Nature of Heart

Natural Play

Natural challenges encourage natural responses.

 Some sections of the C&O Canal were once part of the main Potomac River channel. When the water receded from the canal after a flood, a large round "pothole"—once hidden from view by 10 feet of water—appeared in a canal side wall. Slowly formed by thousands of years of pebbles and cobbles being churned by swirling currents, the pothole was at first barren and stark. Time has softened the dramatic shape with a fringe of lush green grass at its bottom edge. Two young men stop on the towpath to look at the phenomenon, and promptly begin to throw rocks at the hollow bullseye.

Points to Ponder . . .

• How do you define "play"?
• Do you remember a time in your organization when people started playing spontaneously? If so, how did it come about? What was the result?
• In your opinion, what part of an organization's work might be considered play? By whom?
• How could an organization consciously use play to enhance its work?

Posted by Wanda McGee - 05/18/10, 02:59 PM

Rain of Information

This picture appears in Invisible Currents—Nature's Lessons for the Mind and Heart, page 14. The anecdote in the book is titled "Directness." Following is a slightly different approach.

When rain falls on still water, it breaks the clear reflection and creates random confusion on the surface. Data rains on an organization all the time. When an organization's communication system is well organized, this data becomes meaningful and increases organizational learning. Alternatively, data can spread out in the wide water of the organization and become part of the culture, without awareness of its implcations. This can create disconnects, confusion, and disagreements. It's not active denial as much as a lack of recognition as to what is going on. The organization is getting fuller—the level of data is increasing and the container remains the same.  When there is too much, we are overwhelmed and ripe for a flood that drains our collective memories and sweeps them away.

Posted by Wanda McGee - 05/08/10, 06:22 AM

Protection

Protection is especially valued during times of vulnerability.

The afternoon is sharp and clear. The scent of spring drifts sweetly on the air. Baby Canada goslings—dependent, fuzzy brown-gray, tipped with green—cheep softly as they run under their mother's hovering wings. She provides a mantle of protection softly fluttering over their heads. Father goose, his neck coiled snakelike, challenges passers-by. Honking and hissing, he displays his determination to protect his brood.

Points to Ponder . . .

• What does "protection" mean to you?
• When in your life have you wanted or needed to be protected and weren't? When were you protected and it seemed like punishment?
• What part do you play in protecting yourself? Are you satisfied with the results?
• Ideally, how would you like to be protected in your life? What protection are you willing to give to others?

Posted by Wanda McGee - 05/03/10, 01:12 PM