A tale of two cities, and the Holographic Enterprise

In a vision received during a meditation several months ago, the choice before us was made clear. I'll share it with you exactly as it was shared with me:

You are on a raft floating down a wide river. About a mile in the distance, the river disappears into a mist. Just before the mist, there is a bridge connecting the land on either sides of the river.

On one side of the bridge, there is a city. Dark, dank, tall and colorless utilitarian buildings, surrounded by hazy brownish smog. Emanating from it, you hear horns honking, harsh music blaring, sirens wailing, its people fearful, fighting to eke out a living or to survive in its streets. The anxiety and fear are palpable; you can feel it. Surrounding the city, the land is barren, punctuated only by one carefully engineered square of well-manicured, synthetic greenery. The sense of it is one of desperation, despair, deterioration, decay, detachment, disconnection, and depression. It's a death-centered culture.

On the other side of the river, there is a city. In contrast to the one that faces it, the air is crystal clear and the sky above it vibrant blue. Its buildings radiate an aesthetic beauty, and are designed to complement the natural surroundings. Greenery and color are woven throughout. It's people are healthy, cooperative, and expansive, rather than constricted by fear. It has none of the harshness of its alter-ego across the river. The surrounding land is healthy and vibrant. The sense of it is hopeful, vibrant, creative, colorful, interconnected, plentiful, balanced, truly prospering, and centered in joy and wellness. It's a life-centered culture.

On the bridge, you notice quite a few people, and you notice that they are reaching down to offer a hand and pull people from other rafts up onto the bridge. Some of the people on the bridge show the newcomers the way to the radiant, healthy, vibrant city.

And now, closer, you notice that just after the bridge, the mist arising is from a waterfall — where the river plummets into a gorge far below. You see that there are other rafts, having passed the bridge, and the people who chose to stay on them are now in a panic. It's too late. But the choice is still before you, and others on rafts who have not yet reached the bridge.

The choice before each of us is which of these "city symbols" we want to support with our thoughts, our intentions, our words, our work, and our actions. And do we want to be one of the people on the bridge, helping to lend a hand to those who may choose to get off the raft heading for sure destruction, and find their way into a healthier way of living on this planet.

Truly conscious enterprise is all about this choice. We do it, or we don't. We commit to one of these visions or the other. We begin experimenting with less literal intellectualizing, and embrace a more holographic, wholistic vision of the possibilities and tools available to us.

And we're headed for the fall unless we make the conscious choice.

One of our real-world Wise Elders, David Korten, writes in The Great Turning, "The Great Turning requires more than adjustments at the margin of Empire."

Another of our Wise Elders, Elisabet Sahtouris, points to the example of Nature for proof that, "From an evolutionary perspective, current global economics violates the fundamental principles by which all mature living systems are organized." In other words, it violates natural law, and is unsustainable. It is akin to a suicide mission on hyperdrive.

Though all is perhaps not yet lost. Sahtouris, Korten, and others, also see much hope in the models and stories of Nature and the larger, more embracing, full-bodied and interconnected wisdom of our ancestors.

This is the choice that we're facing right now, and it requires our conscious awareness and action right now.

As one of our favorite archetypal Wise Elders, the Jedi Master Yoda says, "Do, or do not. There is no 'try'." It's really that simple.

"We are at the point of return from gross to subtle,
from glamorous to gracious, from hedonism to healing,
from conquest of the Earth to conservation of Nature,
and from quantities of possessions to quality of life."
~ Satish Kumar, E.F. Schumacher Foundation

What would authentically (truly) conscious enterprise look like?

Assuming a holographic definition, what would a truly 'conscious business' look like? It would be a 'holographic' enterprise, and would need to reflect these elements:

• alignment with the most unflinching definition of 'right livelihood', as defined by the Right Livelihoods Award organization and by the Buddhist 'noble eightfold path'.

• Centered in a more wholistic definition of wealth, and a solid definition of 'enough'.

• holographic awareness demonstrated by the organization's leaders — a willingness to see with new eyes, hear with new ears, and embrace possibilities and tools that were once seen as 'fringe' (but that were adeptly practiced by our wiser ancestors and contemporary healers, shamans, visionaries, etc.).

• truly bold and visionary leader-entrepreneurs who do the inner work and are courageous enough to step out of the mainstream, out of the 'norm', and embrace a much larger, much more holographic vision of what's possible. And then set about experimenting it into existence.

• an uncovering of unexplored or unacknowledged assumptions and 'perceptual prisons', and a courageous releasing of those that contribute harmful effects or that don't boldly lead to whole-system well-being.

• asking and living into the challenging questions — radical creativity is stimulated by asking into the questions without the old, limiting assumptions or 'perceptual prisons'.

• Humane or cruelty free — respecting the sacredness and dignity of all beings.

• eco-balanced — minimal footprint. What you use or take, you contribute back or replenish in a way that is equal and balanced in comparison, rather than use or take the quality resource and, if anything is returned at all, it is of a quick-and-easy, inferior quality.

• masculine/feminine balance — this speaks primarily to archetypes, which show themselves in the 'face' and actions of the organization.

• inside-out — in sharp contrast to the more entrenched 'outside-in' (based on external feedback, norms, conditions, approval), inside-out action is influenced by true thoughtfulness, interconnectivity, intuition, and connection with something greater (Spirit, God, Universe, Creative Intelligence, etc.); demonstrative of the age-old wisdom (reflected in more recent consciousness research and theoretical physics) 'as above, so below' and 'as within, so without'.

• value-thought-word-action alignment — aligning within, and then walking the talk.

• human scale and locally, independently owned, though connected, collaborating, cooperating, cocreating, and in positive relationship to the rest of the web.

• conscious Word — aware of the power of intentions, words and thoughts; and committed to individual and organizational communication that is mindful and skillful.

• Natural systems / cycles — respectful of Nature as a teacher, and cooperative with Nature rather than 'conqueror' of Nature, 'subduer' of Nature, or exploiter of Nature. Applies the wisdom of Nature teachings to individual and organizational 'doing'.

Anyone who has operated a business in the current, prevailing business paradigm, knows that this definition of 'conscious business' is radically different from even what is considered bold or visionary within the normal, Patriarchal, Empire-derived and -aligned business culture. It is different, even, from the newer movements in 'conscious capitalism,' which, while a step forward, still puts new wine into an old container.

This more holographic vision of 'conscious business' requires a significant degree of commitment and authenticity of the enterprise creators and leaders — who need to 'know themselves' and do the inner work to experience the outer 'manifested wisdom' — as well as a thorough revisiting and revamping of many underlying assumptions, institutionalized limitations, and other 'perceptual prisons'.

It calls for a willing leap into a purposeful Dark Night of the Soul, which would release the potential for courageous, unflinching, joyful, wisdom-inspired transformation.

For those who are called, it's an exciting prospect and a noble adventure. It is, as others have said, our Great Work if we are to experience The Great Turning and leave a laudable legacy to future generations.

We work with organizations of all sizes -- from soloists to larger organizations - who are aligning with conscious enterprise and socially responsible missions for a more positive ripple effect.

Our approach incorporates work at the 'unseen' and energetic levels, from various traditions, vital to truly effective leadership, communication, and transformation.

Call us at 415.752.6317 or, even better, send along an email to info 'at' ivysea 'dot' com to explore our services and to schedule tele-sessions or a more indepth consultation.

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