#15.6 …. crossing the bridge - The Terrain

The first crucial point around the Living System is that it is not a team but a terrain. Think beyond the land, and deeper than the gut - the entire living system is a terrain and we are a part of it.

With all the talk around leadership and teamwork; what it is to build forward seeking to live a new way, what that would look like, what would it require, how do we lead into this, how do we lead differently, these big questions that are being asked and answered in the business world now are as much relevant to our inner being as it is our outer world expressions...

On an even larger scale than my body, your body and the land around us, the Terrain that is Life’s living system is constantly in a space of chaos destruction and creation, it is always rebuilding itself and using diversity as its greatest ally to building what is not only strong but is highly efficient. Outside of this world lay the man made world of the governments and the systems that, lost from this natural cycle have been building themselves so fat on the lives of ‘others’ that they have forgotten about the natural law of destruction in order to create again - but - its just not the way - or the laws of life and so they are up for dismantling in order to rebuild as well.

The disarray that is the world around us is seeking true regeneration and whilst we are in trust walking away from a hierarchical approach to government and economies, in this unravelling from the pinnacle of the chain of command, we require leadership from every direction to step in. The beginning that is required offers opportunity to enquire into the modus operandi of the Living System. Understanding her circular time, her need for space, her love to play and create, held firmly by her values, loose in the winds of her rudder we have now the pillars for which to make way.

The first crucial point around building, when striving for success, is to build a team! When we pay attention to what life offers we see that the Living System (her own structure of creation) is not a team as such as it is a terrain. What's the difference? In its most simple terms a terrain is the lay of the land, the sum of all parts as the culmination of everything to this point, through observing and listening to every part of the process and cycle to truly understand who it is, what it is and how it is thriving. The terrain is ever changing, evolving and becoming. It is at all times both inclusive and diverse by nature and by nurture. The terrain, by instinct, invests in all of its partners as much as it does its whole self, at no point is it ever an individual or singularity. It cannot be, it is always a summation and it is always seeking its self to be whole, well, vital and integral. 

This is not a team framework. Whilst a team comes together as many to one place in order to create a joint outcome, the individuals who make that team, are separate and individual. They do not offer themselves as a part of the one, but rather as an entirety unto themselves. This means that the disconnect they begin with, immediately places them in the disadvantage of not knowing the other. Not intimately, not as a part of themselves, rather as separate identities. A team is most often required to react through instinct to direct impact and emergency to maintain and survive ….

….. whereas a terrain is in all ways intuitively responding to all that emerges through its own delicately sensed need for mutuality.

Whilst the process of coming to agreement within a team can be around the united end goal, that of the terrain holds one integral undeniable difference, it never has, and never will consider itself as anything other than a whole. Therefore its process of assessment is that of consensus and mutuality because this is the only way it thinks, feels and functions. 

The Living System recognises that as a terrain there are no processes or tasks occurring that do not find place amongst other turning pieces, they all must fit or find some form of value into each other. This is life's way through symbiosis: life continues to partner in relation to all else, that allows each vital element to grow in order for its own existence to continue.  A terrain is a Pluraverse that seeks its unity based on varied perspectives, building empathy, seeing complexity but ultimately concerned with its existence as one.

In considering the flourishing of the terrain, growth in one area does not mean depletion in another, simply because the concept of depletion then denies further growth. Growth absolutely means with reduction but with that reduction comes diversity in needs met so that regeneration has time in which to refill the depleted state - all of this is exactly the same within us - the growth of a muscle or a cell or human life - means that at various times we will reduce the number of other nutrients in the body - our regeneration of that is dependent then on the terrain in which time is spent rebuilding that area as growth happens - it's why every part of our body does not grow at once, nor does a tree grow, flower blossom and fruit all at once. Within a terrain all things hold the time and space of the Living System. 

All things have their time, all things require space, rest is essential feedback and regeneration is the creation of renewed life.  

This Living System approach is micro/macro scaled in every aspect of existence. As it is within our stomach as a terrain of living organisms that feed and defend and flourish, it is in a cell as it is the universe. Terrain holds the Living System base.

For a terrain to be held together for us to build community amongst all that we do trust is required. Trust is the speed at which life unfolds in relation. Trust is the inner guide that builds the terrain that sustains the system. Trust is at the base of growth, becoming, release, freedom, love, relationships - to expand beyond our own self - we begin to knead the soil to open us to trust. Reciprocity is the ground for which trust begins to seed. 

And so to begin, with all the extraction we have done, we start with giving.

That giving is approached by returning the two essential elements to all lives becoming - time and space. This means in offering time and space into the terrains around us we hold patience and compassion for a gentle opening. That we do not burst into a room - nor onto a parcel of land - with notions of what must be done - but begin with ears and eyes open to observe and listen in order to hear the story - to release the loneliness and open our arms to nature in trust it opens its heart to us.

The terrain is every perspective of life force together; as much our global commons, this earth, as it is the space within us. Our place within and amongst life sharing a collective, conscious, willingness to regenerate and give over to all that must be done, is our way forward. 

There are no clear pathways ahead other than to know we are seeking as many healthy bioregions, as we are healthy employment frameworks, as much thriving ecology, as thriving economy, that our goal of a healthy environment with flourishing people is the exact same system we seek within the micro system in our bones, homes and workplaces.  We are called now to think differently, realise our inner boundaries as much as that of the earths, look to the symbiosis that exists between all life’s creations and in this be deliberate in our quest for constant course correction. 

Life seeks balance through tensions.  It allows creation through chaos. In this we are always recognising spaces for change that alter the course. Daily, moment by moment life does this. From a relations viewpoint through regard and observation we can be ready for these twists and turns and be compliant and flexible to our adjustments.  Just as we would within our own being adjust the level of vitamins and minerals we take in to bring balance, the soils need this, as much as our relationships and communities around us.

“Leading from lived experience takes form now. This we know to be a part of what a living system offers through its knowledge and the wisdom gained. This is the sum of lived experience and researched knowledge, combined with the entrained intuition that is our energetic being of life itself. It honours each of us, listens to all of us, and draws from all existence to know truths. As above, so below, as within, so without is this.  We are one self perpetuating micro macro glorious living system.”

If we return to the beginning of the Living System model to remind us of its connection and flow, that at all times holds a relational ethos, community, culture, patterns, symbiosis, whole systems, in turn sparking relationships again, we find this upholding the terrain.

And.. if we understand what is required for a functioning fluid terrain to exist

When sitting alongside each other we then see how they are one and the same system within a system, that all that the Living System is, holds all the terrain requires. For any terrain to be functional it too has requirements that stem from the foundations of the Living System.  The very same relatedness, trust, service, allowance, acceptance…. For which to exist AS a complex terrain.

From this moment on, working as the Terrain is essential. Why? Because of our oneness. We aren’t a team in this - select individuals that think they will pull of this great amazing feat in building a new world - NOPE it needs us all as one living system, that feeds off and interacts with and aligns within and is at all times seeking the good for all.

This marks a new way of thinking and being. It says pencils down - exams over - lets get outside and mingle and feel and listen and observe and take time and space to get out of the way and let Life lead. She is holding all of this - us - everything in every moment whilst we jamble around behind the scenes actually thinking we are running the show. She is there, as mother is, patiently waiting for us to meet her - she has all that is required for all healing on every level to begin…. we just need to step back in to her Terrain.

You can download the full book of One Living System here - it would be amazing to continue this conversation and build on all that we now know to be true.

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1. Photo by Thomas Claeys on Unsplash