Seems like lately I am reading a lot of (mostly justified) outrage on facebook: the senate, fracking, Rob Ford etc. It's so easy to despair, with the constant stream of bad news.
Yet I also feel an undercurrent of small positive changes is taking place in how people relate to each other and the planet. If you are sad about the state of the world, try reading the introduction to this book. It's a great perspective that holds the two in balance.
Yesterday, I listened to an audiobook about how to be more effective at work (hint: no meetings!) and one the things that jumped out at me was the author's statement about culture. He said:
You can't create a culture. Culture is formed from repeated behaviour.
He then went on to give the example that if you're taught to share when you're a kid, you grow up with a culture of sharing. Which made me think: what kind of culture do I live in, and what kinds of cultures do I reinforce every day with my actions?
I was talking to a gentleman last weekend at Music NB about how difficult it has been for Saint John to support a live music venue. He remarked that he didn't feel anglo culture was as "collegial" as Acadian culture, and I would tend to agree with that.
Part of what Tracy and I are trying to do with our business is to create a cultural space where people can be creative, and where ideas out of the mainstream can take root. In practice, this is a very difficult task, one I will be puzzling over for a while to come.
One of the biggest questions I am dealing with right now is how to get people to work together, how to make it practical and natural for people to support each other and build a resilient community. There is loads of potential, and I think these questions are on the minds of many people. The journey continues.
