Nature of Heart

Constraints

Feelings of uselessness may be directly related to identifiable constraints.

Long after a destructive flood, patches of green border the small stream that flows unimpeded through a still-broken canal lock. The lock gates wait for their time of repair. One of the massive horizontal poles used to control the lock gates, and thus the flow of water in the lock, is still in place, but useless without the gates. It is secured in its uselessness by a sturdy wire cable that prevents its movement.

Points to Ponder . . .

• Have you ever experienced a feeling of uselessness in your organization when, for some reason, you were constrained from making a contribution you wanted to make? if so, what effect did this have on your work? The work of your group?
• What would you identify as "sturdy wire cables" in an organization? What is your thinking about the use of "sturdy wire cables" to prevent movement?
• When something isn't working the way you or your organization thinks it should, what might be alternatives to securing it in its uselessness?

Posted by Wanda McGee - 04/25/10, 06:08 PM

Rock Art

What you see depends on how and where you're looking.

The image of a huge "watch bird," etched by nature on the face of a massive boulder, keeps silent watch over Widewater. When the canal is full, the bird seems to study its own reflection as its pointed beak brushes the surface of the water. By contrast, during a time of extreme low water, the stony sentinel becomes a guardian, not if its reflection, but of a pile of rocks.

• What image does the symbol of a "watch bird" evoke?
• What purpose might such a symbol serve in your life?
• What is likely to happen when you focus on the surface of your life and miss the bigger picture?
• What can you do to make sure you are simultaneously aware of both the big picture and the details of your life?

Posted by Wanda McGee - 04/17/10, 06:42 AM

White Squirrels in Florida

Quite a number of white squirrels were observed during a camping trip in Ochlockonee River State Park, FL.  Relying on information at whitesquirrelinstitute, it appears the squirrels are a mutation, with a gray head patch and dorsal stripe.There are probably enough white squirrels in Ochlockonee to be a colony (i.e., 20) as defined by the Institute.

Posted by Wanda McGee - 04/10/10, 04:03 PM

Structures

The effects of wear and tear are less noticeable on nature's structures than on those shaped by human hands.

A concrete footbridge at one end of Widewater rests on fully visible pilings as it traverses a dry channel. The gray concrete pillars, poured with 90-degree edges, are disclosed during times of extreme low water. They stand in formal contrast to nature's chaotic arrangement of canal bedrock. Most of the human-made structures are no longer symmetrical. They have been nicked and notched by many winters of grinding ice and repeated flooding. At one end of Widewater, the overflow outlet—small and insignificant during times of high water—stands out as a 15-foot tower devoid of purpose. It, too, clearly shows the effects of the elements..

Points to Ponder . . .

• How is the structure of your organization reminiscent of bedrock? Of poured concrete?
• What comes to mind when you think of "nature's work" in an organization? What about "human's work"?
• How is each type of work affected by times of severe weather?
• What is the gauge you use to determine the extent of damage after an organizational storm?
• How can organizational structures be designed or managed to lessen the effects of severe weather?

Posted by Wanda McGee - 04/03/10, 05:26 PM