Power vs Life: Towards Wide Boundary Sovereignty
Frankly #82
We are alive at a critical juncture for human civilization, and the biosphere, where the pursuit and accumulation of power - accelerated by technology and AI - increasingly threatens the support systems of the diversity and majesty of complex life on Earth. These high stakes of our times require a radical reimagination and commitment to who we are capable of becoming as homo sapiens: a shift from narrow to wide-boundary sovereignty, moving beyond individual survival strategies and towards collective wisdom and restraint.
In this Frankly, I outline nine aspirational categories for empowering more individuals towards mature and resilient development in service of life. From intellectual to ecological to psycho-spiritual, these act as signposts to help guide us towards forming interconnected islands of coherence in the face of an uncertain future.
What does it mean to be authentically sovereign in an interconnected world? How can we develop personal and collective resilience? And what changes can you make in your own life to help better steer humanity through the turbulence of our times?
In case you missed it…
This week, I was joined by European Regional Director for The Red Cross, Birgitte Bischoff, to discuss her vision for the future of humanitarian work and the challenges and opportunities for more proactive and prepared planning. Together, we discussed the critical importance of individual volunteers and the integration of a systems thinking approach at The Red Cross.
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Thanks for your vulnerability about how you are learning to stay more balanced in your life. "Vulnerability risks hurt, disappointment, and failure. Yet it remains a vital opening to change and to truth. We should not see our vulnerability as something we need to hide or get over. The slow and difficult work of living out your vulnerability holds you in the flow of life." - from Eternal Echoes by John O'Donohue, a book I highly recommend (all his books are excellent)
Thanks for this one, Nate. I don't have have any mentors or group members to lean on and commune with in this regard...yet? This talk has given me a lot to think about, but in a structured and soulful way that helps amidst the gathering political storm.
If you have any local guidance or connections for me to reach out to here in Sacramento, CA, I'm all ears.