In October 2022 this blog stopped. Not because there was nothing for me to share, I just listened to my inner world - something I teach my customers and students, to always do - and the answer was "the time is not there yet".
After a year of trying out the podcast and finding my way and rhythm to post on LinkedIn and the right people to be and co-create with and lots of inspiring encounters and events 2023 was an intense year - again.
But now the time has come to bring this blog back to live again. So many insights to share and worlds to delve into.
Armin is progressing so well and reaching out to so many people who wish to co-create life via the power of storytelling and the wisdom that lies in fairy tales and mythology and also with his daily job of coaching organizations in implementing healthy working habits, structures and processes.
Amina has increased her Instagram community too an impressive degree and gave lots of talks all over the world about her life and how she found her strength for personal change. As model and artist she is setting her creativity free and let's it flow. All for her own joy and to the benefit of others.
Douglas has helped his children in Hà Giang, Vietnam a lot. He visited them in summer (sadly I could not join) and then learned himself so much about the skills it takes to build up a healthy community from basically nothing. Craftsmenship, old traditional art rooted in the landscape and local communities. And he learned how hard it is to master daily life if basic infrastructure and a public health system are missing. Births, losses and overcoming sickness with the help of all the supporters and donators from all around the world.
We wanted to continue our podcast - also with recordings from the kids (some of them now already grown adults) but his time in Vietnam was too busy and back in Australia he, understandably, refused to be the "White man's voice" who could be understood as the "White rescuer". They simply became his children. His family he supports. That's it.
I know him since 2016 and even though he is a descent from Scottish prisoners who were brought to Australia more than a century ago, he is far from being paternalistic or maintaining a helper's syndrome. Anyway, we all make our decisions based on our gut feelings. And the current times, where we all are invited to unlearn unhelpful behaviours, having a Caucasian phenotype is not the easiest in order to show publicly what contribution we do in this world in a country we were not born and raised in.
But learning is a process. We will surely get there to heal wounds caused in history and in present time and future.
Again, Anthropology is a huge help in that. Though Anthropologists contributed to major injustice and violence in this world, many Anthropologists have also contributed to healing these wounds. And Applied Anthropology is becoming more and more the key discipline to support organizations and communities in co-creating the cultural changes we all need in order to live in better and healthier world.
In my daily (working) life I apply these methods as good as possible.
Simple acts of deep listening, sensing, being present, learning via participant observation and being open to being wrong and to emotionally painful encounters of questioning one's perception of the world, seem easy. And actually everyone of us can do it. It is just the pain we need to go through during this process of encounter that many people fear and hence avoid.
Self-protection sometimes requires self-revelation and giving in to our vulnerabilities. Like Hermione Granger in Harry Potter teaches the boys in the first novel: relax, give in and you will slide through the situation that harm you if you fight it.
In our times of transformation and disruptions we feel endangered on many fronts. We start fighting them and they just rise bigger and stronger.
Acceptance and trust in the quiet yet strong flow of life - your own flow and journey - is the hardest thing we can do to achieve change. It seems like a paradox. And maybe it is.
Then again paradoxa and most often pain, are also gateways, doors, to the magic of life and to our transformation and growth.
So in the beginning of 2024 I encourage all of you to trust the magic. The magic of your imagination, intuition and to await openly and with trust, what life has to offer you.
The change is within you. You are the change you so deeply yearn to see. And it lies in the freedom and embrace of life. In freedom we all find the peace, abundance, protection, love and security we yearn for.
So listen into yourself and connect with the innovation and transformation leaders your stomach is guiding you towards and then speak up. Speak your truth and follow the flow for co-creation.
See you on the other side. See you in igdra space.
Yours,
Nora
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