Ego to Eco
What does our current paradigm look like? Where do we want to go and how can we create a lasting paradigm shift?
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What does our current paradigm look like? Where do we want to go and how can we create a lasting paradigm shift?
Last updated
We sat down for a talk with Co-Responsable co-founder and social entrepreneur, Edith Claros to better understand what that means. Specifically:
If we want to create change, how & why must change-makers change their way of thinking?
What are practical steps that innovators can start to take?
To facilitate, the interview is divided into three capsules: meet Edith Claros, Why & How an internal shift is needed to create an external paradigm shift, and What practical tips innovators like yourself can put into practice.
Key takeaways:
Co-Responsable's challenge? To raise conciousness so that we are aware ourselves and then act from that place of awareness. Making an impact from the inside out as opposed to from the outside in, which is what our fast-paced paradigm pushes now. For example, when outside factors like stress, deadlines, or others' actions cause you to react.
Key takeaways:
Our success in making positive interventions depends on our inner condition as the intervener. To change our actions, we must look inward, adjust our consciousness, and become aware of who we are and what we want to create.
Without this awareness, we may unknowingly create negative impacts. Similarly, if we don't change our approach to ourselves and continue with quick, unreflective actions, we will perpetuate ineffective systems.
To create meaningful impact, we must move beyond our own bubble and actively listen to the whole system, particularly vulnerable groups at the system's borders. Designing from a place of deep, empathetic listening can create a truly ecosystemic solution as opposed to marginalizing or silencing more. This type of listening requires us to shed our preconceived notions (ego).
Often, we go right from ideas to action, without listening and creating spaces of stillness to reflect and therefore without going to the roots of the challenge. We act from our ego--our existing thoughts-- and that is reactive design. Before doing, we need to stop, listen, and see and sense the situation, including ourselves and all the members of the system. When we do that, we're able to go beyond the ego and design for the eco(system).
We used to have the capacity to reflect and change from the roots but we have forgotten how to do that. In our current ego paradigm, we move too fast, have too much stimulation, and we look superficially. Our society's structure makes it incredibly difficult to look deeply, think with, and propose solutions from an eco(system) mindset.
Key takeaways:
Take time for silence and reflection before you act, to deeply listen to and sense yourself and the situation first
Activate awareness: when you wake up, take even just one minute to check in with yourself. How are you? How does your body feel? How are you breathing?
Listen better: Listen to news or topics you typically ignore and assess your listening. Are you truly open or still holding onto your own views? Approach with curiosity, as if you're new to the topic, and see if there's something new for you to learn.
Frustration arises when we have specific expectations and try to control outcomes, only to find that the end result is different. Instead of focusing on changing external circumstances, it is important to look within ourselves. Take a moment to reflect on what you truly sense and feel about a situation. When we respond authentically from that space of coherence, aligning our actions with our genuine feelings, rather than trying to force a particular outcome, we are acting from a place of well-being.
