We’re happy anding!
Happy Anding — metaphorically and literally — is at the heart of our unwaveringly creative, optimistic spirit.
Beyond the mechanized reductionist Industrial Age…living into a life-affirming civilization for humanity and a living planet…we’re challenged to bring forward the good stuff. We don’t throw the proverbial baby out with the bath water. We put decades of accumulated knowledge and ancient wisdom into meaningful service. We honour and restore what has been lost — our rooted Indigeneity.
Forward facing — drawing from and developing our co-creative human capacity, potential and spirit, we are co-discovering viable collaborative pathways that make space for science and art, knowledge, ways of knowing and our unknowingness.
Lots of and-and.
We’re dancing with complexity, systems and diversity.…embracing our inherent messy humanness and paradox. We welcome gifts differing, trusting that together, collectively, things are more figureoutable.
Guided by deep compassion, care, grounded hope and a moral compass that helps us move mindfully and adaptively, we’re doing our best in the roughly right ways to head in the roughly right direction.
While it’s very easy to slip down a spiralling vortex of negativity, it’s really not that difficult to consciously shift toward mental models that open up exploratory space and landscapes for possibilities.
The words we choose can make a big or subtle difference as we work together in collaborative co-creation.
‘And,’ is such a simple common word that we use as a conjunction, to bridge and combine any number of things or thoughts. This humble little word actually carries way more potential and power than most people realize.
As an antidote to pervasive binary either-or, linear thinking and divisive polarizing debate that boxes us in and limits what’s possible — and-and makes space for more. There’s always more…
We often discover that ANDs can easily take the place of BUTs, a word that all too often has the effect of invalidating or nullifying our own or someone else’s thoughts or ideas. Perfectly wonderful opportunities to build on ideas and nurture co-creative energy can be lost when the BUTs creep in — settling into the conversation, crowding out possibilities and casting shadows of doubt.
We also coined some fUN and silly new words that playfully emerged when we were discussing this topic. These are an evolving repertoire of fUNdamentals and an ongoing reminder to make space for spirited lighthearted creativity.
Anding amplifies the importance of and, turning it into an actionable verb…
Anding reflects an indomitable can-be and can-do spirit…which led to canding…
The whimsical expression ‘Happy Anding’ was offered at the end of one of our creative exploratory and-and brainstorming sessions.
Another playful addition…Tom Atlee, with his natural affinity for pattern languaging, suggested that our collaborative work helps us navigate forward…hand-in-hand…
Sometimes…not always…meanings and possibilities…are endless.
Yes! We’re all about And-And, Anding, Canding, Happy Andings and navigating hand-in-hand…
We’ve all had our share of soul-sucking experiences that cause our lights to dim, fade and flicker-out. Reflecting on some of those moments and days…they might have been pretty dark, deplete of the joyful resilient spirit we all need to sustain ourselves for this long journey. Some of those andless days… lacking ANDS…felt pretty hopeless.
And so…we’re also f*cking determined to discover and help shape possibilities when at first they are seemingly no where in sight, or when they’ve been prematurely dampened.
We ask lots of questions…at times…endless questions, when prospects look bleak. Is that possibly because:
🌀 We can’t see around corners…beyond our immediate horizons?
🌀 We’re blocked by linear left brain thinking, looking too hard for direct causal links and iron-clad pre-proof that ideas will fly?
🌀 We are limited by our own limited lived experience and we need to invite others with differentiated experience and capabilities into a wider co-imagining space?
🌀 Our mental models, ways of thinking and viewing things, are constricting our capacity to see beyond artificial borders or boundaries?
🌀 We’ve been programmed by (performative) standards of success and progress (pervasive norms) that are no longer fit for life-affirming purpose?
🌀 We’ve been worn down, shut down and discouraged so often — the courage of our own crazy creative convictions have eroded?
Some impossibles are unimpossible.
“It always seems impossible until it is done.” ~ Nelson Mandela
We often hear people talking about the impossible, and all the countless reasons why something can’t or won’t change anytime soon — if at all. Increasingly, however, people recognize the compelling need to achieve the (seeming) impossible, most poignantly for example, in the face of looming, escalating climate change and destabilizing world events— symptomatic of deeper overlapping systemic crises.
Lots of things seem impossible and are made so, by our own fixed mindsets, sense of paralysis, limiting beliefs and self-fulfilling behaviour.
As we look back through the rearview mirror, we can cite many examples of the impossible that transformed through cycles of determined experimentation, adaptation, active learning, new knowledge and ways of knowing.
“Out of this darkness a new world can arise, not to be constructed by our minds so much as to emerge from our dreams. Even though we cannot see clearly how it’s going to turn out, we are still called to let the future into our imagination. We will never be able to build what we have not first cherished in our hearts.” ~ Joanna Macy
When we orient our navigation with futures literacy:
🌀 Dancing with uncertainty…
🌀 Accepting that there are no guarantees…
🌀 Allowing for possibilities…
🌀 Creatively imagining…
🌀 Learning (and failing forward) …
…the impossible can potentially become the possible, and irrefutably proven as doable.
The wisdom of nature and biomimicry are sources of inspiration for innovative design and breakthroughs toward regenerative ways of living and working.
Being unrelentingly unstitutional, we dance from that determined can-be-and-can-do and why-not place.
“If we can recognize that change and uncertainty are basic principles, we can greet the future and the transformation we are undergoing with the understanding that we do not know enough to be pessimistic.” ~ Hazel Henderson
While facing many foreboding concerns, we generally do our level best, to expand the possibilities for yet-to-be-imagined-and-conceived creative alternatives.
Not only are many things possible…they are unimpossible.
Unless…
How do we shift from the impossible to the unimpossible to the possible, doable — being and doing?
There are many things we can’t do as long as we keep on boxing ourselves into endless streams of limiting BUTs. The BUTs often have a way of fragmenting us, cutting off the flow of creativity…the oxygen supply that might otherwise breathe life into those early embryonic ideas — becoming the seeds of possibilities…rather than seeds of doubt, that prematurely stunt and shut us down.
Here’s a thought…and an alternative to all those discouraging imposing BUTs…
We can sometimes turn things around by using that neglected, yet so co-creative little word: unless.
We can’t do that… unless…we allow and invite the headspace for and-and…
“We can’t do that… unless…” challenges us to identify and explore other factors, surrounding conditions and crazy outlandish ideas that might open up the pathways to what can become possible and made doable.
Handfuls of possibilities and ‘aha’ moments might start to accrue when this happens. Infectious optimism can catch on, tapping into a wider collective co-intelligent flow. As we widen our lens and deepen our understanding we are potentially able to see beyond previously limiting horizons.
As we make space for possibilities, we might just discover ways to hold the inherent tension of paradox…how (un)less is more!
Better than before…and maybe even outstanding…
Letting go of the need to predetermine or prescribe answers that too often fall short…we might co-discover more viable andswers. Paul Mooney with his dialogic sensibilities gifted us with that variation…a fitting andidote for these turbulent liminal times…
It’s not magic…but it can be magical!
The creative happy anding we’re embracing and inviting, opens up pathways and potential for grounded (not blind) hope.
Happy anding is an alternative framing to the dystopian hopelessness — the dark shroud of gloom — that can create paralyzing inertia, fear and apathy.
This isn’t pollyanna rose-hued denial. We face the wickedness of meta-poly-perma overlapping systemic crises and the domino of tipping points pointing to the patterns of collapse. We simultaneously accept and feel some raw and real, inevitable anguish and grief.
Happy anding is a welcome portal to possibilities. We do our best to step up mindful (generative) activation in a wide variety of ways. Under any scenario, with no way to definitively know how things will unfold, we do what makes common[s] sense. We do all we can, what is ours to do, to support the kinds of SHfT that might help to shift the trajectory.
Sometimes rare or obsolete words can be pulled out of retirement and put to good use. Here are a few that resonate with our happy anding spirit, found in Paul Anthony Jones’s book The Cabinet of Calm: Soothing words for Troubled Times.
🌀 Respair: “The return of hope after a period of despair and to have hope again.”
🌀 Meliorism: “The belief that the world, or society, may be improved and suffering alleviated through rightly directed human effort.”
We all need a big dose of respair, and meliorism. To sustain the energy to keep going, the human spirit is fuelled by optimism and hope — real grounded hope — or active hope as Joanna Macy defined it — not blind or false hope that invariably wears thin. Together, there is much we can do, and are doing, to inspire hope, fuelled by individual and collective coherent agency, supported by emergent and strategic navigation that can help us gain traction and resilience.
🌀 What unimpossibles are you imagining and pursuing?
🌀 How might our collaborative commons synergies and communities, initiatives and coalition work and themes dovetail with your interests and efforts — the things you most care about, that fuel your passion and energy?
🌀 How might we spark, re-ignite, co-inspire and advance co-creative possibilities and pilots?
We’d love to hear about your dreams and-and see what we might uncover, recover and co-discover.
If you’re on LinkedIn, you will also find lots of insightful, spirited reflections when you search the hashtags #messyhumanness and #wisdomwithteeth
Some after notes…
The words we choose, craft and use are important. The meanings and possibilities we attach to our words — matter. Our tendencies to become too attached to our words and labels can also create barriers. Our ability to let go of some of our words and experiment with new ones can open up new portals to understanding and creative possibilities.
Our words can captivate or widen gaps. Too often — they also trap and ensnare. We need our words to build bridges…to invite ways of seeing with fresh eyes.
Many of our words and metaphors ring hollow…and so we endeavour to find new labels and words, new (re)combinations, new metaphors and symbols that might reach out wider and deeper — (re)igniting the imagination of our spirit and souls.
More than ever, we need our words to spark joy…to inspire hope…to reach and touch our souls…We need our words to shape new stories while honouring time-honoured old stories, tapping our capacity for love-of-life and the livingness that matters above all else — where meaning resides.
We are barely scratching the surface here…
We’ve been crafting and adapting an Unstitution Lexicon over the past three years — an interactional source of inspiration for our work and the articles published and regularly updated here on Medium. We seek to build and bridge greater clarity and understanding — crucial to all aspects of collaborative engagement.
A living work-in-progress, the lexicon reflects many of the concepts and words we choose, adopt and use. We’ve observed that many commonly used words conjure varying interpretations. We’ve redeemed and/or reframed some words and concepts that seem to have become misconstrued, conflated or have lost their original meaning or value. Inventing a few new terms or expressions captures some of our unstitutional, playful spirited intent.
The lexicon provides another fractal-like glimpse into the unstitutional ethos. Sometimes we labour to mindfully choose our words. Sometimes we spontaneously let them (over)flow…then we reflect and adapt. We recognize that language can be a clumsy tool. The power of this stuff meaningfully comes alive and activated in relationships — as we engage, interrelate and make sense and meaning within and across the ever-changing, moving contexts and landscapes of our ongoing work.
*This article was updated June 2024, reflecting additional perspectives and ongoing action research, as we continue to observe, listen, assimilate, curate and adapt — a learning journey for us all.
Unstitution was birthed as a collective creative commons and nested ecosystem. We (co-)catalyze and support collaborative communities, initiatives and coalitions where people from across sectors, disciplines, cultures, generations and walks-of-life work together on mission critical issues. From readiness through to regenerative progress — moving beyond polarization — is how we roll. The links embedded throughout this article are a warm invitation to go a bit deeper, at any time. For more insights reflecting our ongoing journey, our suite of Unstitution articles are published on Medium. They portray a small sample of the ways we are adapting and contributing among ever-expanding commons-based communities and initiatives inspired and fuelled by citizens — perhaps better described as denizens — anywhere in the world — living into the principles and spirit that govern our collaborative work
You can follow Unstitution and engage with us on LinkedIn.
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