innovation. Sustainable systems are circular and regenerative by nature pushed upward (and sometimes back a few steps) by random or consciously directed innovation in a spiral. Sorry for the wordiness, I’m sitting charging my EV on a road trip to my daughter’s home. Love to hear if that sparks anything.
How about Regenerative Paradigm rather than movement. Then whatever starting point or area of focus folk have, they at least have a sense of it potentially moving in the same direction to create a world that works for all life and the planet.
For example, initially I focused on regenerative business in my research over the last 2.5 years, but I realised that it is much broader than that e.g. regenerative energy, regenerative impact investors, regenerative movements - economic, wellbeing, rights etc and regenerative consciousness (the latter perhaps a pre-cursor to creating a truly regenerative world).
You are writing in my wheelhouse because my work translates the movement of movements doing this (I’ve catalogued over 300 now) into something comprehensible to the average person.
I use the word regeneration a lot when comparing our ways of being with extractive systems, but what people respond to best (as far as terms) is “wellbeing economy” which is the vision and “community wealth” which is the how of getting to economies that prioritise wellbeing over GDP, whatever that looks like to the locals.
And what works even better than that?
“An economy that supports all life”
And what works even better than that?
Simply showing the stories of the people already building the new world.
When people can SEE it they can see themselves in it. It’s inspiring.
The words by themselves don’t matter so much unless they touch on the emotional turning point for someone ready for this transition.
Some of the things people say to me when they learn about it about make me cry.
“Knowing community wealth has been implemented is what gives me hope.”
“my soul thirsts for this definition of economy”
“Hope for humanity”
“Something shifted in my being when I read this.”
And some make me laugh:
“wellbeing at the center duh :D”
Thank you for your work in helping get the word out. I am sharing that New Economy video wherever I can!
JL, sounds very interesting and a similar effort that lead to @Paul Hawken‘s great book, Blessed Unrest. What started as a big pile of business cards in a basket on his houseboat, led to similar questions and an original and inspiring vision of grassroots change. If you know his work well you can see one of the most optimistic, yet sober, progressions of a stunning point of view from his works, the Ecology of Commerce, through Blessed, to Drawdown, and then Regeneration. I’ve just cracked Blessed back open (like many should today), ran my finger over his handwritten greeting, and will feast on his wise words again this weekend. By the way, its subtitle is “How the Largest Movement in the World Came into Being and Why No One Saw I coming.” Sounds like what @John Fullerton is talking about.
I have Blessed Unrest on the shelf, but have not actually read it. No surprise if Paul has already expressed what is just now coming to me!
Ohh… that quote gave me tingles.
When I share stories following the guidelines above, people say things like “this is the kind of movement that changes world history” and “hope for humanity!” etc.
Imagine if we coordinate and scale this?
I didn’t know about Paul Hawkens, thank you I will add it to my to-read list. (I am a baby to these movements having been just an ordinary person who accidentally started discovering them three years ago)
@J. L. Friday Which quote? About the greatest movement or my response to John where I said sustainability to me is “creating the conditions for thriving lives for all.” Whichever, use it! Spread it! And, welcome to the world of wonderful weirdos, always looking for a better way. Your fresh eyes and energy aren’t just welcome, they’re vital. Each new voice helps this tribe grow in ways those of us who’ve been at it a while can’t do alone.
If Blessed Unrest resonates, you may love Daniel Quinn’s Ishmael. It revealed to me (and 1000s of others) how “mother culture” convinces us that certain barriers protect us from nature or human “others,” when in fact they keep us from exploring the thousands of other ways people can live and thrive. That book opened my eyes not just to today’s threats, but to the vast potential of creating societies that generate greater collective well-being. I’d love to hear where you take your new passion.
Oh they’re both great quotes! And I’m glad I’m now able to bring in new people to the movement myself now because I’m so exhausted — we need new energy 😅
I went homeless three years ago to make regenerative economies happen. YOLO Lol!
More a calling I couldn’t refuse (even when my life was literally on the line a few times!) than a passion, but once you see this you can’t unsee it can you? You just have to make it happen.
Happy to spread anything you think needs spreading btw. My goal is to take this mainstream this year and we are so close — especially with the network effects.
Anything that’s emotionally resonant especially please feel free to send me.
So happy to connect and always delighted to be a weirdo among weirdos xoxo
@J. L. Friday so glad to read that people are responding to “wellbeing economy” — takes it to the core — we seek “being well.” I’ve seen in Global South cultures, where “wellbeing” is understood as critical for your entire ecosystem, guided by what’s known as “Buen Vivir” (Spanish) or “Sumaq Kawsay” (Quechua), and these are inspired by local cosmologies, which are widely accepted, unlike many other cultures which have lost or forgotten their ancestral roots.
“An economy that supports all life.” Yes! I like coming back to how I understand the word “economy” — the management of home. I would love to see how our economy serves Life, all seen and unseen dimensions of Life. Excited for these times emerging now.
And thank you for your inspiration!
Appreciate the feedback! Yeah, it really touches on something across cultures. I get super emotional and touching responses <3
“It’s a new story, for a new era, reconnecting—literally re-membering—with the remarkable intuitions all wisdom traditions share in common, but also extending in ways previously impossible thanks to our unique human genius.” - @John Fullerton
We are speaking the same vision 🙏🏽 This is what’s being called upon me, from living in the Andes for over 20+ years, dedicated to serving Life.
Re*membering with Mother Earth, with 4.5 billion years of wisdom, and we are a part of her, a part of this wisdom; we carry this within, yet we’ve forgotten how to listen.
We easily get lost in distressing statistics and tipping points, according to geopolitical boundaries, and overlook the inner knowing that we’ve fostered through our lifetimes, and beyond time and space.
🌟 Originally stardust, we must be quite brilliant beings!
And so, for us brilliant beings 😊 I’ve created an intimate offering to explore and foster this remembrance: 7-Day Remembrance with Pachamama (Mother Earth in Quechua), an online Initiation into Sacred Relationship for Regeneration. (sacred » holy » whole)
This is my “tribe” here, so I invite you:
https://areyouhome.substack.com/p/an-intimate-invitation-7-day-remembrance
A circle of 7, with regenerative visionaries like @Kevin Howard, starting Sept 22.
Thank you @John Fullerton for (re)generating the resonance!
@John Fullerton IMHO no single movement, ideology, religion, framework, protocol, or network can regenerate society alone, because fragmentation itself is the deeper http://crisis.So
At the end of the day— None of us is as Good as All of us.
This is a very thoughtful analysis. I often refer to regenerative leadership as a paradigm shift, and I think that fits the scope of what's happening with regeneration.
Well expressed John! So important that we don’t put a lid on what is possible with our good intentions within this paradigm/frequency. Allowing the emergent energy and information that we are now accessing that is beyond anything we can fathom to guide us into new realities governed by expanded laws that haven’t been available to any but the few sages and shamans in the past is key.
I might suggest you look to Indigenous cosmology for some clues to this new economic model you are creating space for.
In the Indigenous Way of Life the giveaway is foundational. In the higher frequencies there is more abundance than we can fathom - so “saving/hoarding” becomes a thing of the past. Our current economic model was designed to deal with “The Problem of Scarcity” Economics 101.
My ancestors were tuned to this reality and were major philanthropists in the state of Maine.
“Imagine no possessions…” John Lennon was keyed into this reality.
As we shift frequencies it’s a whole new ballgame and you have a sense of this - bravo! Let the emergent energies flow and enable us to align with our hearts and the Universal Laws that govern Creation.
Indeed a worldview shift is foundational as it creates our vibration and thereby our reality.
We address this in our book “The Trust Frequency: Ten Assumptions for a New Paradigm” which you are well aware of. Here is a link to our free ebook “The Conscious Loving Universe: A Guidebook” which is a synopsis of the Teuat Frequency book. Https://TheTrustFrequency.net/portal and here is a new economic theory based on these assumptions “Top-Line Economics” https://bit.ly/ANewFuture2020VR
My dear @Connie-
You are further along the most of us! But once we make the shift from the logic of the machine to the logic of life, we can make up ground fast!
As to gifting, I can attest what brings me joy and happiness now are the little unseen gifts. They are so easy once one sets intention. Often costless, yet generating exponential returns.
This might be the most cogent explanation I've seen to describe regenerative activity. Thank you for your clarity and insight.
we keep tryin right?
We stand on the precipice of the next stage of human social evolution, necessitated by the existential challenges of the poly-crisis.
Yes! …and the existential lessons of the poly-opportunity!
Another reason why I love you sister…
(re)Sonating!
“We seek to create conditions for the evolutionary process to do its magic.”
This.
Hi John! I hear you classifying movements as having two qualities: 1) that movements are goal-oriented rather than focused on creating conditions, and 2) that movements have a clear and focused identity and therefore siloed.
First, I’ll bring in a framework from Carol Sanford. She saw human activities as falling under three lines of work. First Line: work on oneself. Second Line: work in the wholes of which we’re immediately a part (family, business, community, etc.). Third Line: work on the world (e.g. social movement, things that are too broad to be controlled by any one individual but which are of fundamental importance to world conditions). As I note in the definition, Third Line work is closely associated with movements, and I think that movement building is a foundational theory of change.
If you were to ask me, “what comes to mind when I say movement,” I would cite three examples: 1) the Civil Rights movement, 2) Occupy Wall Street, and 3) Make America Great Again. I would love to hear what you think of as archetypal movements.
Going off of these examples, I disagree with your two stated qualities above. Both the Civil Rights movement and OWS saw themselves as being about “creating conditions” (I think MAGA does too). OWS even explicitly refused to have any stated goals. Similarly, although there is a domain that each of these movements has been working in, I wouldn’t say that they are “siloed” and actually are quite meta. For example, although the Civil Rights movement is most closely associated with racial justice, it also spans other arenas, such as economic justice, and this broad base is what gave it so much power. These movements also have had emergent outcomes (although we’re still waiting to see which emergent outcomes are brought with MAGA); OWS, although “unsuccessful,” has permanently changed the noosphere.
What are examples of “meta-movements” that you would like to emulate? How does orientation with power enter into the equation?
Thanks will,
Not sure I int need “siloed” - did I say they? More about clear goals, wide or narrow.
Never discussed with Carol, but I’d be surprised if she saw her work as “movement building”
I think my main concern is practical. Find me a “movement” that has succeeded. Marriage equality is one that comes to mind. Snd may be too early to claim victory. But find me a second. Have we ended “slavery”? Racism” social justice ? Climate change?
My real point is I think regeneration (we need to be careful with language - how about life) transcends “movements”. If we are wise enough to navigate the journey of evolution to not invoke opposition.
I think this would likely be better as a long-form discussion, as it seems like we’re missing each other here to some degree.
Just to help identify a point of divergence: my understanding is that “movements” don’t receive the name until they’ve been successful. In other words, once something is called a “movement,” it has already changed the course of history. The reason the mainstream doesn’t call us the “regenerative movement” or the “bioregional movement” is because we haven’t been successful yet.
Maybe another point of divergence are our premises about the relationships between strategy and outcomes. It seems quite likely that we have different metrics of “success” here, and it could be helpful to look more at what we mean by success.
Daniel schmaxhtenberger said the other night that if you look at the data no movement has ever succeeded. By this I think he means we have a civil rights law but we don’t have civil rights.
For sure we could define suggest in many different ways. I’m not sure I could define “success” any more than I could declare when life is a success!
Anyway, not sure it’s worth much more words. I don’t see it as a right - wrong debate. I mostly wanted us to be careful what we wish for.
Nora Bateson would say “meet don’t match”. By this she means to be effective, we need to be more attuned to how systems change than a fist in the air and a demand. Which is what “movements” often devolve into as I see it.
You are dead right about the struggle of language to communicate effectively. What you are talking about is something that has to be felt. But to anyone who has felt it, on some level, your language makes perfect sense.
that’s comforting. Thanks jake
Good to know! I think we know when we know…
🙏
Thanks for your post John - I completely agree that it's life. That's what give me most hope. But, with much respect to you and your great work, I think its interesting to also consider the pros and cons of calling it a movement vs debating whether it might not be. I believe treating it as a movement (the signs exist that it is one) helps more people feel like regeneration is inclusive not exclusive. If we need a societal shift, which I believe we do, then we need everyone on board. This movement, since it is life, is for everyone, not a tribe. Then indeed all sectors and their transformation are part of such a movement. I believe the goal we are talking about is a journey - a transformational shift where we start to see the world with new eyes and come to our senses. Then we are able to start participating in life, regenerating our places and healing our relationship to the earth and each other. I believe obscure language and abstract concepts lose a large majority of people - I see it happening a lot. People need to feel purpose and see tangible steps towards something. That's why I wrote the post below, and it is why we have created Meander Magazine - to create a bridge that invite people gently into the world we are working on. In summary I believe it is helpful to build momentum towards what could be the most important movement in the history of humanity, while ALSO recognizing that it is 'more than just a movement'. I hope one day it is no longer a movement and just "business as usual".
Regeneration is a movement - and it's for everyone
https://substack.com/home/post/p-164673296
Meander Magazine
https://www.meandermagazine.earth/
Thanks for your perspective. We agree 100% that it’s for everyone! Inclusive. All life. Human and other than human. My concern about “movement” is that movement typically attracts opposition. I’m seeking a “field of attraction” that is irresistible! As life is
Good piece! Maybe one man’s (or woman’s) movement is another man’s field… language fails. Resonance is all. 🙏
A movement for regeneration wouldn’t cut it. But, how about a movement for system change, to go from serving self to being humanitarian, or however you would describe what we are dealing with in the breakdown of the world of selfishness that’s going on? A humanity that’s cooperating to serve the planet would be devoted to creating a regenerative world.
Then, how to create a movement? Did you see the stab I made yesterday at a methodology?
Problem dire. Letting humanity know. Working up an internet new way:https://suzannetaylor.substack.com/p/problem-dire-letting-humanity-know
Yes, “movement” doesn’t cut it. And yes, movement for systems change! Systems composting… from serving self to serving Life.
Cooperation would be great, collaboration would be that area of “magic,” I feel, that @John Fullerton — where we are coming from our remembrance of our interrelatedness.
A movement, and a return. We need to rebuild regeneration from within an extraction + exploitation paradigm. No small task but if we show up this way in all our spaces, we can build a more meaningful world.
Real innovation takes us from extractive models to regenerative metabolisms..
"It is this shift in ways of seeing, thinking, being, and doing—it’s the active and intentional how—that defines the regenerative process. It’s not about the what. As Jane Jacobs liked to say, 'It’s not how big you grow, it’s how you grow big.'" There lies the difference between analytical thinking, always indispensable but intrinsically limited, and a direct view of the inexhaustible interdependence of things. We do not necessarily need to know how successful the "movement" is; we just need to do what inspires us so that life can flourish.
Call it what works for you, but for me it’s a new mindset emerging that in its healthiest form won’t negate other mindsets, but transcend and include the strengths of all. I appreciate @John Fullerton ‘s words on conditions crafting. It’s at the heart of my definition of sustainability and purpose statement synthesized from my mentors Ray Anderson, @Janine Benyus and @Paul Hawken.
“Creating the conditions conducive to thriving lives for all.”
By the way, in another reply I highlighted the value of going back to Paul’s great book, Blessed Unrest, to expand your view on what this great human transition can become.
You share my taste at picking mentors! “Creating conditions” is the phrase I first learned from @Janine Benyus but had deeply reinforced in practice with my work with @nrhythm
The though part on creating the conditions for things like a regenerative mindset is you have to ultimately believe that the current trajectory will end badly. To do that you can get pulled into sounding like the alarmist. I have to remember that this work will see results way past my lifetime. That in itself is a tough transition after years of a corporate job that demands ongoing results. I think a much needed skill/awareness we need in helping to create ‘the conditions’ includes helping individuals transition to the long game, even if they are still playing the corporate game to pay the bills.
Infinite players! ❤️
That’s the link. Her phrase was the catalyst, “Life creates conditions conducive to life.” From there I was inspired by Paul, Amory, and the growing Human Thriving research of Martin Seligman and Gallup to fuse the ideas into a macro design or purpose statement to apply to any challenge. I see the link between sustainability and regeneration differently than most. First, I view “sustainability” as an abbreviation for sustainable development, meaning what we aim to sustain is the upward arc of improvement in the quality, resilience, and fecundity of life not any sentimentalized past state. We want to sustain (or accelerate) a rate of improvement not a position. Then, all the study I’ve done on sustainable systems says that one of their core principles is that they are regenerative in the form of countless nested cycles of life, seasons, nutrients, and innovation. Sustainable systems are circular and regenerative by nature pushed upward (and sometimes back a few steps) by random or consciously directed innovation in a spiral. Sorry for the wordiness, I’m sitting charging my EV on a road trip to my daughter’s home. Love to hear if that sparks anything.
Jim, I appreciate your definition of sustainability. Yes to sustaining improvement, not a position.
How about Regenerative Paradigm rather than movement. Then whatever starting point or area of focus folk have, they at least have a sense of it potentially moving in the same direction to create a world that works for all life and the planet.
For example, initially I focused on regenerative business in my research over the last 2.5 years, but I realised that it is much broader than that e.g. regenerative energy, regenerative impact investors, regenerative movements - economic, wellbeing, rights etc and regenerative consciousness (the latter perhaps a pre-cursor to creating a truly regenerative world).
agree. it’s pretty much the whole shebang! R=LIFE