Ride the Wave — From Profit and Loss to Flow and Flourishing
Let’s talk Money!
Here in the Land of Milk and Honey!
Yes it is that currency that many believe is the most important Thing!
Yet all that glitters is not gold and can simply be worthless Bling!’
Care to join us for a ride?
So we can turn the tide?
To enable all to flourish and thrive,
Even the Bees in their hive!
It is after all what many are chasing,
As if they are participating in Grand Prix racing!
Don’t let the smoke and mirrors seduce you,
It come at a cost that does not justify the revenue!
What else is possible? You may ask,
It seems like an improbable task!
To look at money in a different way,
As it has always felt it is here to stay!
Do we propose that financial freedom to be made redundant?
Of course not, our birth right is to be prosperous and abundant!
And this does not exclude anyone,
We are all woken daily by the same, glorious sun!
Stay with us a little longer here in this zone,
This podcast Make Rain and Ride the Wave will set the tone,
For our exploration together here,
It will all soon be clear!
Thank you for listening to this Podcast here, as it sets the stage,
And enables us to be on the same page,
We are all Rainmakers and can surf the emerging Waves,
No one needs to struggle or be treated like slaves!
What we are able to imagine is possible…
Imagine lands of milk and honey, inexhaustible wells and fountains of wellness, abundance, and prosperity for all. Flowing rivers in luscious landscapes. Imagine spirals of abundance in all its forms, not only financial, spiraling outwards from its source, where all humans, living creatures and organisms, and our beautiful planet are nourished and can flourish. Imagine complete harmony and balance. Imagine nothing and no one is depleted, impoverished, unfairly treated, or extorted. True wellbeing for all! Imagine this to be true now!
“New ways of thinking about familiar things can release new energies and make all manner of things possible.” Charles Handy
Is it possible for us to think differently about financial resources, financial freedom, and ways of exchange?
We see many new currencies and payment networks emerge in our world, such as cryptocurrencies, Bitcoin, and NFT’s. Yet, a mindset of ‘profit and loss’ still dictates how organizations and businesses operate and forms the basis of success.
Why is a ‘profit and loss’ mindset no longer viable?
Everything has its time, and nothing is set in stone. The cycle of life is one of birth, death, and rebirth. Life in the agricultural-, industrial-, and information eras were very different from what we experience here in the 21st Century.
We have this idea that a paradigm shift and transitions are painful and take a lot of effort. It is however all about perception, our psychological and mental filters, conditioning, and limited frames of reference. Everything we experienced until the present moment informs our frames of reference, prejudices, and point of views. However, other possibilities and emerging patterns are not contained in that frame, which does not mean it is not viable or likely. Likewise, it is difficult to see outside the frame when we are the actors on the canvas and picture. We have to step outside the frame to explore what else is possible by being curious, open-minded, open-hearted, with a sense of adventure and fearlessness.
It is important to mention that the purpose of sharing perspectives on why profit and loss mindsets and strategies are limiting and no longer relevant, is not to shame, blame, or guilt trip.
Before we proceed, it is wise to see where we come from. The events of the 20th Century, namely two world wars, drought, the great depression, and financial crises (during which so much were lost, and the world needed to be rebuilt) created the circumstances for fear of not having enough. This is prevalent especially if we define ourselves and our wellbeing based on material wealth only. It is such fears that create behaviors of greed, hoarding, careless consumption, mindless extraction of natural resources, profit and shareholder value before wellbeing, scarcity and victim consciousness, capitalism, unhealthy competition, corruption, ownership seen as power over others, superiority, and the likes. The result is an imbalance, clearly visible in equity inequality, social injustice, social inequality, and our effect on the environment and for example climate change. What drove behavior in terms of financial freedom and wealth in the 20th Century is no longer valid, relevant, nor does it serve us or our planet.
An eagle’s view tells us an interesting story. A profit and loss-, either/or mindset is a linear-, dualistic-, reductionist, single-minded, close-circuit, 1- and 2-dimensional perspective, and driving force.
We only have to look at the abundance in Nature to realize the limitations of such a perspective, as it excludes all other possibilities in other directions and dimensions. Life does not happen in a linear, 1- and 2 dimensional, dualistic way. Everything is interconnected and interrelated in our 3-dimensional world.
The wellbeing of the whole, thus all involved and impacted, and the organization, is not reflected by the tools we use to guide our business decisions, such as the Balance Sheet and Income Statement. Their purpose is to provide information about the financial position, performance and changes in financial position. Yet, they do not provide a whole-system and full spectrum view of the experiential and impact landscape.
The dilemma with a profit and loss mindset is that it breeds ‘give-to-get’ behavior and mistrust, which does not foster healthy, reciprocal, and generative relationships. It seldom is an equal and fair exchange on all levels and doesn’t reflect how ecosystems in Nature work. Neither does it produce, make, create, and accomplish in harmony with the whole. Sadly an incessant drive to get more, to own more, to ‘make more money’, to buy more, to consume more, to conquer, to control more, and to have power over, holds us captive in an never-ending cycle where we will never have enough or be satisfied.
A lack-and fear-based strategy; fear of not having enough, fear of not being good enough, and fear of not achieving goals and targets, a profit and loss mindset and driving force distracts and keeps us from being truly abundant and prosperous. It takes us out of a flow state and our ability to thrive. Instead of being inspirational and motivational, it creates unnecessary stress, doubts in our abilities, pressure, unrealistic, usually one-sided expectations, hidden agendas, suspicion, misunderstandings, burnout, unhealthy competition. overwhelm, uncertainty, and a sense of instability.
Subconscious fears arise due to fear of failure and rejection, which stymies progress, accomplishment, our ability to experience wellbeing and our ability to actualize our intentions, goals, and visions with a sense of fulfilment and joy. The perception that we start from a place of not enough to one that is enough (profit) in some future time, based on someone else’s expectations, is one born of lack. It takes our attention away from what is available to us in the present moment, which in turn creates fear of the future and uncertainty. Does it mean we should not have goals, visions, and intentions? Of course we should have these, yet when not driven by lack and fear we are able to access a flow state during which all involved and impacted can harness true abundance, infinite possibilities, wholesomeness, wellbeing on all levels, and can flourish as a result.
Flow and Flourishing
“Wealth is the ability to fully experience life.” Henry David Thoreau
There is absolutely nothing wrong with being wealthy, nor with a constructive, prolific, regenerative enterprise, yet not if it is to the detriment of the overall wellbeing of others, our beautiful planet and other living creatures and organisms. We prefer to use the word prolific rather than profitable, as it includes wellbeing for all involved and is something that can grow that continuously bear fruit, whilst also honoring all the cycles of life involved.
It is important for us to take a step back, ponder upon, and sense into what true prosperity and abundance for all means here in the interconnected 21st Century, where we have no excuses to be indifferent and ignorant, as we became aware of our impact on each other and our planet, have access to infinite information and knowledge, and can make more conscious and aware decisions in every moment.
You may be curious about how it is possible to transition from any outdated and no longer valid mindsets and behavioral patterns to a scenario where all can flourish. And yes, there is no quick fix and we are aware that taking from some to give to others is not a practical solution.
However, we shared a true story in the podcast Make Rain and Ride the Wave, demonstrating how ‘being part of an emerging pattern and wave’ and ‘making rain’ resulted in a flow state where all flourished and all expectations were exceeded, in ways beyond logic and reason. The beauty of it is that it happened in a spontaneous, synergistic, mutually supportive way.
A wise man, who transformed many industries in the late 19th and beginning of the 20st Century in the USA, believed that if we want to go somewhere, we need to make a decision that we are not going to stay where we are.
Such a shift is thus possible when we make a deliberate, conscious, congruent, and informed decision to make a shift. Thereafter we can begin to explore other possibilities and experiment with these different contexts and ways. The most graceful way is to sense into, explore, and harness emerging patterns and to access a flow state by ‘making rain’.
How can we make rain so all can flourish?
Nature’s abundance is tangible in the wisdom that it so generously share. Many wise ones, such as Leonardo da Vinci and Albert Einstein pointed us to Nature when we look for solutions to dilemmas we face. We are part of Nature and do not exist in our own little bubbles. We impact everything and everyone around us.
“Don’t judge each day by the harvest you reap but by the seeds you plant.” Robert Louis Stevenson
What can we thus learn from Nature related to flourishing and abundance? It shares its gifts generously with all of humanity and nourishes us all freely, as it does not discriminate in any way, It is humans who commoditized the abundant fruits of Nature and who claimed ownership of land, natural resources, and even the fruits of Nature.
We somehow lost the plot and have become disconnected from Nature that caused the current imbalances in the world. We did not consider the environment and did not innovate or produce in harmony with Nature. Our linear approach to wealth disregarded the natural cycles of Life and is misaligned with the way Nature works. Yet it is not too late, and we can embrace and integrate the lesson learned into our current strategies and processes.
In order to harvest and be nourished by the wholesome produce and gifts of Nature, seeds must be sown in fertile soil that is toiled so it can be re-oxygenated after the resting period of the land (fallow). The soil is thus prepared. For our seeds to flourish they need to be planted in the right conditions and climate. The weeds (unwanted and harming influences) need to be removed throughout the growth process. Rain nourishes the seeds, and the fertile soil feeds the seeds so they can begin to germinate and take root. Soon the seed breaks out of its husk and turns into a seeding that bursts through the hard soil towards the nourishing and stimulating rays of the Sun. Rain continues to nourish the plant/ tree and the Sun helps the plants to make their own food through the photosynthesis process. In the larger ecosystem symbiotic relationships support and nourish the plant/tree and cross-pollination takes place to continue life. When the time is right the plant/tree begins to bear fruit, vegetables, legumes, grains, or blossoms and flowers.
When ready, we harvest the yield. These gifts from Nature nourish us and metabolize into energy, which enables us to move around and do things. During Autumn the leaves change color. whilst some trees shed their leaves, which in turn becomes natural fertilizer for the larger ecosystem. The soil rest during Winter to rejuvenate so balance can take place, and after which the cycle starts all over again in harmony with all the elements. A natural flow-state of abundance in all its forms! Some key elements to flourishing are the right conditions, climate, temperature, the sun, rain (water), oxygen (life-force), wind (movement) fertile soil, care, and nourishment throughout the germination and growth process.
Our dilemmas is that we do not follow the cycles of Nature when we create, make, innovate, and produce, nor when our focus is profit and continuous harvesting. We neglect or completely ignore vital elements in our linear way of achieving goals, which result in depletion, extortion, and extraction. We are disconnected from the environment, do not allow time for fallow, neither do we sow new seeds every cycle. Our environments are not the right conditions for flourishing and we expect the ‘old’ seeds to continuously provide ‘fruits’, without ample time for fallow, rejuvenation, re-oxygenation, preparation, the necessary nourishment, cross-pollination, support systems, time for gestation and growth, or the removing of unwanted influences (weeds). No wonder we deplete our people and the environment.
Furthermore, we are indifferent and oblivious to the type of seeds we sow. Many sow seeds of fear, distrust, and lack. They take us into a state of suspicion, micromanagement and overbearing control, which requires lots of resources that stymie natural progress, growth, and flow. Such seeds do not yield into wellbeing, sense of purpose, abundance, and prosperity, as it generates discontent, resentment, disappointment, and regret.
“ I planted the seeds, they will surely germinate.” Kwame Nkrumah — First President of Ghana
This type of trust is not evident in the current work- and marketplace. A flow state bring about uncommon trust, as there is no perception that we are separate from the life-force that runs through all living beings, creatures, organisms, and our planet. Likewise, there is no fear of not having enough, not being good enough, or of the future. Hence no false sense of security, instability, unnamed fears, worries, and concerns. We no longer need guarantees, as we trust and are aligned to the natural flow and abundance of Nature and Life itself. Risk orientated thinking is replaced by intuitive clarity and creative- and critical thinking.
Time-, productivity-, and performance management, all require intense attention, continuous evaluation, and multiple resources, processes, and systems. The cost of control, management, and evaluation is not feasible in relation to what core activities are required to fulfil the vision of a healthy, prolific, and regenerative organization. They all add unnecessary expenses and do not foster or inspire abilities that are needed for flourishing in the 21st Century organizations and businesses, such as agile, self-adapting, self- organizing, self-directed, self-motivated, self-empowered, self-responsible, and autonomous team members and teams.
In contrast, when we operate in a flow state, we enter a timeless space where trust begets self-trust. Such uncommon trust elevate us, and we go the extra mile when necessary without feeling used or drained, as it is always followed by time to replenish and rejuvenate ourselves, and for self-care. Whilst in flow we are so focused and absorbed in what we do that there is no need for someone to ensure we are productive. Latent forces, talents, and abilities come alive, which energize and inspire, causing us to stay in flow. There is thus hardly ever a need to use unnecessary resources to monitor our performance. That does not mean we do not track our progress, impact, and reach.
Spirals of Manifestation
In a flow state, like nourishing rain, where a raindrop ripples outwards into all directions in a lake and rivers are flowing towards the ocean with many rivulets along the way, there are many outflows, and not just one expected outcome. Abundance are exponentially flowing into all directions, and we are able to follow the flow, impact, and reach of these spirals of manifestation. Each outflow in itself is both generative and regenerative.
In a linear, a to be perspective, where a is the ‘as is’ and b is the ‘to be’, thus a specific, expected outcome is limiting. It creates closed-circuit thinking, as we exclude all other possibilities. And it is impossible to plan for the unexpected and respond to disruptions when we follow rigid, linear-based project plans and strategies. Does it mean we must not have plans and objectives, or measure and monitor? Of course we need these, yet it is for a different reason. We utilize non-linear tools to provide a real-time, full spectrum, multifaceted, and multi-dimensional view, which assist us to prepare, navigate, create coherence, adjust and align when necessary, and to track our wellbeing, flow, progress, direction, and impact.
We are also not trapped in singlemindedness and are open to synchronicities and other possibilities that arise and unfold throughout the process. We are able respond to unexpected events and disruptions in a prepared, connected, and aware way, and not as victims or failures. We see these events as opportunities to realize our vision and mission in ways we could not foresee when we originally set our goals. It is rather like setting your course and then making adjustments along the way when necessary.
This knowing that our ‘river’ has a such a reach and that it flows naturally to the ocean where we are able to ride the emerging waves, creates an even deeper level of connection and trust. It represents the flow and abundance of Life itself.
Why is harnessing and riding emerging waves so powerful?
“Newness is the energy of the edge of chaos, the place where the familiar and the unexpected and the unpredictable meet, the place of life and emergence.” David Spangler
Riding the wave of emerging patterns releases a potent, dynamic, and powerful energy, which not only takes us into a flow state, it also creates an environment where we do not waste or expend unnecessary energy, as it is so focused, clear, and directed. Simply think of the power of wave energy at the ocean, the energy surge and then the release, and the ebb and flow. We are both the wave and the ocean, and this knowing of being part of something bigger than ourselves bring inner peace, confidence, vitality, uncommon trust, and endurance.
The difference between a tungsten light bulb and a laser beam demonstrates this beautifully, as there are both intentional direction and coherence. I love how William Tiller in Science and Transformation speaks about it. He says a typical 60 watt light bulb gives off 1 watt/cm2 of light. By comparison, the sun‘s surface emits about 6000 watts per cm2. The vast majority of a light bulb’s energy is wasted because of destructive interference; that is, its waves cancel each other out, since they are not focused in the same direction at the same time. A laser beam, by contrast, has highly coherent light, which is why it is so powerful. If the light coming from a 60 watt light bulb were coherent, their energy density would be thousands to millions times higher than the surface of the sun.
Imagine the impact and what can be possible when we are so focused and coherent whilst leveraging wave energy. We are on track and the direction compels us. And yes there may be events like detours, distractions, dead-ends, and disruptions along the way. These can be blessings in disguise to slow us down, and to ensure we stay connected to our environment, and have time to interpret the signals so we can adjust our course of action and interaction.
Now relate this to wellbeing; abundance, and prosperity for all. Once again it creates a flow state, and we no longer need to struggle on our own, as the collective energy nourishes and feeds us. No energy or resources are unnecessary expended, thus no unnecessary depletion, consumption, stress, burnout, pressure, or fragmented attention. Once we are able to ride the wave, which does take some skill and practice, we are like the laser beam, coherent with powerful impact.
Nourishment for Life
“In times of chaos and trouble, the fools build dams and the wise bridges.” Nigerian Proverb
In Sweden the word for business is ‘Närings liv’, which means nourishment for life. Imagine such a reason for working and creating together? That sounds and feels like wellbeing, abundance, and nourishment for all, for life.
We can be fools and incessantly gather and hoard our ‘wealth’ and take what we can get from others and Nature, or we can build bridges to shift from a profit and loss mindset to flow and flourishing for all.
The magic of a bridge is that it allows us to go and explore what is on the other side of the river, whilst we have the ability to travel back and forth, in both directions, when needed. And when we are ready for our onwards journey, we are prepared and are able to make the transition in a more empowered, smooth, and graceful way. We are ready to ride the emerging way and the flow of the river reminds us constantly of a flow state when we get stuck in old mindsets and patterns.
How can we create such a bridge?
With so many expectations from various stakeholders, continuous demands for our attention, dealing with the unexpected, orchestrating coherence, creating the right conditions for these new ways so all can flourish, staying in flow, and being focused on fulfilling our intentions, goals, and visions, how is it possible to build bridges? Are we expected to be superheroes? Don’t we have enough stress and pressure as it is?
This seems like a lot of work and effort, does it not? Yet don’t be fooled! Consider this for a moment.
What we believe impacts how we think. What we think impacts how we feel. What we feel impacts how we behave. How we behave impacts what we manifest/actualize. Thus it all starts with a belief and a mindset.
How can we expand our belief and mindsets relating to profit and loss, and fears about not having enough?
It is through a personal experience of a new paradigm and mindset that we are able to relate, perceive, and experiment with it.
Sharing expanded perception, discovery journeys to explore different perspectives, creative thinking, and embodied sensemaking adventures, experiences, and events with leaders, executives, teams, entrepreneurs, activists, change agents, individuals, groups, networks, and communities in different contexts, industries, and environments, on 4 continents, we discovered the following helpful guidelines:
On a personal level:
1. Go on a mental holiday. Relax your mind so you can access your free- associating mind and exercise your mental dexterity muscles
2. Bring some meaningful fun into the situation. Invite your open-minded and curious scientist to embark on a quest
3. When you find yourself thinking financial resources or lack thereof, ask open questions, such as, ‘How can we re-enter a state of flow and flourishing? and stay open to synchronicities and observe the signals from the environment. To try to figure it out will only create more stress, confusion, doubt, and fear of lack
On a team, group, or organizational level:
1. Invite a sense of adventure. Surprise others with unexpected, non-conventional, out of character behavior that is not focused on achieving targets, goals, etc.
2. Relax control one day a week and embrace the law of allowance, which leads to incredible mutual trust and bring us back into flow
3. Prosperity is the sibling of happiness, joy, and fun. Beyond functions, roles, and labels, take time to discover what energizes and makes your people come alive!
Join us for an inhouse virtual treasure hunt to discover and recognize:
1. The non-financial ‘gold’ in yourself, and your team, division, group, network, organization and business
2. What is alive and busy growing? What is out of balance? What needs tending?
3. How to empower the habits of all involved to bring about a shift in mindset relating to profit and loss that will result in flow and flourishing for all
Connect with us at welcome@thepossibilitygap.com to initiate and plan your inhouse virtual treasure hunt.
Opportunity meets Science
Harnessing our organizational (also individual, team, network, or community) Sensemaking Intelligence (SI) assists us to step into a flow state, to make rain, and to explore, harness, and embody the patterns and waves busy emerging in the world.
You are welcome to join our upcoming online Flow Salon — Follow the Flow by Harnessing your Organizational Sensemaking Intelligence (SI) on 17 March 2022, from 13h00–14h00 EST via zoom. You can register here to reserve your seat. It is also available inhouse at your convenience. It is not merely a generic strategic exploration, as it addresses your specific requirements, provides relevant context, and the outflow is energized, generative, aligned, synchronized, actions and coherent interaction, with practical application and the ability to track the unfolding outflows, impact, and progress. We partner with quantum physics to exponentially expand and impact so all can flourish.
Surprise Bonus
Who does not love to receive a bonus? Yes, this is not it! Upon registering for and participating in our Flow Salon -Follow the Flow by Harnessing Organizational Sensemaking Intelligence (SI), you receive a 15 minute complimentary online, personalized tour of how leveraging your ‘Wellness and Abundance Pattern and Maps’ and becoming part of a ‘Flow Economy’ can transform the overall wellbeing of your people and organization.
Ready to follow and track the flow of abundance and prosperity in your business and organization?
Connect with us at welcome@thepossibilitygap.com if you wish to explore how you can shift from a Profit and Loss Strategy to Flow and Flourishing for All. Our team is excited and ready to respond within 36 hours.
This article is part of our ‘Set the Tone’ Multimedia Series, during which we Set the Tone for the coming years. You are welcome to visit our website at www.thepossibilitygap.com for more details and to follow our organization on Linkedin here, where we share more details of our research initiatives related to the Future of Work, the Future of Leadership, and the Future of Humanity.
Thank you for your curiosity and attention,
and for being willing to explore beyond the normal and convention!