A collaborative blog written by Bob Dunham and guest blogger, Julio Olalla.
The consequences of our current trajectories into the future will require a response at some point. Why are we not preparing with more urgency and instead continuing the current trends? We believe that this is due to the very common sense and stories that we live in, and that these are based in our current fundamental view of what it is to be human, and what is a good life.
Although the response to the problems we face will be worked out one way or another, our concern is what kind of human beings will we become in the process and what kind of life will we create when our current visions are no longer possible?
We see several reasons why we remain in unsustainable drifts to the future, and these open possibilities for designing and adopting new choices for our future, choices of new stories, ethics, and purposes.
One reason that we stay in the current drift is the story that “there is no other positive choice for the future other than growth.” The logic is basically that if we do not grow economically, we will not have jobs, and then a growing segment of the population will sink into poverty. This is a story that produces the mood of resignation, that there are no other choices.
Another reason is that as human beings we are used to living in local conditions without looking ahead beyond the near future. An important reason is that we have lost the question of “what is a good life?” and the question has been preempted by the answer that a good life requires more consumption. And yet another reason is that culturally we have largely lost the experience and narrative of the core meaning of life, what we can call our soul. And we consider that we will have to rebuild our cultural narratives in the reverse order of these reasons.
We need to find our soul again.
To continue, read Part 4 here.
Julio Olalla is the founder of Newfield Network, a leading school of coaching in the world, and is considered one of the best coaches in the world. He is the author of From Knowledge to Wisdom.
Robert Dunham is the founder of the Institute for Generative Leadership and delivers programs in leadership around the world. He is a co-author of The Innovator’s Way.