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The Future of Work & Education

On A POSITIVE OUTLOOK AND THE RAINBOW BOARD

5/7/2022

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there is too much negativity in our world. although i have stopped reading daily newspapers many years ago. it is difficult to seal oneself off. climate change and social disruption are problems which permeate all levels of society and one needs to be blind to not see their effects without following news outlets.

we are in a deep consciousness crisis. there is no doubt about this. but we need to find a positive narrative to get out of this dead end. it has to be a personal narrative which connects to a larger collective narrative, in which nationality, religion, ethnicity, gender, etc. don't matter anymore; one in which we simply are children of one large family which lives in a single home. this is a narrative in which the original meaning of economy and ecology make again sense: the law of the house and the teachings of how to organize that house.

i have started yesterday a new 21 day experiment on changing (mental) habits and call it the rainbow board. Every evening i reflect on the past day and write down 3 good moments. As a proficient trello user who puts down & executes every day 3 MIT (most important tasks), i use trello also for this exercise. the inspiriation came from from a review of two books on positive thinking (see references).

I am usually not much in favor of life coaching because it tends to overlook the systemic realities which are the root cause for the maladies which we experience in our world. About 5 years ago I embarked a third time on a PhD project looking into the causes for growing mental illness around the globe. One of the sources I looked into was Learned Optimism by the father of positive psychology, Martin Seligman. He promotes cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) to pessimistic and depressed people.

I already then came to the conclusion that Seligman has certainly a point in shifting one’s mind towards a positive outlook on life; but its essentially a perspective and therapy which only works for members of the affluent West. An Indian farmer who is part of a nationally and globally oppressive agricultural system cannot make use of CBT. He needs a miracle or commits, like it is the sad reality in far too many cases, suicide.

However, being an individual part of the system at large, I need to start with myself and concentrate good vibes in my hands. There is only this much I can do; and I need to start in my immediate environment. Our social reality tends to direct our focus in regard to both problems and solutions to the far away corners of the world. Everything is better in New Zealand than back home and war in Ukraine turns into a tragedy which happens right before our own house. The truth is though that our media supported focus on these far away conditions undermines our mindful awareness of what we could improve in the here and now – and what we ought to be grateful for.

the rainbow board is my new magic wand to initiate a shift in perception.

Further reading/watching:
  • On Procratination and the Enlightened Playground
  • Wie wir die Welt sehen
  • Lo and Behold

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