Circles of Hope

“The cave you fear to enter holds the treasure you seek” - Joseph Campbell, author of The Hero’s Journey

 

 STORY 

Stories connect us to ourselves and the larger World. They have many components: they take place in a setting (forest, marketplace, home, sea, beach, boardroom, Universe …), context (physical and emotional), have characters (people, animals, angels, a virus …), a theme or rhythm and pace (tragic, comic …); a plot or storyline, problem, possibility, motive; a pattern (which is about movement). 

These components vary from story to story. So for example, a virus may be a setting, context, form part of the plot, determine the theme, be a character (antagonist) … 

Stories don’t constrain. Story possibilities are infinite.

Some stories exist to help us make sense of difficulties, challenges, brokenness – at a personal level, and at an organisation level. We can engage, locate ourselves within the story, identify, gain insight, hope … 

 

STORY PATTERNS 

Story captures a journey from present state (‘Once upon a time …’) to desired state (‘… and they lived happily ever after’). (O’Connor, J and Seymour, J. 1995). A simple pattern is of four journey-points or phases, being womb, wound, wander, and wonder. The same pattern appears in the stories within the larger story. Circles within circles. (Williams, G and Haarhoff, D. 2017)

So we begin in the WOMB, before the story starts. All is well, stable, safe, pristine, content. The Garden of Eden. Yet something may be brewing, waiting to emerge, come to the boil, disrupt, begin and shape the story ….  

Then something happens – a WOUND. Time and death enter the World. Paradise is lost. Wounds are events, and recovery and healing are a transition process. When wounded – loss, hurt, disruption, unexpected change, death, a disappearance, a theft  – we may experience shock, immobilisation, denial. We are conflicted. (These are necessary story triggers. “The cat sat on the mat is not the beginning of a story. The cat sat on the dog’s mat is” (John Le Carre))

Our grief and despair can introduce the third journey phase, WANDER.

We begin to respond - begin to move. We reach acceptance, we wander and the work happens. Perhaps tentative and scared, we set forth on a journey. We desire to restore what has been broken. But we may be anxious, lonely, uncertain, confused.  “Who are you?” said the Caterpillar. This was not an encouraging opening for a conversation. Alice replied, rather shyly, “I—I hardly know, sir, just at present—at least I know who I was when I got up this morning, but I think I must have been changed several times since then”.  (Carroll, Lewis 2005)

In a fairy tale and other story forms this is often the longest and richest part of the journey – the hero travels far and encounters many dangers, enters many bargains with helping creatures, fights transition battles, grows in stature. And brings back to the kingdom the quality or the thing necessary for transformation. This is what mythologist, Joseph Campbell, refers to as the Hero’s Journey. (Campbell, J. 1991)

The fourth stage (THE WONDER) is about transformation. About wholeness. About alchemy. Out of the dross of pain, loss and setback comes the gold of strength, value and reward.

The fourth stage is not a return to the first stage. We cannot get back into paradise. (In Genesis, the angels bar the gates with a flaming sword). We have been on the poet William Blake’s journey from innocence to experience. We think of the velveteen rabbit’s journey from abandonment and heartache to becoming real. (Williams, M. 2005) A universal principle.      

 

A pot stood on a shelf in the museum. Many came to admire it. The woman who worked there took special care of this pot. She dusted it carefully and arranged it so the light from the window fell on it. 

One day somebody left the window open and a gust of wind knocked the pot off the shelf. The pot lay in a thousand pieces. When the woman came to work the next day, she put her face in her hands and grieved for the broken pot. 

Then piece-by-piece she began to reassemble it. The woman glued pieces together and searched in the cracks between the floorboards. Those pieces she could not find, she measured and made. 

When she had glued the last piece, she stood back to gaze at her handiwork. Then she placed the pot back on the shelf. Despite its cracks many came to admire it.

The journey-points constitute a circle (or better still: a spiral with spirals within spirals) which takes us away from the concept of linear time. 

There are more complex and detailed versions of the story pattern. And the pattern and story components described above are inherent, and may be sensed, in what is called flash fiction or sudden fiction: "For sale: baby shoes, never worn" is the entirety of what has been described as a six-word story usually attributed to Ernest Hemingway. 

The pattern provides a flow that allows listeners or readers to become captivated and to reframe fears and challenges – so an ugly duckling becomes a beautiful swan, a struggling organisation becomes driven by a new vision, poor Cinderella is transported into a new world, a difficult problem becomes an opportunity, a frightening transition becomes an adventure. As Diarmuid O’Murchu reminds us, “Telling stories as a lure to the future is an ancient strategy of sages, philosophers and great religious leaders”. (O’Murchu, D. 2002). Circles of hope.

  

Photo by Derek Keats

 

HOW ARE YOUR OWN COVID-19 STORIES UNFOLDING?

How are you locating yourself in the Covid-19 story (victim, antagonist, observer)? Who are the protagonists and antagonists (World Health Organisation, politicians, corporations, medical staff, environmental and social activists, communities, individuals)? What setting, dilemmas, possibilities?

Often, when we are in an unfolding story, we think we know what is going to happen, and tend to start talking about new situations, outcomes, “new norms” too soon. Being in an extended lock-down is a bit like watching the surface of a river. From your perspective the current looks to be moving in one direction (that could be an illusion caused by a strong breeze), but far below the surface the current is going in completely the opposite way. How we imagine things will be when the pandemic is finally over may be quite different to what we now imagine. What story will emerge for you?  For your organisation?

  

WOMB

Time-line back to before Covid-19 and lock-down. What was brewing?  What stories were waiting to emerge? No one could foresee the unexpected, deep wounding that we’ve experienced - in some countries exacerbated by Government incompetence and hidden control and political agendas, corporate opportunism, population demographics, capacities and predispositions …

 

WOUND

Uncertainty, loss, anxiety, disruption, disorientation, loneliness, inability to trade or provide services, a scramble to work-from-home, and other sink or swim challenges keep happening to businesses, places of worship, sport and the arts, and individuals, wealthy and poor. Add these sufferings to the existing economic social and environmental issues that were already facing us, and there is no question that the advent of Covid-19, and how it has been managed, has wounded deeply. (Williams, G. June 2020)

As we enter Winter here in the Southern Hemisphere, where it is possible that lower temperatures and lower humidity will increase our vulnerability to the virus, we are poised for an acceleration and multiplication in the number of cases and deaths. The reality is that the combination of more coronavirus cases, our (fatally?) crippled economy, a serious lack of hospital space and equipment, and a Government and National Coronavirus Command Council that has shown that it is not up to the task of managing rationally and efficiently, means that we are set for a far greater degree of hardship and wounding….

 

WANDER

It takes courage to begin, and even as we wander, sometimes depressed, sometimes buoyant, sometimes in a trance-like state, new events and transitions continue to happen. These ups and downs range from being thrown by the news that we read, rampant and unsettling rumour-mongering on social media and elsewhere, the joy at learning a new skill, or mending a damaged relationship, and the stress of coping with changes, balancing work and parenting, the artificially of social distancing that is contrary to our human DNA …. Each obstacle, adventure, challenge, opportunity or set-back asks of us that we think, feel, choose and act (as individuals and organisations) …. What can’t we do, have to do, should/ could/ must do, can do, won’t do, will do ……. And what will we be, and become.

Our personal journeys contain aspects such as integrating home-family-work-social lives under very different conditions, new learning demands, overcoming limiting beliefs, getting and staying organised, coping with new challenges as they arise, more deeply exploring existing and new ‘non-work’ interests with potential benefits: mindfulness, meditation and reflection, music, vertical gardening, family games and meals, reading, exercise, sitting on a stoep and doing nothing …  

Our organisational journeys may bring us into contact with those who are tempted to adopt questionable ethics as they strive to survive in the short term, may present difficult decisions regarding policies, processes, technology, staff, corporate social responsibilities, and being physically (perhaps emotionally) distanced from customers (who like employees are going through their own disruptions, fears, stresses and traumas, uncertainties, disorientations). If ever there was a time for leaders to connect with what matters and focus on that with laser-like intensity, it is now. And right up there on the list of what matters most is the mental well-being of their employees … 

A lot to cope with. The stakes are high, the journey arduous at times. Sometimes it is like what Heracles (Hercules) faced – the second of his twelve labours as chronicled around 600 BC. As he battled the Hydra, every time he chopped off one of the huge monster’s heads, another two appeared. Heracles had to find a way to stop the severed stumps from regenerating new heads. We are called upon to work smarter, become more agile and resilient.  

A major area of concern is whether the Covid-19 experience leads to us becoming more independent, narcissistic, cynical and judgmental as individuals – or more honest, civil, respectful, trusting, appreciative of our interconnectivity, diversity and equality, and compassionate?

In business do we become more cut-throat and competitive, more technology driven or more collaborative, caring (for all stakeholders, the environment, society, the economy) and courageous in what we do and how we do things?

How will we forge our “new norms”?

Senior Theravada monk Bhikkhu Bodhi has profound insight into value-domains that span the natural, social and cultural, symbolic and ultimate truth, beauty and goodness. These domains, the meaning they offer, and the value they provide, in some ways mirror psychologist Abraham Maslow’s hierarchy of human needs.

He pulls no punches in pointing out how our systems, institutions, overarching beliefs – driven by greed, gain, position, power, possessions – can distort and invert our highest values. And so we have to contend with the commoditisation of purpose in organisations, spiritual materialism (a theology of wealth), scant regard for espoused values when money is on the line, corporate and private control of money systems and media, production means that degrade and destroy the environment, the objectifying of people as factors of production and consumers, separation of people into ‘haves’ and ‘have nots’. We-first and Me-first politics.

“In a world torn by violence, oppressed too long by projects aimed at domination, I believe that a conscientious compassion guided by wisdom is the most urgent need of the hour …  our larger task is to give birth to a new vision and scale of values that replaces division with integration, exploitation with cooperation, and domination with mutually respectful partnership … necessary measures for safeguarding the world and for allowing humankind’s finest potentials to flourish”.  (Bodhi, B. 2011)

In the wandering stage we are often caught between arrogant certainty and being petrified of the unknown, self- pity and strong compassion for another, doing too much and doing too little, having a sense of failing or of coping …. So as you journey and your stories progress, you may wish to do a confidential, free Personal Pandemic Engagement assessment:  https://culturescan.biz/work-from-home/

And Knowledge Resource clients and contacts can, at a nominal rate, assess their organisations by using a survey based on their book, Managing Organisations During the Covid-19 Vortex. This assessment addresses key functional activities, people needs, culture shifts, and  leadership style, approach and agenda: https://culturescan.biz/kr2020-assessment/

(It is helpful but not essential to read the book prior to doing the survey – and useful to read it after the survey results have been received).

 

WONDER

After the pandemic is over, what will characterise your re-entry into your life at work, at home, socially?

At a personal level, I discovered during lock-down that the simple act of having a bath could be a wonderful time to overcome mental and sensory overload and deprivation caused by sitting for too long in front of a computer screen, reacting to an avalanche of news and social media posts, and turning into a Zoombie due to attending too many noisy, frenetic virtual meetings. And becoming more mindful of the sheer joy of the feel, sight, sound, smell of water, soap, incense, and soft background music.

“I cannot say exactly how nature exerts its calming and organizing effects on our brains, but I have seen in my patients the restorative and healing powers of nature and gardens, even for those who are deeply disabled neurologically. In many cases, gardens and nature are more powerful than any medication” (Sacks, O. 2019)

Such learning, carried on after Covid-19, will enhance our lives.

As will the meaning that derives from attending to others as much as to ourselves.

At work, redefining our notion of ‘success’. Little acts of consideration, kindness and compassion are sure to provide satisfaction and meaning – especially when we go out of our way to get to know others who are different to ourselves. And achieving a good balance between high tech and high touch.

And wouldn’t it be great if we were able to shift to values aimed at rebuilding our communities, a cohesive society, an eco-centric environment through responsible stewardship, and a clean, circular economy where we may contribute to closing the rich-poor gap? 

Living and telling our stories to build bridges not walls. Being more tough (as in resilient) at the same time as being softer (more caring).

Achieving perspective and relaxing into wonder by taking on-board Eckhart Tolle: “You are the sky. The clouds are what happens, what comes and goes”.

 

AN EXHORTATION

We don’t know what story of humanity will emerge out of the Covid-19 pandemic. But we can contribute through how we live, shape and tell our own stories.

We can think of the museum pot story at many levels:

Did someone deliberately open the window?

Was the wind that blew the pot over a spiritual antagonist?

Can we see the pot as a symbol of an economy (our means of sustenance) environment (our earth home/ spirit), society or community (our family) that is hurt, broken, destroyed?  Or even a breaking of bonds between individuals or different groups?

What does the mending process equate to in terms of restoration, repair, regeneration, returning to wholeness?

Does the pot represent an organisation thrown into disarray, scattered and separated? As leaders how do we go about nursing our employees through, taking bold steps to hold our organisations together, pick up the pieces and build for the future?

Can we see the pot as representing ourselves – wounded, shattered, requiring tending and healing?

What if we saw ourselves as the woman who looked after the pot – the heroine who does the work. What is required? What tools are needed? What ups and downs happen as the work continues? Who might come alongside to help?

And as we come to the journey end, what may occur?  Is it possible that the pieced-together pot is now more authentic, stronger, even more beautiful in its imperfection?

 

So in our story-ing, let’s move from “Me” to “We”.

Let’s maintain high touch as we move into more high tech.

Let’s choose to be protagonists, heroines and heroes - and not victims or antagonists.

Let’s discover what Rose Marcario, former CEO of Patagonia, discovered: “I came to Patagonia because I wanted to discover for myself if business could be a force for good in the world after years of a career of making people rich who did little to elevate the world and were more interested in lining their pockets and the pockets of their heirs.  What I found was not only could business be a force for good, but it could also be the greatest agent of change in the world”. (Marcario, R. 2020)

  

Let your story be an ever-widening circle of hope.

 

REFERENCES

Bodhi, Bhikkhu. Venerable. (2011) The Need of the Hour

https://tricycle.org/magazine/bhikkhu-bodhi/    (2011)  and Values at the Crossroads - the struggle for a sustainable future  (Re-Awake Summit June 2020)

Campbell, Joseph (1991) The Hero’s Journey HarperSanFrancisco

Carroll, Lewis (Charles Dodgson0 (2005) Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and through the looking Glass Barnes and Noble, New York

Crous, Wilhelm (Ed) (2020) Managing Organisations During the Covid-19 Vortex Knowres

Kabel, Matthias (2006) Greek vase from Attika 550 - 520 b.C. Dionysos talking with Hermes and a dancing silenus on the left side Photographed in Antikensammlung Munich, Germany.  GNU Free Documentation License,  

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Greek_vase_Dionysos_attica_520_bC.jpg

Keats, Derek (2012) File: Concentric circles around a Black-winged Stilt, Common Stilt, or Pied Stilt, Himantopus himantopus at Marievale,Nature Reserve,Gauteng,South Africa (8057292711).jpg  From Wikimedia Commons, the free media repository

Marcario, Rose (2020) Sand Mandalas & Goodbyes Published on June 17, 2020

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/sand-mandalas-goodbyes-rose-marcario/?trackingId=TaSCTbe6SLqmQE5nDSIKaA%3D%3D

McCabe, Tim (2011) File: NRCSIA99536 - Iowa (3745)(NRCS Photo Gallery).jpg  Photo courtesy of USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service  Public Domain  

O’ Connor, Joseph and John Seymour, Introducing NLP, Thorsons, London, 1995.

O’ Murchu, Diarmuid. Evolutionary Faith Orbis, NY, 2002.

Sacks, Oliver M.D. (2019) Everything in Its Place Knopf 

Williams, Graham and Haarhoff, Dorian (2016) The Halo and the Noose: the power of story telling and story listening in business life Version Two, Heart Space Publications, Australia 

Williams, Graham (2020. May) Two Boys and a Girl, and the New Sub-Human Reality Blogpost 30 May, 2020

http://storytellinginbusiness.blogspot.com/2020/05/two-boys-and-girl-and-new-sub-human.html

Williams, Graham (2020. June) Suffering Blogpost 24 June 2020

http://storytellinginbusiness.blogspot.com/2020/06/suffering.html

Williams, Margery (2005) The Velveteen Rabbit Egmont, Lon