The Greatest Threat to Our Environment…
A quote that my company, Dvinci Energy, lives by is, “The greatest threat to our environment is the belief that someone else will save it” by Robert Swan. In my opinion, without resolve, initiative and consistent hard work from fellow human beings, then our environment is destined for eventual destruction.
What’s interesting is that the same holds true for our personal environment. See, there are four main themes that activate our flow state, the state that leads to optimal results and maximum impact. Today we’ll be talking about our personal environmental triggers and why it is important that we save and monitor our own internal environment, first.
Today, we live in a Rich Environment. It is an environment full of danger and therefore rich in opportunity. It is full of unpredictability, which requires us to hone in and focus on the next step to not get overwhelmed. And, complexity, which is a combination of this rich opportunity and its unpredictable nature.
Today’s environment is leading to the most outstanding breakthroughs this world has ever seen, it is leading to brand new levels of innovation and philosophy which is ushering our generation into the next age of how we live life. It is evident in almost every single industry, whether it’s the record number of record breaking performances in sports, or the mind-bending breakthroughs we are having in technology with things like A.I. and virtual reality.
So, the key is, how do we implement these triggers into our work environments? On the surface, it may seem counterintuitive. But from what I have read and experienced, it's that we find bigger problems, we create an unpredictable terrain, and we introduce complex solutions.
The work I do with my team at Dvinci Energy is a perfect example of this type of environment in action. Across the nation we have door to door sales consultants throwing themselves into the danger of massive rejection, the unpredictability of knocking on stranger’s door, and the complex nature of showing homeowners why solar is a great idea (no brainer) for their home.
Dvinci Energy’s environment creates a constant exposure to triggers that develop flow.
On a macro level, Dvinci Energy was born out of an environment that required it to operate in a flow state at all times, in light of solving one of the world’s biggest problems, the decentralizing and distribution of renewable energy technology and education.
Which leads us to our next trigger, an environment with High Consequences. As we explored in my last article, Flow Follows Focus. With that in mind, it is important to note that high consequences inherently captures a lot of our focus. When the risks are high, we don’t need to force or push ourselves to concentrate, the high stakes do the job for us.
Think about something extreme like cliff diving with wingsuits. When you talk to those extreme athletes they will be the first to tell you that they are not forcing themselves to not be distracted by the incredible views they are witnessing when they’re in the air, every ounce of their consciousness is focused on their next move. This deep state of flow is required for them not to DIE, making extreme sports a go to for flow junkies.
The consequence of a job not well done for Dvinci Energy means we do not do our part in saving the world. We not only let ourselves down, but we let our family, our community, our world and future generations down as well… Those are some pretty high stakes, and it’s what leads to relentless focus from Dvinci Energy.
In your workplace, you might not have the liberty of working for a renewable energy company whose mission is to help save the world, and that’s okay, that’s not the point. The point is that we have the power to create and save our own environment. Find big problems, don’t be afraid to get uncomfortable, and challenge our ability to figure out complex issues.
Don’t be afraid to take risks because as psychiatrist Ned Hallowell says, “To reach flow, one must be willing to take risks. The lover must be willing to risk rejection to enter this state… The artist must be willing to be scorned and despised by critics and the public and still push on. And the average person- you and me- must be willing to fail, look foolish, and fall flat on our faces should we wish to enter this state [of flow]”.