Open firewalking with Jutta

Jutta is finally offering another of her firewalks for everyone. It will take place in Coconat south of Berlin on 22 October this year and is available for 100 to 150€ according to self-assessment. You will find more details here soon. But you can already register without obligation.

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The sound of courage and hope

Text: Jutta Goldammer | Photo: Sunguk Kim and Jordy Meow

“Another world is not only possible, she is on her way. On a quiet day, I can hear her breathing.”

Arundhati Roy, Indian writer and activist

Is she? Is she on her way? There are no quiet days right now to hear her breathe. The airwaves are filled with war reports from Ukraine, roaring pain, fighting and destruction, and underneath it all hammers my own restlessness and confusion. How can one hear anything else over this din, let alone the gentle breathing of another world, a newborn culture?

If you listen to the noise with an open heart and don't back away from the fear and pain and anger, then the radio receiver can be adjusted. The noise remains, but other sounds crystallize in between. I hear my own open, vulnerable beating heart joining with the rhythm of all those who are just standing up for humanity, freedom, diversity and life inside and outside Ukraine. I hear a loud, clear NJET! from courageous Russian demonstrators, journalists and scientists who are taking a stand against the war despite all the dangers. I hear the slamming of doors of vans packed with aid and the swinging open of doors of countless people who generously invite refugees to their homes without asking for long. I hear the crackle of suits of EU politicians closing ranks for joint decisive action. I hear corona bickering being dropped with a plop, rifts closing and giving way to a united determination to lend a hand wherever possible. I hear the rising hum of the accelerating trend to renewable energies and the descending sound of the plummeting poll numbers of right-wingers like Marine Le Pen. I hear the silence of reflection, of listening, of prudent action. I hear, above the deafening noise of Putin's encrusted conquest mindset, how in many minds national borders are crumbling, how territories matter less and less, how living connections, friendships, work and love relationships are intertwining across borders, creating new levels of understanding and humaneness.

There are also things I do NOT hear. I don't hear cheering, hat-waving crowds welcoming the war. I don't hear fearful grumbling that waves of refugees are threatening to swamp us. I hear little know-it-all and blaming.

All this encourages me that something is growing that cannot be stopped by war and violence. Rather, it seems to me that this makes it even clearer how absurd, how outdated, how untenable this old world of separation and domination over one another is, and how important it is now not to look away and think that all this has nothing to do with me. How important it is now to push aside the comfort of my own safe life, to tune into the delicate melody and to contribute to it swelling one day into an unmistakable, powerful and sonorous music.

Which sounds do I want to strenghten through my thoughts, speeches and actions and which ones do I want to withdraw my attention from in the future? How do I find my voice at all? How do I bring it into harmony with what is happening around me and with the voices of the other beings on this planet? How do I manage not to let myself be paralyzed by helplessness, shock, confusion and fear or to judge and become hard with anger or to close myself off from being overwhelmed? How do I manage instead to stay wide and open and capable of acting - or to become so now more than ever - in order to stand up for what is important to me and to get involved where I can make a difference, help shape the sound of the music of the future?

If you are also asking yourself these or similar questions right now, perhaps this quote from "Everyday Enlightenment" by Dan Millman will help you move into powerful action:

"In every difficult situation, ask yourself, 'What would the strongest, bravest, most loving part of my personality do right now?' And then do it. Do it with all your heart. And do it now."

You can make a difference. Bring your voice so that we can hear the new world sing even on stormy days!

Photo Review of 2021

Quite unexpectedly, despite all Corona restrictions and rescheduling, our past year was colorful and joyous - a wonderful mix of focused thinking and writing in the secluded study room, collaborative research and development with our virtual project partners, and a multitude of delightful face-to-face encounters in EU project meetings and workshops. Here is our review of the year in pictures

Are you currently considering submitting an EU application for mobilities or Strategic Partnerships under the Erasmus+ program? You are not alone. Let's synchronize our efforts so that the individual applications can stand well on their own but still play together a concert of socio-environmental transformation. Just come to our online meeting:

9.2. 10:00 - 12:00 CET Zoom: 5776776777 Password: erasmus

Co-initiated by us in 2012, the Transformation Hosts International network supports change agents and transformative educational institutions with collegial exchange, conferences, research projects, visibility and practical tips.  In addition to theory and practice talks and Erasmus+ synchronization, we cordially invite you to the online anniversary party, where we also celebrate the relaunch of the Hosting Transformation website. Look forward to multi-sensory, interactive delights and opportunities to meet other awake friends of Transformation.

Friday 21.1. 18.00-20.00 CET in our Zoom-room 5776776777 Password: launch

Ingredients for Successful Transformation Processes - online and offline

Even though alchemy is said to have the power to turn lead into gold and to perform other outstanding refining processes, the choice of basic ingredients is of paramount importance. In this series “Alchemy of Transformation - how to boost transformation processes online and offline” we will share our insights from 65 online experiments and interviews and 10 practitioner exchange sessions carried out in our European research project “Online Transformative Learning” as well as our long experience of impactful offline transformation processes. 

We first present some significant basic ingredients of successful transformation processes. In later episodes we will look at the more complex interplay and the right mix ratios in process facilitation, programme design, choice of methods, software and evaluation. 

Alchemy of Transfromation #1 - Cohesion

Every major social challenge has the potential to unite or divide. Every really big challenge needs cooperation, relying on each other, standing up for each other in order to be able to overcome it, especially if the challenges involve transformation, because the desired state is still unknown and associated with uncertainty. Then it needs both the emotional support for the key players and a thorough understanding of what a new desirable state should look like.

But there are those pesky people who have completely different opinions. If only they thought or acted like us, we would have a whole lot less problems! So? Have you ever caught yourself thinking this way? As a vaccination supporter, as a vaccination opponent, as a climate activist, or, or, or? I have and I am not proud of it.

For some months now I have been noticing how impulses of separation and division in and through media, different social groups, families and friendships create discord and make common action more difficult. 

I invite you to join me on a journey of exploration to find out where and how we can strengthen cohesion and promote constructive togetherness in these wild times - as a family member, as a citizen of our country, our municipality, as an inhabitant of this planet.

In this first part of the series "Alchemy of Transformation", I want to share with you ideas about how to build bridges and promote cohesion. They are a mix of self-experiments, experiences from the Visionautik Akademie, insights from interviews, discoveries from people who inspire me and curiously explorative claims. Try out what inspires you and help strengthen connections, nurture a culture of cohesion and overcome mental gaps in your surroundings. Any suggestions that don't seem plausible or appropriate for you, just feel free to throw them overboard!

Building bridges with curiosity

Curiosity is a miracle elixir. Curiosity helps to venture into unknown territory, even if it scares you. Curiosity, or let's say: genuine interest in what the other person has to say, opens doors and hearts, even of people who are completely different from us. What helps is to park one's own concepts for a while and to be benevolently amazed at how the other person comes to completely different perceptions and conclusions through his or her own personal mix of experiences and situation. What also helps is not to judge - neither the other person, nor oneself and one’s possibly unpleasant feelings that arise. Both sometimes really cost a lot of overcoming, especially when the other triggers your own pain points or questions your world view. You can be proud if you succeed anyway. Give the people around you the gift of turning towards them with honest interest and listening to their ideas, views, concerns and hopes. You will be surprised how a personal closeness can develop in this way, even if you have completely different opinions.

Filling the world with benevolence

We live in a time of massive uncertainty and it is not surprising that many people are overwhelmed by it and cling to straws and scapegoats. The social practices of yesterday are being radically called into question in many fields right now. What was considered secure yesterday no longer counts - who doesn't get stressed about that!

What would it be like to look at people who are acting narrow-minded and incomprehensible right now with a gentle, loving, benevolent eye, as we do with someone who has had a rough day, and instead of accusing them or proselytizing, consider how we might relieve their stress and insecurity? What specifically might help bring that benevolence into everyday life, professional life, learning spaces?

Creating spaces of safety

One of the most important tools that has emerged in guiding our visionautic participants through uncertainties is to create an atmosphere in which everyone is allowed to be who they are and everyone is welcomed, seen and heard. How powerful the so-called "Psychological Safety" is, has been found out by Google in their research project “Aristotle”. You can read more about this in the next part "Alchemy of Transformation" about trust. This also includes allowing ourselves and others to express feelings - even unpleasant feelings that scare us and that we would like to remove as quickly as possible. There is no need to happen much with those feelings - just allowing ourselves to really feel them often works wonders. There are a number of helpful tools and settings for such emotional hygiene, such as Conscious Discharge, as explained here by emotion expert and author Vivian Dittmar (in german). If you don't yet have an environment that accommodates such a practice, you can use the online discharge platform here. You can also get inspired by our photo series "10 tips for more stability in your life", to find out what can ground you and make you feel safe.

Providing places of half-bakedness

Let's admit it openly - to many problems of our times we still have no satisfactory solution. How could we? In the complexity in which health, ecosystems, the behavior of humans and other living beings are interwoven and in which consequences of actions are reflected only far into the future, groping, experimentation and trial and error are needed. Instead, there is often an obvious or unspoken pressure hanging in the air expecting to take clear positions, to hold the most mature, well-reasoned opinions possible, and to be totally sure about them - in political shows, in schools, universities, or private discussion groups. The consequence? Gaps in knowledge are concealed, insecurities are covered up, and once opinions have been formed, it is difficult to back away from them without losing countenance. How wonderful would it be if there were more of these places, where half-baked things can be discussed and moved on together, where people are allowed to approach a topic without already having an opinion on it, spaces for searching, groping, researching, an explicit culture of trial and error and not knowing, of which failure, dead ends and misconceptions are an inevitable part.

Making peace with uncertainty

A good foundation for such places is a friendly and relaxed approach to uncertainty. Uncertainty has become an integral part of our lives. We have outgrown the doubtful paradise of a society with fixed statuses, inherited professions and firmly established role patterns, and of course we don't want to go back there. The flip side, however, is that we have endless choices and thus endless opportunities to make decisions that we later regret. It is much more challenging to navigate the vast sea of possibilities than it is to ride a streetcar that follows the rails of ancestors or authorities. 

Unlike fear, which speeds up action and blocks thorough thinking, uncertainty is a warning signal, which invites us to go slowly and carefully: "Watch out, here comes something unknown, something new, here you won't get anywhere with routines.” Uncertainty thus invites us to go our way in an alert and conscious manner. This is a quality that promotes innovation and is an appropriate state in times of not knowing. Highly recommended on this topic are books and lectures by philosopher Natalie Knapp, well summarized e.g. in this video "Why our uncertainty is helpful" . In addition, it is helpful to strengthen your own foothold. Helpful questions might be: What can I rely on? What holds me together at the core and where do I fall apart? What is still valid for me when everything falls away? What gives me strength and support? What makes me feel safe?

Rituals of letting go the old and welcoming the new

You probably just celebrated New Year's Eve in one way or another, one of many rituals from the old to the new that help charge change with dignity, gratitude and anticipation. At Visionautik Academy, we are big fans of rituals, whether they are rites of passage such as firewalking and arrow breaking or forgiveness rituals such as ho'o pono pono. They provide clarity and strengthen the bond between those involved. How can such rituals build bridges and strengthen cohesion? Well, forgiveness rituals break down dividing walls and reopen for a new encounter, even when they are one-sided. Rituals of letting go and welcoming the new can enrich our communication culture in many ways, e.g. in a controversial discussion everyone could sacrifice an old thought and celebrate a new one, thus helping to make it easier to engage with each other's thoughts and mature together in the discussion. I'm sure you can think of many other ways how letting go and welcoming the new can make your work or learning spaces freer and easier. 

Conscious use of words and images

Many images used in everyday life, in politics and in the media emphasize the divisive, reinforce an "us and them", sometimes downright incite groups against each other and feed fears and blame. In his article "Genug gespalten (divided enough)" in the Frankfurter Rundschau, author Fabian Scheidler vividly describes the mechanisms that are triggered by this and how important it is to address issues that we can only tackle together instead of engaging in trench warfare. It is worthwhile both to listen very carefully and to examine what is conveyed to us consciously or unconsciously between the lines through these images. And it is also worthwhile to observe ourselves: When do I use terms and images that divide and sow discord, and when do I ensure that reconciliation and togetherness can arise through the way I think or speak? Perhaps you find the following time-tested concept helpful for this self-observation: It is attributed to Socrates, but also appears among the Sufis and the Quakers - with different names: the 3 questions, the 3 sieves, or the 3 gates that the information must pass through in order to proof valuable to be spoken out: Is it true? Is it kind? Is it necessary?

Connecting through a change of perspective

The classic change of perspective that helps to create connections is empathizing with one's counterpart, thereby dealing more gently and lovingly with what bothers us about the other. Especially helpful in our work at Visionautik Akademie, but also in private conflicts, has been jumping to a kind of bird's eye view, such as with the Harvard concept, which breaks away from positions and asks about the interest behind them, e.g. what is the need behind the desire not to wear a mask, drive an SUV, gossip about others, etc.? Most of the time it is much easier than the position to understand the need behind it and moreover it opens up manifold possibilities to satisfy these needs in different ways that might cause less conflict or disturbance.

Try it out

I'd love you to join in the effort to overcome division and weld us inhabitants of this planet together to celebrate our existence and collectively meet our challenges ahead. I am curious to hear about your experiences!

Zutaten für erfolgreiche Transformationsprozesse - online und offline

Auch wenn Alchemie die Macht hat, Blei in Gold zu verwandeln und andere herausragende Veredelungsprozesse durchzuführen, ist die Wahl der Grundzutaten von größter Bedeutung. In dieser Serie “Alchemie der Transformation – wie man Transformationsprozesse online und offline befeuert” teilen wir unsere Erkenntnisse aus 65 Online-Experimenten und Interviews und 10 Austauschveranstaltungen mit Praktikern, die im Rahmen unseres europäischen Forschungsprojekts “Online Transformative Learning” durchgeführt wurden, sowie unsere langjährige Erfahrung mit wirkungsvollen Offline-Transformationsprozessen. 

Zunächst stellen wir einige wichtige Grundzutaten für erfolgreiche Transformationsprozesse vor. In späteren Folgen werden wir uns mit dem komplexeren Zusammenspiel und den richtigen Mischungsverhältnissen in der Prozessmoderation, der Programmgestaltung, der Wahl der Methoden, der Software und Evaluation beschäftigen. 

Mehr Infos über das Projekt Online Transformative Learning findest du hier. 

Alchemie der Transformation #1 – Zusammenhalt

Von Jutta Goldammer

Jede große gesellschaftliche Herausforderung hat das Potenzial, zusammenzuschweißen oder zu spalten. Jede richtig große Herausforderung braucht das Zusammenwirken, Sich-Aufeinander Verlassen, Füreinander-Einstehen, um sie bewältigen zu können, insbesondere, wenn die Herausforderungen Transformationen beinhalten, weil der angestrebte Zustand noch unbekannt und mit Unsicherheit verbunden ist. Dann braucht es sowohl den emotionalen Rückhalt für die Hauptakteure als auch eine gründliche Verständigung darüber, wie ein neuer wünschenswerter Zustand aussehen soll. Doch da sind die lästigen Menschen, die ganz anderer Meinung sind. Wenn sie doch nur so dächten oder handelten wie wir, dann hätten wir einen ganzen Haufen weniger Probleme! Und? Hast du dich schonmal bei einem Gedanken dieser Art ertappt? Als Impfbefürworter:in, als Impfgegner:in als Klimaaktivist:in oder oder oder? Ich schon und ich bin nicht stolz darauf.

Seit einigen Monaten nehme ich wahr, wie Impulse der Trennung und Spaltung in und durch Medien, unterschiedlichste gesellschaftliche Gruppen, Familien und Freundschaften Unfrieden stiften und gemeinsames Handeln erschweren. 

Ich lade dich ein, mit mir auf die Erkundungsreise  zu gehen, um herauszufinden, wo und wie wir in diesen wilden Zeiten den Zusammenhalt stärken und ein konstruktives Miteinander fördern können - als Familienmitglied, als Bürger:in unseres Landes, unserer Kommune, als Bewohner:in dieses Planeten.

In diesem ersten Teil der Serie “Alchemie der Transformation” möchte ich mit dir Ideen teilen, die Brücken bauen und den Zusammenhalt fördern. Sie sind eine Mischung aus Selbstexperimenten, Erfahrungen der Visionautik Akademie, Erkenntnissen aus Interviews, Entdeckungen bei Menschen, die mich inspirieren sowie neugierig forschenden Behauptungen. Probier aus, was dich inspiriert und wirke in deinem Umfeld dabei mit, Verbindungen zu stärken, eine Kultur des Zusammenhalts zu nähren und geistige Gräben zu überwinden. Alle Anregungen, die dir nicht plausibel oder für dich nicht passend erscheinen, wirf getrost über Bord!

1 Mit Neugier Brücken bauen

Neugier ist ein Wunderelixir. Neugier hilft, sich in unbekanntes Terrain zu wagen, auch wenn es einem Angst macht. Neugier, oder sagen wir: echtes Interesse an dem, was der andere zu sagen hat, öffnet Türen und Herzen, auch von Menschen, die ganz anders sind als wir. Was dabei hilft: Für eine Weile mal die eigenen Vorstellungen parken und wohlwollend zu staunen, wie der andere durch seinen ganz persönlichen Mix an Erfahrungen und seiner Situation zu ganz anderen Wahrnehmungen und Schlüssen kommt. Was auch hilft, ist nicht zu verurteilen - weder den anderen, noch sich selbst mit den möglicherweise unangenehmen aufkommenden Gefühlen. Beides kostet manchmal richtig viel Überwindung, vor allem dann, wenn die andere deine eigenen Schmerzpunkte berührt oder deine Weltsicht in Frage stellt. Du kannst stolz sein, wenn es dir trotzdem gelingt. Mach den Menschen um dich herum einmal dieses Geschenk, sich ihnen voll ehrlichen Interesses zuzuwenden und ihre Ideen, Ansichten, Sorgen und Hoffnungen zu hören. Du wirst überrascht sein, wie auf diese Weise eine persönliche Nähe entstehen kann, auch dann, wenn ihr ganz unterschiedlicher Meinung seid.

Die Welt mit Wohlwollen anfüllen

Wir leben in einer Zeit  massiver Verunsicherungen und es ist nicht verwunderlich, dass viele Menschen davon überfordert sind und sich an Strohhalme, davonschwimmende Felle und Sündenböcke klammern. Die gesellschaftliche Praxis von gestern wird gerade in vielen Bereichen radikal in Frage gestellt. Was gestern noch als gesichert galt, zählt nicht mehr - wem macht das keinen Stress?

Wie wäre es, auf Menschen, die gerade engstirnig und unverständlich handeln mit einem sanften, liebevollen, wohlwollenden Blick zu schauen, wie wir das mit jemandem tun, der einen harten Tag hatte und statt sie anzuklagen oder zu bekehren zu überlegen, wie wir ihnen den Stress und die Verunsicherung lindern könnten? Was könnte konkret dabei helfen, dieses Wohlwollen in den Alltag, das Berufsleben, die Lernräume zu bringen?

Räume der Sicherheit schaffen

Eines der wichtigsten Hilfsmittel, das sich beim Begleiten unserer Visionautikteilnehmer:innen durch Unsicherheiten herauskristallisiert hat, ist eine Atmosphäre zu schaffen, in der jeder so sein darf wie er bzw. sie ist und jede:r willkommen ist, gehört und gesehen wird. Wie kraftvoll die sogenannte “Psychological Safety” ist, hat u.a. Google in seinem Forschungsprojekt Aristotle herausgefunden. Mehr dazu kannst du im nächsten Teil “Alchemie der Transformation” über Vertrauen lesen. Dazu gehört auch, sich selbst und anderen Gefühle zu erlauben - auch unangenehme Gefühle, die uns erschrecken, und die wir am liebsten sofort wieder weg hätten. Es muss nicht unbedingt etwas mit diesen Gefühlen passieren, alleine die Erlaubnis, sie wirklich zu fühlen, wirkt oft Wunder. Es gibt eine Reihe hilfreicher Tools und Settings für solch eine emotionale Hygiene, z.B. Bewusste Entladung, wie sie hier die Emotionsexpertin und Autorin Vivian Dittmar erklärt. Wenn du noch kein Umfeld hast, in dem so eine Praxis Platz hat, kannst du auch hier den Online-Entladungsraum nutzen. Außerdem kannst du dich von unserer Fotostrecke “10 Tipps für mehr Stabilität in deinem Leben” inspirieren lassen, was alles erdet und Sicherheit gibt.

Orte des Unausgegorenen bereitstellen

Gestehen wir es uns doch offen zu - auf viele Probleme unserer Zeit haben wir noch keine befriedigende Lösung. Wie sollten wir? In der Komplexität, in der Gesundheit, Ökosysteme, das Verhalten von Menschen und anderen Lebewesen verwoben sind und in der Folgen des Handelns erst weit in der Zukunkt widergespiegelt werden, braucht es ein Tasten, Experimentieren und Ausprobieren. Stattdessen hängt oft ein ausgesprochener oder unausgesprochener Druck in der Luft, klare Positionen zu beziehen und möglichst ausgereifte, gut begründete Meinungen zu vertreten und sich damit ganz sicher zu sein - in Politshows, in Schulen, Unis oder privaten Diskussionsrunden. Die Folge? Wissenslücken werden kaschiert, Unsicherheiten überspielt, von einmal gefassten Meinungen lässt sich nur schwer abrücken, ohne das Gesicht zu verlieren. Wie schön wäre es, wenn es mehr von diesen Orten gäbe, an denen unausgegorene Dinge ausgesprochen und gemeinsam bewegt werden können, an denen man sich einem Thema nähern darf, ohne schon eine Meinung dazu zu haben, Räume des Suchens, Tastens, Forschens, eine explizite Kultur von Versuch und Irrtum und Nichtwissen, zu der Scheitern, Sackgassen und Fehlannahmen zwingend dazugehören.

Frieden schließen mit der Unsicherheit

Eine gute Grundlage für solche Orte ist ein freundlicher und gelassener Umgang mit Unsicherheit. Unsicherheit ist nicht mehr aus unserem Leben wegzudenken. Wir sind aus 

dem zweifelhaften Paradies einer Gesellschaft mit festen Ständen, vererbten Berufen und festgefügten Rollenmustern entwachsen und natürlich wollen wir da auch nicht wieder zurück. Die Kehrseite ist aber, dass wir endlose Wahlmöglichkeiten und damit endlose Möglichkeiten haben, Entscheidungen zu treffen, die wir später bereuen. Es ist sehr viel anspruchsvoller,  im weiten Meer der Möglichkeiten zu navigieren als eine Straßenbahn zu fahren, die den Schienen von Vorfahren oder Autoritäten folgt. Anders als Angst, die das Handeln beschleunigt und das gründliche Denken blockiert, ist Unsicherheit ein Warnsignal, was uns dazu auffordert, langsam und vorsichtig zu gehen: “Achtung, hier kommt etwas Unbekanntes, etwas Neues, hier komme ich mit Routinen und Schema f nicht weiter”. Unsicherheit lädt uns also dazu ein, ganz wach und bewusst unseren Weg zu gehen. Eine Qualität, die Innovation befördert und ein angemessener Zustand in Zeiten des Nichtwissens ist. Sehr empfehlenswert zu diesem Thema sind Bücher und Vorträge von der Philosophin Natalie Knapp, gut zusammengefasst z.B. in diesem Video “Warum unsere Unsicherheit hilfreich ist”. Darüber hinaus ist es hilfreich, das eigene Standbein zu stärken. Hilfreiche Fragen könnten sein: Worauf kann ich bauen? Was hält mich selbst im Innersten zusammen und wo falle ich auseinander? Was hat auch dann noch Gültigkeit für mich, wenn alles wegbricht? Was gibt mir Kraft und Halt? Was lässt mich sicher fühlen?

Rituale des Loslassens und Neubegrüßens

Vermutlich hast du gerade in der ein oder anderen Form Silvester gefeiert, eines von vielen Übergangsritualen vom Alten ins Neue, die dabei helfen, Veränderungen mit Würde, Dankbarkeit, Freiwilligkeit und Vorfreude aufzuladen. Wir bei der Visionautik Akademie sind große Fans von Ritualen, seien es Übergangrituale wie z.B. Feuerlaufen und Pfeilebrechen oder Vergebungsrituale wie z.B. Ho’o pono pono. Sie geben Klarheit und stärken die Verbundenheit zwischen den Beteiligten. Wie können solche Rituale Brücken bauen und den Zusammenhalt stärken? Nun, Vergebungsrituale bauen trennende Mauern ab und öffnen wieder für eine Neubegegnung, selbst dann, wenn sie nur einseitig geschehen. Rituale des Loslassens und Neubegrüßens können in vielfältiger Weise unsere Kommunikationskultur bereichern, z.B. könnte jeder in einer kontroversen Diskussion einen alten Gedanken opfern und einen neuen feiern und damit dazu beitragen, dass es leichter fällt, sich auf die Gedanken der anderen einzulassen. Sicherlich fallen dir noch ganz andere Möglichkeiten ein, wie Loslassen und Neubegrüßen deinen Arbeitsalltag oder deine Lernräume freier und leichter macht.

Bewusster Umgang mit Bildern und Wörtern

Viele Bilder, die im Alltag, in der Politik und in den Medien benutzt werden, betonen das Trennende, verstärken ein “wir und die anderen”, hetzen manchmal regelrecht Gruppen gegeneinander auf und nähren Ängste und Schuldzuweisungen. Der Autor Fabian Scheidler beschreibt in seinem Artikel “Genug gespalten” in der Frankfurter Rundschau sehr anschaulich, welche Mechanismen dadurch anspringen und wie wichtig es ist, sich statt Grabenkämpfe zu führen um Themen zu kümmern, die wir nur gemeinsam angehen können. Es lohnt sich, sowohl sehr sorgfältig hinzuhören und zu prüfen, was durch diese Bilder bewusst oder unbewusst zwischen den Zeilen ankommt. Und es lohnt sich auch, sich selbst zu beobachten: Wo benutze ich Begriffe und Bilder, die spalten und Zwietracht säen und wo sorge ich durch die Art meines Denkens oder meiner Sprache, dass Versöhnung und Miteinander entstehen kann? Vielleicht unterstützt dich bei diesem Prüfungsprozess das bewährte Konzept, das Sokrates zugeschrieben wird, aber auch bei den Sufis, den Quäkern auftaucht - mit unterschiedlichen Namen: die drei Fragen, die drei Siebe oder die 3 Tore, die die Informationen passieren müssen, um Wert zu sein ausgesprochen zu werden: Ist es wahr? Ist es freundlich? Ist es notwendig? 

Verbinden durch Perspektivwechsel

Der klassische Perspektivwechsel, der hilft, Verbindungen schaffen, ist das Einfühlen in sein Gegenüber, um dadurch sanfter und liebevoller mit dem umzugehen, was uns am anderen stört. Besonders hilfreich hat sich in unserer Arbeit, aber auch in privaten Konflikten das Springen auf eine Art Vogelperspektive gezeigt, wie z.B. bei dem Harvard Konzept, das sich löst von Positionen und nach dem Interesse dahinter fragt, also z.B. welches Bedürfnis steckt hinter dem Wunsch, keine Maske zu tragen, SUV zu fahren, über andere zu lästern etc. Meist ist es viel leichter als die Position das Bedürfnis dahinter zu verstehen und überdies  eröffnen sich dadurch wieder mannigfaltige Möglichkeiten, diese Bedürfnisse  auf andere Weise zu befriedigen.

Ausprobieren

Ich freue mich, wenn du einstimmst in die Bemühungen, Spaltung zu überwinden und uns Bewohner dieses Planeten zusammenzuschweißen, um gemeinsam unser Dasein zu feiern und unsere anstehenden Herausforderungen zu meistern. Lass uns gerne wissen, welche Erfahrungen du damit machst!

How can we shape our future with conscious transformation? How can it happen with joy? What stories of transformation can we tell each other to strengthen and encourage us? Read more...

Join us online or on an island near Berlin to explore with other curious and committed facilitators, teachers, artists, and coaches how we can host transformation. 
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Looking back at 2020

2020 has been gentle on us. Of course, there was a lot that we, like others, missed. What hurt us most was postponing our long-term leadership and incubator program ‘Visionautikum’. We love working in direct contact with people and we were really missing this. We have also suspended or redesigned our salons of courage and a few other events. In return, we had the time to develop some new online formats that would otherwise not have existed, such as the Future Forges. These are short collaborative innovation sprints that allowed us able to give a number of future projects a boost, such as the social business “Foodprint” from an international group of students.
But above all, we have experienced - without having planned it beforehand or suspecting it - that many parts of our work have proven to be extremely crisis-proof and pandemic-compatible. We have been working on international projects for years, with partners across Europe and the USA. Therefore, we were already well-practiced in dealing with video conferencing, creative remote work, using real-time collaboration tools, building trust online and leading virtual teams, dealing with time differences, and a lot more, so that the switch to online activities was very easy for us. Some of our projects could simply continue as planned, such as the EU project “Building Capacity for Transformative Learning”, in which the book “A transformative Edge” was created, a joint effort by over 40 authors from all over the world. Or the project “Blended Adult Learning for the Social-Ecological Transition”, which will still continue this year.
Nonetheless, we too made a huge leap in running online workshops that went way beyond how we have been working in recent years. We have greatly expanded our repertoire on how to conduct online workshops in a creative and varied way, how to enable deep encounters and meaningful conversations, and how to ensure that the participants can contribute even to multi-day conferences full of energy and fun. We were sometimes surprised by how much community, fun and trust can arise without real encounters and how many possibilities there are to hold a conference without constantly sitting in front of the screen. We especially learned a lot from the moderation of two multi-day online conferences - a team workshop for the project “X-Topien” and the kick-off of our EU project “Hosting Empowerment”. We had the luxury of having two very experimental groups in front of us who got involved with a remarkable openness, from systemic constellation over bodywork to an online spa. 
Still, we were able to hold a few live events that we particularly enjoyed: a train-the-trainer seminar in Croatia, a team-building workshop for a new project team, a firewalk in Austria, a Salon of Courage, and the Event “Learning Future” with the presentation of the new book. Here you can find some retrospective photos.

Futuromat

by Jutta Goldammer

with best wishes for the new year, we joyfully hand over our futuromat, which will help you to get rid of everything old, annoying and outdated and to transform it into what you want for the new year from the bottom of your heart. It's very simple: Insert your old stuff, press the button and let yourself be enveloped by the steaming clouds of your dreams and desires, which smell of winter air, roasted chestnuts and crunching snow. They will accompany you through the new year and remind you at exactly the right moment what is really important to you and what you actually wanted.

I admit, this machine was born out of a longing that I am a little embarrassed about. I move in a world in which it is cool, yes, indispensable, to be agile, flexible and tolerant of ambiguity, to think in a interconnected, systemic and open-ended manner and to recognize complexity, uncertainties and unpredictability. A machine like the Futuromat, in which one comes from state A via a clearly defined process B to a desired result C, is too linear, too mechanistic, too simple. It is completely clear to me that we cannot meet the challenges of our time with a mechanistic worldview and that we cannot master them with a linear logic of thought.

And yet I am sometimes exhausted by so much complexity, uncertainty and unpredictability. Stressed out that I had to convert a seminar into a multi-day online conference within a weekend due to a short-term lockdown. Confused while shaping the future because I am aware that only in retrospect the effect of my actions will turn out to be a blessing or a curse. Overwhelmed by the many possible influences that have to be considered. And then I feel a deep longing for simplicity, for stability, predictability, security. In the past year I permitted myself this need and made the most amazing discoveries:

Islands of stability

In order not to drown in the endless sea of uncertainties, it often doesn't take so much. Small islands of stability help gain strength and then plunge back into the thundering waves. In my experience, grandmothers have a special talent for creating such islands. Places where you can arrive and just be who you are without being judged. Add a steaming cup of tea and the island is ready. Even if I hopefully have a few years left before I become a grandmother myself, in the last year I have learned to be this island for many people. Just by calming myself down. On the plane it is said that should you put on the oxygen mask first and only then help the others. That's exactly what I did. Surrounded by tension and buzzing nervousness, I repeatedly took care of my own calm and stability and was surprised how immediate the effect was not only for myself: Without pushing or doing anything extra, my counterpart’s panic and insecurity transformed into calm and confidence. It worked with people who were afraid of Corona, with crying babies and with deadlocked teams.

Support leg & free leg

Stability and security do not contradict an agile, creative, free-thinking mind, but rather strengthen it. As a tango dancer, I know how valuable a stable support leg is to make dynamic swings and embellishments easily with the free leg. I found out that this doesn't just apply to dancing. In our innovation processes, we learned that an atmosphere of trust in which everyone could feel safe, as well as a defined methodological framework with fixed times and a clear focus, were most important. The freer and further the participants' dared to think and develop all the more. Many pioneering artists and thinkers also created stabilizing fix points in their lives with the help of rituals and habits. For example Immanuel Kant established an almost pedantically structured, exactly repeating daily routine which allowed him to maximize the freedom of his philosophical thinking.

Clearing out your life

How can the need for simplification be satisfied without negating complexity? The focus on what is really, really, important to one, as the philosopher and founder of the New Work movement Frithjof Bergman puts it so beautifully, helps to let go of all insignificant. It helps to say no and to recognize clear paths in the maze of a thousand possibilities. What is worth living and fighting for? What is it that still counts when everything collapses? Whom and what needs to be protected, wherever the world or my life is heading for? For whom and for what is it worthwhile to continue in times of dry spells? Which of my actions are indispensable? Really indispensable? I found the last year very supportive for this exploration: Less activities out of habit, fewer courtesy meetings, more intensive contact with few people and more often the question “Is what I plan to do now really important?”

No matter where your life will lead you to in this new year, how many imponderables and storms your path may encounter and how many risks you will dare to take - we at the Visionautik Academy wish you that you can go through this year with confidence, that you will always again encounter islands of stability to hold on to and recharge, that your supporting leg and your free leg are in good balance and that you are accompanied by the certainty: This feels right!

10 tips for more stability in your life

1. Play with little childrenImmerse yourself in the here and now and allow yourself moments in which the world can be very simple.
2. Create rituals that give you stabilty Which small, uncomplicated ritual could help you to strengthen the rhythm in your day or to support you in typical situations of unrest? Define it and decide to try it out for a month or so - no matter if you feel like it at that specific moment or not.
3. Cook a grounding dish from Ayurvedic cuisine Golden Milk Almond Smoothie
6 recipes to harmonize "Vata"
6 Rezeptvorschläge für das Vata Dosha (Deutsch)4. Explore your personal stabilizing anchorsWhat gives you security? What relaxes you when you're upset? Is it a certain place, people, activities, objects, certainties, memories or thoughts? Make a list of possible first aid measures to help you get hold of these anchors.5. Remind yourself that you are not alone even if your path leads into the unknown. You have many allies, whether you know them or not. Let the Keep Going On song strengthen you.
Surround yourself with benevolence. Be picky about what you feed your mind with.
Keep going song6. Find out what you are ready to let go of Put it in thought in the shredder of the Futuromat. Or write it down and destroy it. Affirm the moment of release with a deep sigh.
7. Set an intention Distill what is really, really important to you and what serves as a compass. Write it down. Personalize in thought the clouds of your Futuromat that will accompany you this year. Affirm this act with a big, dangerous smile, which signals to the world: "If I have to, I am ready to fight for it!".8. Do a grounding meditation A selection of guided meditations for grounding, rooting and centering:
Relaxing the nervous system in gravity (in German)
:

• Das Nervensystem in der Schwerkraft entspannen
• Baummeditation für Erdung, Beruhigung und Verbindung
• 2 Minutes Instant Grounding Meditation
• Remembering Trust, remembering that life is in your favour
• Ground Yourself, become stable as a mountain

Click Here9. Focus on people who do you good, listen to encouraging news and don't believe everything you think. Only take in as much indigestive news as you can really process - you are not serving anyone, if you are well informed, but full of despair that drains your power to act.
Play with small children. Immerse yourself in the here and now and allow yourself moments in which the world is very simple.
10. Dance for your lifeAnd last but not least, we recommend our favorite remedy that works at all times for all situations: dance!e.g. Henning Wehland: Tanz um dein LebenThanks!Thanks for the photos to David von Diemar, Sophie Walker, Michal Parzuchowski, Nathan Dumlao, Tabitha Turner, Jamie Street, Bruce Kee, Estée Janssens and Tim Marshall.

Thank you for all the good inspiration as well as meditations, recipes and music - you can find the links to the people to whom we owe them at the respective place!
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Danke für die Fotos von David von Diemar, Sophie Walker, Michal Parzuchowski, Nathan Dumlao, Tabitha Turner, Jamie Street, Bruce Kee, Estée Janssens and Tim Marshall.

Am Montag gab es was zu feiern: Unser Buch "A transformative edge", ein Gemeinschaftswerk von über 40 Autor:innen aus 13 Ländern ist erschienen 🙂 Wir freuen uns darüber, auf diese Weise Facilitators, Trainer:innen und Prozessbegleiter:innen auf über 400 Seiten mit geballtem Wissen, Erfahrungen und Praxistipps zu inspirieren. 

Hier ein kleiner Fotorückblick auf unser Event "ZUKUNFT LERNEN" in den Prinzessinnengärten, einem Ort gelebter Transformation, mit Experimenten für freudvolles Lernen und bedeutsamen Gesprächen über Bildung der Zukunft, Wandel, Gesellschaftstransformation und Potenzialentfaltung. Vielen Dank an alle fürs Mitwirken, Mitfeiern, Austauschen und Eintauchen!

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