As I continue to ponder the keys to resilience, I’ve concluded that this act of choice is a vital step – and it fits with the principles of mindfulness. Yes, there are some people who are temperamentally cheerful and adaptable, but I see many more who get stressed time and again by everyday life, as … Read more
The idea that progress is always linear, forward and upward, has long been questionable. In recent years, many economic observers have declared that even stable living standards should be seen as an achievement. Recently, I found myself pondering different models of how progress can be recognised: we urgently need these as the conventional linear ones … Read more
I have learned from nomads as a role model for modern-day resilience for many years, drawing mainly on my experience leading twelve groups with Bedouin in the Tunisian Sahara. Kate Humble’s recent BBC2 series on nomads offers vivid insights from across the world, and I enjoyed her programme on nomads in the Gobi desert, Mongolia. … Read more
The value of resilience, and purposeful instability… The focus of this well-written book is creating successful, innovative organisations, and the personal skills to enable this. The authors are co-founders of Relume, a small team who have helped top businesses for many years. Claire Genkai Breeze draws heavily on her Zen Buddhist training in her approach. … Read more
There’s so much talk about resilience these days, but little of it explores spiritual sources. My focus is resilience in everyday life: how we can stay steady, and grow through daily stress and bigger crises. There’s plenty of research to show that people who feel a higher sense of purpose, who have a spiritual path, … Read more
I talk about resilience a lot, and I hear very varied definitions of it from others. Some regard resilience as a hard, cold, mechanistic idea, whereas my first images are of a green, creative springiness: the growing through problems that we can see in sustainable ecosystems.
This blog offers my views on how humans can learn about natural resilience from ecosystems, drawing on my twenty-five years’ experience in managing two cultivated ecosystems: a 130-acre organic farm in Dorset, and a 70-acre woodland in Wiltshire.
The Spirit of Iran: nomads, Sufis and more… October 13-28, 2015 organised by Alan Heeks If I had a bucket list a trip to Iran would be near the top. So in October 2015 I hope to make a 2-week customised tour of Iran with a congenial group of 10-14 people. This piece explains why … Read more