Systems thinking is not one thing but a set of habits or practices[3] within a framework that is based on the belief that the component parts of a system can best be understood in the context of relationships with each other and with other systems, rather than in isolation. Systems thinking focuses on cyclical rather … Continue reading Systems Thinking
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What type of action brings about effective, sustainable change? I demonstrated and marched in the 60s. We thought we were going to change the world. In some ways we did. In many ways we didn't. Since then I've learned about effective and sustainable change from a number of places: mindfulness practices, Gandhian nonviolence principles, Aikido, … Continue reading Fighting Against
It’s been documented that those at higher levels of a company often have lower levels of empathy. There’s an experiment I’ve wanted to carry out for some time. If it were possible for CEOs to increase empathy in some observable way, what affect would that have on their company as a whole? In what ways … Continue reading CEOs and Empathy
I humbly propose using the following steps to help bring about change. This process is influenced by my mindfulness practice and my study of Nonviolent Communication. Note, this is not about changing another person. It's also not about changing feelings or thoughts. In a paradoxical way, these steps are rooted in “non-doing”, and “non-striving”. They embody … Continue reading What can I do?
Yesterday I happened to go down into my cellar. I saw my kayak lying there, waiting out the winter. I'm not physically capable of doing all the white water I did a number of years ago, yet just seeing the kayak brought back things that little boat taught me. I remember surfing a wave, attempting … Continue reading Moving With
I went on a silent retreat. I was surrounded by stillness, quiet, and peace. I felt very calm. On the fifth night I had a dream. A close friend of mine is in the dream. She’s in her early seventies. In the dream she has a small dog. She irritates teenagers in the neighborhood when … Continue reading Violence
Through nonviolence training I've gotten the impression that letting go of enemy images is a productive thing to do if I am to live a nonviolent life. I struggle with this. Some things that people have done are just wrong. I don't have pleasant thoughts about Hitler, for instance, or about others closer to my … Continue reading Enemy Images
Maybe you think “I’m just one individual. I have no power. What can I do?” consider that power and resources can sometimes come in unexpected ways. For example, Brad Katsuyama was a humble Canadian stock trader who realized he was losing money thru tactics that, though nominally legal, were nonetheless rigging the outcome of his … Continue reading Feeling discouraged?
This is a test. It's only a test.