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Read these short blog posts to explore the Conventional and Natural Paradigms, and what it might mean to you to Re-Align with Nature.
 Self and Systems
“Someone who is self-centered or self-absorbed tends to be focused on themselves and may have difficulty showing consideration for others.” [https://www.verywellmind.com/signs-someone-is-too-self-centered-7484081] If someone suggested that you’re self-centered or self-absorbed, you’d probably be offended. But our dominant cultural paradigm — what I’m calling the Conventional Paradigm — drives us to behave and make decisions as if we were exactly that. We believe we have to look out for number one, play the game and play to win, keep climbing. We post selfies and track likes. It is natural, imperative even, that each of us look after our own self-interest. We need to take care of ourselves so we can be our best selves and contribute to the world in our own unique way. In Nature, when an organism acts in its own self interest, it does so in harmony with the system in which it participates. There is give and take, respect and reciprocity, synergy and balance. In an ecosystem, the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. In our human constructs and culture, when we look after our own self-interest, it is with the intent of getting more from the system than we give, ideally much more. That’s how we accumulate wealth. We admire and celebrate those who are really good at getting more than they give. We choose to be intentionally ignorant of the negative impacts that acting in our own self-interest has on other living beings, human and otherwise. The “real world” is a negative sum game. When we follow the Conventional Paradigm, we tend to be focused on ourselves and have difficulty showing consideration for others. We are self-centered and self-absorbed. If that makes you cringe, know that there is an alternative and you likely practice it often — when you are living from your Natural Paradigm. When you are with those you love, you care as much or more about their welfare and happiness than your own. When you’re thoroughly enjoying a walk in the woods, you feel at one with Nature, not in competition with the trees and the birds. When you open the door and are greeted by the fresh smell of rain, you want to share that joy with others, not hoard it or expect people to admire you because you smelled it before they did. When we follow our Natural Paradigm, we tend to be focused on others — our friends and family, our community, our society, Nature — and find it natural to show consideration for others. We are ecosystem-centered and absorbed in love of life. -- If you’d like to explore your own Natural Paradigm, please request a free Tiny Transformation workbook [ https://www.wildhazel.net/resources.html ]. If you’re really curious, contact me and we can set up a time to chat.
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 When we care deeply about something, such as Nature, we feel a heightened sense of meaning, of purpose, of passion. We might feel clarity about what needs to be done, perhaps with a sense of urgency. These feelings can lead us to take meaningful action — or lead us to becoming myopic and misinformed.
Our current dominant cultural paradigm — what I’m calling the Conventional Paradigm — is based on seeing the world with a mindset of scarcity, individuality, competition, greed, resistance, and fear. We can blame this mindset for the existential problems we’re facing. Unfortunately, many social and environmental activists — knowingly or not — adhere to this same paradigm — which leads to beliefs and actions that are myopic and misinformed rather than meaningful. We cannot address the existential crises we are facing by following the Conventional Paradigm. We might make positive changes here and there, but the bigger problems keep getting worse. Let’s look at forests as an example. We all love trees and forests. For many of us, the forest is our happy spot. And no one likes to see a forest that has been recently harvested. Accordingly, environmental activists often fight to stop the cutting of trees. They point to loss of wildlife habitat, soil erosion, or need for carbon sequestration. Those issues are meaningful, but viewed through the Conventional Paradigm, the resulting actions are myopic, misinformed, and ultimately harmful. For example, greed and fear lead us to protect trees in our own backyard (literally or figuratively); however, as long as the population continues to grow, so will the market for lumber, and trees will be harvested somewhere. If not in our own well-regulated, well-managed, and highly productive backyards, trees will be cut in places that lack protections and regulations and in areas where a greater number of species are at risk (like the Amazonian rainforest) resulting in backyard protection, but global harm. We point fingers at timber harvest, but most of us live in wood-framed homes filled with wood-based furniture. Forests and trees and wood are natural, can be replanted, and can be managed for multiple objectives including habitat. Harvesting trees for wood products is a net carbon sink. By contrast, the production of steel and concrete account for 15% of CO2 emissions, and mining permanently destroys ecosystems. What is meaningful and what is myopic and misinformed in the case of forestry? If you’re curious, I encourage you to listen to “It all starts in the soil” from the Forestry Smart Policy podcast series [ https://tinyurl.com/ydpw34tt ]. After listening, think about how we might approach forestry and our own lives and impacts from Nature’s Paradigm. If you’d like to explore your own Natural Paradigm, please request a free Tiny Transformation workbook [ https://www.wildhazel.net/resources.html ].  In the “real world” — driven by the Conventional Paradigm — we exist with a sense of scarcity. For most of us, we feel we never have enough time or money. We may also feel we never have enough “likes” or status or material possessions, regardless of how much we actually have.
By contrast, Nature is driven by a sense of abundance. Plants and animals live and grow and reproduce as if there is plenty of whatever they need, and have strategies to manage when resources become limited. Nature exists with a sense of abundance. Since you are part of Nature — made by Nature, fed by Nature, dependent on Nature — a sense of abundance is natural to you. You feel it whenever you are experiencing and expressing your Natural Paradigm. What does abundance feel like? Have you ever been walking somewhere, anywhere, paused, and thought it just couldn’t get any more perfect than this? That’s the feeling of abundance. Have you ever been playing with your dog, who is being silly and giving you unconditional love, and you had no idea what time it was or how much you had to do, because it didn’t matter in that moment? That’s the feeling of abundance. Have you ever held an old book in your hand and pondered the improbable sequence of events that had to have occurred for you to have this portal into the thoughts and life experiences and soul of the singular person that was its author? That’s the feeling of abundance. Have you ever looked across the ocean and marveled at how incomprehensibly enormous and powerful and timeless it is, and how miniscule you and your issues are? That’s the feeling of abundance. Have you ever struggled with the death of someone you love, and then realized that they are now part of everything everywhere for all time — and always were? That’s the feeling of abundance. Have you ever been momentarily overwhelmed by beauty, joy, or delight and were left feeling expansive, generous, and wise? That’s the feeling of abundance. The feeling of abundance occurs when we are wonderfully surprised by the first smell of rain, the first leaves falling in autumn, the first flower emerging from the melting snow. It occurs when you realize you have enough time, enough money, enough of what you need to be your best self and live your best life, as part of the whole that you belong to. It occurs when what matters matters. Imagine if we all walked around with this sense of abundance in the “real world”. -- If you’re curious to learn more, I invite you to request your free Tiny Transformation Workbook. If this is compelling, please let me know! I’m in the process of forming the first cohort of the online course Re-Aligning with Nature, Re-Discovering the Power of Your Natural Inspiration, Creativity, and Wisdom.  Martin Seligman, the “father of positive psychology”, created the PERMA model to describe the features that are critical to wellbeing, balance, and fulfillment: Positive emotion, Engagement, positive Relationships, Meaning, and Accomplishment or Achievement.
In the “real world”, our behaviors, decision-making, and sense of self is driven by the current dominant cultural paradigm — what I’m calling the Conventional Paradigm. This paradigm is based on believing the world is characterized by scarcity (resources are limited and there’s not enough to go around), individuality (in the end you have to look out for yourself), competition (you have to play the game and play to win), greed (you’ve got to keep climbing), resistance (it’s their fault), and fear (if you’re not stressed, you’re not working hard enough). The “real world” is a negative-sum game where our positive emotions are based on external and comparative metrics. Engagements are self-serving, a means to an end. Relationships are transactional and dropped when value stops flowing in our direction. Meaning, a sense of self-worth, is based on fabricated and exclusionary value systems. Achievement or accomplishment is measured against others, and usually occurs at the expense of others. Sadly, this is not limited to the workplace. We constantly judge and are judged even by people we consider friends and family, especially on social media platforms. While wellness may not be possible in the “real world”, it is an emergent property of living in alignment with Nature’s Paradigm. This paradigm is based on believing the world is characterized by abundance (there’s more than enough for you and everyone else), systems (we’re all in this together), synergies (the whole is more than the sum of its parts), trust (valuing what is true and real), resilience (always driving toward what is really important), and curiosity (“I wonder” are two very powerful words). Nature plays an infinite game, plays to keep playing. Positive emotions include joy and love, compassion and gratitude — things that are abundant. Engagement is being and feeling one with the whole, the system. Positive relationships are based on trust, caring and being cared for, synergies. Meaning is intrinsic — you know you matter and just as you know every tree matters. Achievement and accomplishment arises from doing your part, working with meaning towards the greater good, being resilient. -- If you’re curious, I invite you to request your free Tiny Transformation Workbook. If this is compelling, please let me know! I’m in the process of forming the first cohort of the online course Re-Aligning with Nature, Re-Discovering the Power of Your Natural Inspiration, Creativity, and Wisdom.  A paradigm is what we believe to be true about the world, how it works, and our role in it. The paradigm we walk around with drives our behaviors and decision-making far more than our values, yet we often are unaware of it.
Our current dominant cultural paradigm, the Conventional Paradigm, is based on believing in and valuing scarcity, individuality, competition, greed, resistance, and fear. It is what we mean when we refer to the “real world”. Believing that we have to operate according to these rules has not only caused most of the social and environmental problems we have created, it is keeping us from solving them. Nature has a very different paradigm. Nature’s Paradigm is based on believing in and valuing abundance, systems, synergies, trust, resilience, and curiosity. Since humans are living beings, Nature’s Paradigm is our Natural Paradigm. This is the paradigm we feel and follow when we’re taking a walk in the woods, lost in a creative activity, or helping a friend. We must lead from Nature’s Paradigm in order to address the biggest challenges of our time. The problem is, most of us working to save the world — including those leading nonprofits — believe we have to adhere to the Conventional Paradigm in order to accomplish our missions. Is that you? Where are you leading from? Take a moment to reflect on where you are in the Conventional—to—Natural Paradigm spectrum. Is your leadership largely driven by a sense of: SCARCITY — there’s not enough to go around — or by ABUNDANCE? INDIVIDUALITY — the burden is on your shoulders — or by SYSTEMS? COMPETITION — you’ve got to play the game and play to win — or by SYNERGIES? GREED — some is good, more is better — or by TRUST? RESISTANCE — it’s all their fault — or by RESILIENCE? FEAR — stress, worry, anxiety — or CURIOSITY? Leading from the Conventional Paradigm not only sabotages our own missions, it’s detrimental to our physical and mental health, as well as those we lead. Just as we’ve learned to create innovative and sustainable designs by following Nature’s Principles (biomimicry), we can learn to lead innovative and sustainable — as well as beautiful, creative, and joyful — organizations and lives by (re)discovering and following Nature’s Paradigm. You can shift from the Conventional to the Natural Paradigm. It’s not only wonderfully freeing, it brings immediate benefits, both personal and professional. We need more of us — most of us — to rediscover and lead from Nature’s Paradigm. If you don’t want to do it for yourself, do it for your organization, your mission, and for Nature. If this sounds compelling, please let me know! I’m in the process of forming the first cohort of the online course Re-Aligning with Nature, Re-Discovering the Power of Your Natural Inspiration, Creativity, and Wisdom.  It seems crazy that with our dramatically increasing population, we also have dramatically increasing rates of loneliness. We can be surrounded by people — including those we count as family and friends — and still feel alone. We might feel misunderstood, left out, out of synch, isolated, unable to trust. It’s not only a bad feeling, it’s bad for our health.
Given the characteristics of the “real world” — where behaviors and decisions are made based on a mindset of scarcity, individuality, competition, greed, resistance, and fear — it’s no wonder we feel lonely. Really, how could you not? It also seems crazy that many of us find solace by being alone — in Nature. But of course that makes sense, because Nature’s Paradigm is based on abundance and systems, synergies and trust, resilience and curiosity. When we’re immersed in Nature, we engage in the world from Nature’s Paradigm, so we don’t feel alone — we feel among. Every living being in Nature understands and is understood by all of the others. Every being is always included, in-synch, and engaged. It is impossible for a being in Nature to be alone. And guess what — you’re a being of Nature! You’re an active part of the big wonderful whole! Many of us don’t feel that way, at least not as often as we’d like. But we can, anytime, by learning to let go of the triggers and traps of the Conventional Paradigm and re-discovering our own innate Natural Paradigm. I’m calling the process “Re-aligning with Nature”. To give you a little sense of the insights that might emerge for you, try this activity, called Wild Wisdom: Go outside and sit in front of a tree. Be with the tree for a moment or two, recognizing how it exists in Nature with the Natural Paradigm. Silently, in your head, explain what is challenging, stressing, or triggering you, keeping you from living fully from your Natural Paradigm and being your best self. Pause and imagine what kind of clarifying questions the tree might ask you, keeping in mind that the tree doesn’t have much experience with the craziness that arises for humans living in the Conventional Paradigm. Answer these questions and imagine the next ones that might come up for the tree. Keep going, imaging and answering questions, until insights emerge. Pause for a moment to thank your friend for their insights. If you have time, journal about what emerged. If you’re curious, I invite you to request your [free] Tiny Transformation Workbook. If you want more, please explore the on-demand course Re-Aligning with Nature, Re-Discovering the Power of Your Natural Inspiration, Creativity, and Wisdom >>> Use the coupon code SUMMER-50 to get the course for 50% off, if you register by the end of August.  There is so much written about the leaders, leading, and leadership. But most of us, most of the time, are followers. Most of the time, we don’t make decisions and take actions that are the result of our own original and independent reflection and thinking — we simply follow the thinking and the lead of others.
For example, we might pick out our own clothing, but we choose from what others have already designed and marketed, and what we believe to be socially acceptable (as determined by others). We might decide who to vote for, but we choose from among available candidates, most of whom are still white, male, and privileged. We might choose to eat local or use less energy, but those of us in the US live in a country that consumes 5 times more resources than the Earth can support. As followers, we may feel that our role is passive. We’re not the one responsible for making the big-impact decisions or making big things happen — we’re just one among many, going with the flow. We may not even recognize that we’re followers, who or what we’re following, or why. But following is not passive. Following is intentional. Following has consequences. I have been suggesting that those of us engaging with the “real world” are following the Conventional Paradigm yet are likely unaware that we do — and that’s a dangerous and unhealthy thing for ourselves, our society, and Nature. “Unintended consequences are the predictable result of intentional ignorance.” ~ Denise DeLuca, Re-Aligning with Nature | Ecological Thinking for Radical Innovation I believe that a core problem is that good people — meaning most of us — make choices that have bad, albeit unintended, consequences. We abdicate responsibility for consequences to the leaders. In our western capitalist society, many of the people we make into leaders — people we choose to follow — are driven to accumulate personal wealth and power, regardless of the consequences to people and planet. They lead from the Conventional Paradigm. Take a moment to reflect on who you are following, what they value, what paradigm drives their decision-making. I’m guessing they are not aligned with your values or Nature’s Paradigm, your Natural Paradigm. It’s an enormous issue, but you can start by being clear about your own values and begin the journey of (re)aligning with Nature and your Natural Paradigm. If you’re curious, I invite you to request your [free] Tiny Transformation Workbook. If you want more, please explore the on-demand course Re-Aligning with Nature, Re-Discovering the Power of Your Natural Inspiration, Creativity, and Wisdom >>> Use the coupon code SUMMER-50 to get the course for 50% off, if you register by the end of August.  You love Nature, you feel good in Nature, you want more Nature in your life. Of course you do — you’re human! According to E.O. Wilson, humans have an innate love of and desire to connect with other living things, with Nature — this is called biophilia. Experiencing biophilia has been shown to provide numerous physiological and neurological benefits.
Most of us seek to experience biophilia by spending time in Nature, gardening, growing plants indoors, and cooking with fresh produce, herbs, and spices. We may also use natural products and patterns to adorn and care for our homes and ourselves. Biophilic design invokes the experience of biophilia in the built environment. This may take shape as a living wall, undulating surfaces, views of nature, or something more subtle like changes in indoor air and lighting throughout the day. Biophilic design has been shown to increase everything from productivity and test scores to creativity and healing. I believe there is yet another way for us to experience biophilia — we can intentionally express our Natural Paradigm [ https://www.wildhazel.net/blog/what-is-natures-paradigm ]. Most of us spend most of our time in the “real world” where we experience and express the Conventional Paradigm: scarcity, individuality, competition, greed, resistance, and fear. Living in this paradigm leads us to feeling too busy, too stressed, too consumptive — and too disconnected from Nature. Most of us only express and experience our Natural Paradigm in our personal time, when we have a chance to engage with the sights, sounds, smells, and sensations of Nature. This is when we view the world with a sense of abundance, systems, synergies, trust, resilience, and curiosity. It’s a wonderful, expansive feeling that is curiously both calming and exciting. Learning to intentionally shift your mindset — and associated behaviors and decisions — from the Conventional Paradigm to the Natural Paradigm allows you to experience the benefits of biophilia any time, from the inside out. What might that look like? I’m guessing you walk around with a sense of scarcity — that you never have enough time or money. That feeling, that assumption, is stressful and makes you act greedy and selfish (though you wouldn’t characterize yourself that way). What if instead you walked around with a sense of abundance? What if you realized that you have enough, probably more than enough? What if your day-to-day goal was to seek more love and beauty, joy and delight, imagination and inspiration — rather than more time and money? If you’re curious, I also invite you to request your [free] Tiny Transformation Workbook [ https://www.wildhazel.net/resources.html ]. If you want more, please explore the on-demand course Re-Aligning with Nature, Re-Discovering the Power of Your Natural Inspiration, Creativity, and Wisdom [ https://www.wildhazel.net/programs.html ] >> Use the coupon code SUMMER-50 to get the course for 50% off, if you register by the end of August.  I recently re-read Viktor Frankl’s book Man’s Search for Meaning. When I read it this time, something new stood out to me — his exploration of The Existential Vacuum:
-- At the beginning of human history, man lost some of the basic animal instincts in which an animal’s behavior is embedded and by which it is secured. Such security, like Paradise, is closed to man forever; man has to make choices. In addition to this, however, man has suffered another loss in his more recent development inasmuch as the traditions which buttressed his behavior are now rapidly diminishing. No instinct tells him what he has to do, and no tradition tells him what he ought to do; sometimes he doesn’t even know what he wishes to do. Instead, he either wishes to do what other people do (conformism) or he does what other people wish him to do (totalitarianism). -- Many of us today talk about our desire to reconnect with Nature, to spend more time in Nature. Many of us believe that if all of us spent more time in Nature, felt more connected to Nature, we would take better care of it. Perhaps what Frankl is saying is that the deeper problem is our disconnection from Nature’s Paradigm and our simultaneous adherence to the Conventional Paradigm. When adhering to the Conventional Paradigm, we are driven by conformism and totalitarianism rather than our own instinctual values and priorities. Under these conditions, the choices we make, individually and collectively, are not only harmful to the planet, they are harmful to our individual sense of self as well as to society as a whole. What is the answer? According to Frankl, we need to search for meaning in life. -- … the true meaning of life is to be discovered in the world, rather than within man or his own psyche, as though it were a closed system. … being human always points, and is directed, to something, or someone, other than oneself. What is called self-actualization is not an attainable aim at all … it is only possible as a side effect of self-transcendence. -- I believe this means that we need to let go of — transcend — our collective value of individuality, competition, greed, and fear, and re-discover our instinctual and natural value of systems, synergies, trust, and curiosity. We need to let go of the triggers and traps of the Conventional Paradigm and re-discover Nature’s Paradigm. I’m very curious what you all think.  Thinking Like Nature — Profound yet Practical
During our recent online workshop series, we talked about the many benefits of Thinking Like Nature. Part of it comes from recognizing, then letting go of, the damaging triggers and traps of the Conventional Paradigm. The other part comes from re-discovering the profound yet practical insights and behaviors that arise from your Natural Paradigm. In the series, we discovered a range of strategies found in Nature for being less busy, being less stressed, and being happy with less. We explored pythons and hummingbirds, leaves and nutcrackers, lichen and aquaporins. I was amazed at the insights that emerged. One of the participants later told me that she put what she learned in the workshop to practical use during a recent overseas trip. She’s a self-proclaimed planner, and gets stressed when things don’t go to plan, so she had a lot of anxiety over the upcoming trip. With good reason, it turned out, as the first flight was delayed and delayed and then finally canceled, meaning they’d miss their international flight and all follow-up ground transport. As she felt her stress levels rise, she recalled how camels store fat in their hump and have numerous strategies for conserving water that allow them to go for days without eating or drinking. With that in mind, she recognized that she had the resources needed to make backup plans, and could wait it out if need be. She also recognized that it was important to conserve her energy, not use it up panicking or getting angry at counter agents or her partner. This was just an inconvenience, not a catastrophe. She also thought about how kelp keep themselves intact in rough waters by being tough and well-rooted, and also by going with the flow. She visualized and tapped into her own inner strength and external support systems, and then let things just flow. In the end, by Thinking Like Nature she managed to get different flights, save her long-awaited vacation, and — more importantly — maintain her sanity, dignity, and kindness to others (others did not fare so well). Upon reflecting, she realized that she always has these strategies available to her. By tapping into her Natural Paradigm she can let go of some of her automatic anxiety and be a better and happier self. How might you benefit by Thinking Like Nature? |
Denise DeLuca
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