Coming Together. Navigating Complexity with Meaningful Impact

2020 IN A NUTSHELL THROUGH 12 EDITORIALS, 106 POSTS AND 310 QUESTIONS

Coming Together Navigating Complexity with Meaningful Impact

by Liberto Pereda

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Coming Together Navigating Complexity with 
 Meaningful Impact.

By Liberto Pereda

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© Liberto Pereda Growing and learning to sit in the fire, standing tall to put down the walls of separation, in order to unfold the New, for love and abundance, holding seven generations thinking.

I manifest my dedicated intention of loving and freeing myself and all life by adventurously moving beyond any limit or boundary I may find in my Sacred Journey.

Liberto Pereda Mas Can Sixtet 17199 - Sant Medir Catalonia, Spain libertopereda@icloud.com

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To You! With love, gratitude and respect, For being a TLCer, Whichever side of our Planet this ďŹ nds you.

We are part of the same Community, TLCers, A Community of Communities, A Community becoming Community.

Let’s keep Coming Together Once and again, until we eventually Discover the largest purpose Life wants us to Be.

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Index 1. The beat of the Heart (page 5) 2. Prologue (page 6) 3. SECTION ONE: 12 EDITORIALS (page 8) 1. January editorial (page 10) 2. February editorial (page 14) 3. March editorial (page 18) 4. April editorial (page 22) 5. May editorial (page 26) 6. June editorial (page 30) 7. July editorial (page 34) 8. August editorial (page 38) 9. September editorial (page 42) 10. October editorial (page 46) 11. November editorial (page 50) 12. December editorial (page 56) 4. SECTION 2: 106 POSTS (page 62) 1. The First Lockdown (page 65) 2. 106 Posts during the ďŹ rst lockdown (page 68) 5. SECTION THREE: QUESTIONS FOR CONTEMPLATION (page 228) 1. Questions for Contemplation (page 231) 2. 310 Questions to contemplate on (page 232) 6. About the Author (page 246) 

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The beat of the heart On the path the leaves, ochre and gold, dancing with the wind and with the hours, in the same paradox of the person she loves.

The water turns green the stones witnessing its permanent ow, at the greenish-water spot where I share with you.

The full moon illuminates that path and the cycle that Life dictates giving away your presence and the heart its beat. 

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Prologue My 12 years with TLC in different roles have helped me become a better human. The TLC model, its spirit and its essence, that I learned from Bob at certification on May 2008, has had a significant impact in who I am now.

In this journey, 2020 has been very special. Since the COVID crisis started I felt the calling to the tlcers’ coming together. I have been in service of this since then, although I don’t know yet what we are called for as a community. I see we are collectively creating a brighter future, servicing a single vision still to be articulated but that would feed “a regenerative human presence in the Planet” in may ways.

I thought of putting together all the editorials I wrote for the tlcers in the monthly TLC EU newsletters as well as the 106 posts I shared during the lockdown, which could be seen a personal summary of the year just about to end. This is my personal gift for you. I wrote these with much love to all of you, and with the same love I put them here together.

I also added in Section 3, all the questions I shared in 2020 as a invitation to contemplation.

As we approach winter, I am feeling the need to take a pause and contemplate on the many lessons I got and take a wider perspective on what Life is calling me to do.

I simply want to play!

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Section One Twelve Editorials 8

editorial n. 1. An article in a newspaper or other periodical presenting the opinion of the publisher, editor, or editors.
 adj.

2. Of or relating to an editor or editing. 

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January 10

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ere we are, in the beginning of 2020, for “timekeeping purists” the last year of the exciting decade we are living, for others (the “pragmatic” ones) the first year of the new decade. We could say that the year is starting with a polarity: beginning ∞ ending. A reminder that our interpretation of “reality” depends on the perspective we take and our point of view, as well as the worldview we operate from. In any case, whether a beginning or an ending, here we are!

Few days ago, my fourth grandchild was born, exactly on 17/1 at 1:17. His name, Janus. I am not sure why my son gave him this name, but when I looked in Wikipedia, I found that Janus was the Roman God of beginnings, gates, transitions, time, duality, doorways, passages, and endings.

Janus, the God, is usually depicted as having two faces, since he looks to the future and to the past at the same time, in the present. This is to me an image of integration of a polarity, past ∞ future. Transcending and including the past and the future through an exquisite timeless presence.

We shall agree that most of the challenges we face as humans currently call us all forth to learn how to integrate different perspectives and navigating polarities in a healthy and inclusive way. A calling towards an Integral level of development.

What if all we’ve been co-creating so far was meant to take us to this point?

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What if the challenges we face were there not for us to solve but for us to evolve?

Again, more to become. Eventually, we cannot effectively escape from the life force that moves through us and that simply wants to foster universal integrity for change and growth. A process (development, unfoldment or enfoldment -among other names- depending on the perspective we look from) that ask us to be focused, according to Ken Wilber, on four directions: waking up, growing up, cleaning up and showing up.

Perhaps now, in this transition, in this 2020, we have another chance to contemplate on that deep question and that can be expressed in many ways: What are the reasons for my existence? A question that can be contemplated further and further and that makes us long to grow from our deepest essence.

What if 2020 was a year bringing the opportunity of individual and collective expansion?

May we help each other learn, grow and improve.

May we live and work with a deep sense of purpose.

May we relate to each other in an authentic, courageous and high integrity manner?

May we Be!

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February 14

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ebruary is a very curious month, really curious.

Every four years, it gives more of itself, a bit more, just one day more, the 29th. In doing so it brings equilibrium to the whole system of the current human calendar. Is there a reason why most of the systems (structures) created by humans tend to create unbalance over time? Does this happen because we struggle to stay in the middle between structures and freedom?

Is it only from that middle place equilibrium offers, that one can take a wider perspective in any situation?

Bringing equilibrium is an on-going process of “balancing the opposites," of balancing polarities we could say.

Whenever we privilege one of the poles over the other, we create unbalance. Thus, the need to include and transcend both poles, while entering the ever-existing “space inbetween”.

Connecting with this quality of equilibrium can be very relevant this year. I am experiencing not only in myself but also around me, the deep longing for higher equilibrium, of higher mental and emotional balance from which functioning more consciously. I see that this is experienced in our world in many forms, at individual and collective level. Can collective equilibrium occur without individual equilibrium?

Metaphorically (or not), I see huge commitment in this 29th day. With determination and patience, he keeps 16

“showing up” so to balance the whole system once and again, following the cycles and waiting for the right timing, yet impeccably.

“The secret to all commitment lies in the way in which you begin. It is the energy behind your actions that creates your future rather than the actions themselves. There is nothing that is worth doing in life unless it is done with absolute commitment. It doesn’t matter whether you love it or hate it, if you attempt anything half-heartedly you might as well not attempt it at all.”

February means “purification”, perhaps an invitation to free us from anything that is not purely who we really are.

Could this point to our development as adult? A call to intentionally keep waking up, growing up, cleaning up and showing up. Is this extra day, the 29th, that we are gifted this leap year an opportunity for a “time out”? What do I want to do with this extra day? Work? Walk? Pause? …?

How committed I am to being of greatest service to humanity?

Enjoy your Extra Day!

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March 18

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any of us may have ended last week saying something like “What a week!”. Couldn’t we say the same about most weeks in the last years? In think yes. However, there is a difference. These last weeks brought a deeper sense of connection and meaning to our lives. After these weeks, “Nothing will be the same” and many (if not all) ways of doing will go through a breakthrough for a new beginning.

When reading anew TLC's Purpose, "We exist to evolve the conscious practice of leadership, to steward the Planet and to awaken us all to our inherent Unity," I came to remember that it basically starts and ends with the same essence: "WE" and "UNITY".

I think the most beautiful gift, the biggest opportunity, of the current turbulence and uncertainty is the invitation, harsh and soft at the same time, to include and transcend the "I" into the "WE". This is a big turn for humanity as most structures, paradigms, world views and patterns foster the "I," and not that much the "WE".

Personal work (“wake up, grow up, clean up, show up”) is more relevant than ever before. As Richard Rudd said,

“Unless your response is loving, it’s about you”.

To enter the new field that is opening, I see that we all need to open the heart wide to the fact that, after these times, 20

none of us can be the same. From my perspective, there are too many things we were pretending being blind to.

Perhaps, the only way now is to respond in coherence with what the heart-mind senses and sees. The "We" holds also the gift of bringing together many hearts and eyes, so we can collaboratively sense, see, feel and act to affirm Life.

Collectively we can hold the question "What is needed?" in a more responsive way.

To navigate this new field, a much higher Equilibrium is needed. For this, we will need to revisit our patterns and privileging around many polarities. Number one of this list of polarities is most likely Material ∞ Spiritual, which calls for integrating in our daily lives both, our physical needs and the needs of our soul.

The calling thus is to become masters of the Self, which will evoke the Integral consciousness in us. Creative, which carries liabilities as well, is not enough!

What is needed to get ready for this new era?

What is needed to Foster Collaboration?

We intend to make the collective contemplation of these two questions, the foundation of our actions in the days, weeks and months ahead.

May We Be We!

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April 22

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here’s nothing I cannot change when it is needed!. This quote, I heard it for the first time back in 2012 from one of my teachers, expresses the power of life force. When the time is right, when enough tension has built, then change happens. Sometimes with ease, many other with difficulty. There are many ways and moments in which Life can bring change. Now it seems change “is needed” based on the size of the challenge ahead.

What is needed? I believe that the current situation of hyper amplified complexity is a harsh wakeup call.

Although we may lazily use the “snooze” function, we eventually will have to wake up. This can be a challenging wakeup, as it is the case after a dark nightmare.

How can be for each other in that moment?

Upon waking up, a brand new “blank canvas” stands right before us! We can imagine ourselves in the very moment before the first brushstroke.

What wants to emerge from the whiteness?

What comes first to me, when putting myself in that situation, is the line of the horizon. Right on the line of the upper third. When I look at this imaginary line, a vision comes: “Navigating Complexity with Meaningful Impact”.

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I don’t know what’s going to happen nor what we will ďŹ nd in the horizon, yet I know it is worth walking towards the horizon with a deep sense of purpose.
  
 I believe that coming together is the ďŹ rst step towards the new horizon. There’s power in coming together as we could experience in our ďŹ rst time ever European Community Call held last week. During this event, I was amazed at the potential of the community and its creative capacity. I think we can feel conďŹ dent, as this time, painting the “blank canvasâ€? calls for a collective endeavor.
  
 How do I/you/we want to show up?
  
 May We đ&#x;?? Well!

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May 26

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e are living hypercomplex times in which leaders everywhere are called forth to show up, from an integral mindset to be able to navigate complexity successfully. In this context, many are feeling in over their heads with an intense sense of being overwhelmed. This might be due not only to the fact that most leaders operate from earlier stages of leadership (i.e., reactive and creative) but also to the tendency to operate below the centre of gravity as the context is suddenly perceived as more threatening with this crisis. This boosts the cancelling effect, described in Scaling Leadership, which has a negative impact on leadership effectiveness, and therefore in overall performance.

To help leaders stand up in the current context, we can intentionally form and leverage creative tension for them to create more effectively what matters most and having a positive impact on their organizations and Ecosystems. This needs to be done at a local level because one of the traits of this crisis is its hyper locality.

I believe this need is calling TLCers forth to stand up as leaders, individually and collectively. I believe The Leadership Circle European Community has a role to play, more than ever, in helping leaders and organizations across society navigate complexity with meaningful impact.

During the last month, we have been opening the space inviting all TLCers to come together in the context of a self28

organized community of communities. We have done so at the European level, in Spain, in the DACH region, in France, in the United Kingdom and Ireland, and later in The Netherlands. In total, about 350 TLCers showed up, 35% of the European practitioners. This might well be a potent seed for a critical mass to emerge. One that would allow for a major meaningful impact in service of the conscious practice of leadership in these times. What would be possible if this seed was planted in “fertile soilâ€?? I don’t know what will be coming next as we walk towards the horizon one step at a time. I am holding many questions. What wants to emerge? What is this asking us to be? What is it asking us to do? As in any other Open Space, I think it’s good to remember its Principles, • • • • •

Whoever comes are the right people, Whatever happens, is the only thing that could have, Whenever it starts is the right time Whenever it’s over, it’s over, Wherever it happens is the right place.Â

and to follow its Law of Personal Mobility: “If you ďŹ nd yourself where you can’t learn or contribute, move yourself to a place where you canâ€?. May We đ&#x;?? Well!

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June 30

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omplexity is becoming another buzzword. I am aware I’ve used it so many times since March 16th. Of course, the current situation is complex, and we need to respond to the challenges ahead in the most lifeaffirming way. Concurrently, we need to see beyond the one word.

What’s the opposite of complexity? Simplicity. Together, the two words form a polarity, Complexity ∞ Simplicity.

However, we might be privileging the first one in our conversations. The “music” of complexity sounds very different from the “music” of simplicity, and the kind of “music” we play invites different “dances”.

“In simplicity lies the answers to all complexity” ~Sydney Banks~

What if leading in times of complexity actually could make leadership simpler?

There’re plenty of beautiful stories of transformation around the world in response to this crisis. At the core of all these stories, a small group of people highly committed to bringing change in their closest worlds.

Some of the elements these stories have in common could be expressed through some of the LCP questions (the ones highly correlated with the Integral level of consciousness): 32

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Living and working with a deep sense of purpose (Purposeful & Visionary),

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Helping people learn, improve, and change (Mentoring & Developing),

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Investigating the deeper reality that lies behind events and circumstances (Personal Learner) and

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Creating a vision that goes beyond the organization to include having a positive impact in the world (Community Concern).

When adding “egos set asideâ€? (Seless Leadership) to these questions, we have a powerful formula to navigate complexity, which we may call Leading from Simplicity. I believe this starts with We, a “musicâ€? that has three core notes: Trust, Freedom and Responsibility.
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"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed it's the only thing that ever has." ~Margaret Mead~


 Shall we talk about Simplicity?
  May We đ&#x;?? Well!

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July 34

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he more I dig into the Leadership Circle model, the more I love the simplicity of its most deeply embedded principles. This contrasts hugely with the first feeling I had when I got certified back in 2008, when I felt somehow overwhelmed. I have been studying the model since then and every time I use it, with every client or in every certification I participate in, I am more and more curious.

What is it that creates the aha moment when being debriefed? What is it that creates new aha moments when looking again at the original LCP after some time, even years?

This is not the LCP that creates these. This is not the coach either. Both have a relevant role to play, yet none of these create the aha moments. This is not the person being debriefed either. There’s something else well inside the model that is holding the conversation at all time.

Something that even doesn’t belong to the model but is there since Bob Anderson first dreamt of it.

To me, what lies deeply inside is life force. We, humans, belong to Life. We are life and life just wants to grow.

Simply, we cannot not grow!

Our essence, like that of the trees, is to grow. And like the trees, the context we are in can shape not only us but our growth. However, we shape the context too.

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 What if we intentionally shaped contexts that fully supported human growth to aďŹƒrm life?

The kind of growth that would bring deep alignment between “heart," “headâ€? and “hands.â€?  What is this alignment needed for? What’s the vision is it meant to be in service of?
  
 LCP could just be a clean “mirrorâ€? in which we see ourselves reected beautifully. In that moment, selfawareness raises, and that “visionâ€? gets evoked, consciously or unconsciously. Meanwhile the inherent life force forms a creative tension that calls us forth.
  
 I believe we are meant to serve an ever-present vision that I would articulate as: “A better now!â€? A vision worth standing for.
  
 When was the last time you looked at your LCP?
  
 May We đ&#x;?? Well!
  
 PS: Enjoy your holidays‌now!

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August 38

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spent two weeks in a rural hamlet inland Galicia, in the Northwest of Spain. Any time possible I go there. I love that area for many reasons. First because of the almost 360º perspective one has over many mountains, that I find highly inspiring. Second because of the simplicity existing there, expressed in a very organic and slow rhythm. The hamlet has not changed much since I was there for the first time, almost forty years ago. The only thing that changed is the population that dropped significantly as people historically moved to cities, perhaps looking for “El Dorado”.

When in the hamlet, I somehow need to unlearn about the busyness and to do lists and re-learn about moving with what is happening right now. I would say this is a similar learning process I am finding myself since the coronavirus “crisis”. What becomes relevant then is not that much about what I did in the past or what I will do in the future, but what to do next.

Perhaps, when leading or facilitating it happens the same and “what’s most important is not what one did but what one does next.” I’d say even what we do next.

Thus the space between what we did and what we do next is full of potential. At the same time, as T.S. Eliot wrote:

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“Between the idea
 And the reality
 Between the motion
 And the act
 Falls the Shadowâ€?
  which, to me, evokes anew our personal inner work that does not dierentiates between work and holidays.
 


As a community, we have been focusing on hearing as much perspectives and voices as possible. From there, what we will do next at TLC is translating these into some small improvements that we will be communicating over the next weeks. Improvements intended to help you focus mainly on developing and scaling your practice.
 


Please know, that the TLC Europe Team is here to help you.
  
 May We đ&#x;?? Well!

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September 42

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esterday I took a walk through the forest close to my place. As I passed through that oak grove, I saw the path was full of acorns, some recently fallen. I picked four of them and kept walking while contemplating the metaphor an acorn is. The thought that each one of them contains all the information and vision for a future oak grove reminded me that natural growth happens from within.

I wonder if growth (or lack of ) is a way of responding to the context and the energies around. Perhaps growth is an answer. If so, what’s the question that makes life grow?

What’s the question that make humans grow?

Our culture tends to privilege answers over questions, perhaps because we think we don’t have too much time to find the answers to the problems we want to solve. When we focus on looking for the answers, we may lose the opportunity to foster deep authentic and transformational conversations.

What’s the conversation that we never had before, one that has the power to create something new into our world?

Since I read this question by Peter Block for the first time, I have been really curious about communities and their potential. We live in times in which many have a stronger temptation to find answers fast. Having answers is of course very relevant yet, at the same time, answers may come 44

naturally after the right question is asked.
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“A paradigm shift occurs when a question
 is asked inside the current paradigm
 that can only be answered from outside it.â€?
 (Marilee Goldberg)  
 In times of disruption, like the ones we are experiencing, spending time in ďŹ nding the question is of higher relevance. If we keep asking ourselves the same questions, we will keep ďŹ nding the same answers and therefore operating from the same paradigms.

What if the paradigms that drive our actions was the cause of the problems we want to solve?
  
 Who are we?
  
 What are we called to create?
  
 What’s worth preserving?
  
 May We đ&#x;?? Well! 

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October 46

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s we move deeper into the Fall, I am feeling more and more the need for emptiness. This year is being for many an intense one with little time to pause and reflect, to contemplate. The natural impulse though is right now to start the process of harvesting what’s worth and letting go of what’s not serving anymore. As I see the many yellow and ochre leaves on the ground, the calling to slow down amplifies.

Yet ego may resist to engage in this process as identity will fall off too with each leave we intend to let go of. The year is full of answers and the old questions begin to fly in circles.

What was becomes business as usual. What’s to become opens the door of the mystery, uncertainty would call it many.

This tension between what is natural and what is simply thinkingness, might well be an invitation to yield, to cherish whatever emotion emerges and engage in the healing process to get ready for that emptiness. From it, a new question will arise with its evocative essence which will inspire anew.

“Know that transformation sometimes begins with a fall. So never curse the fall.” ― Yasmin Mogahed 48

 
 It seems like the Fall is the entrance into a new cycle of natural transformation, informed by the question. I can hear more and more loudly, what’s that new question to be explored?
  
 Yet ego may insist on pushing the process to get that answer so to build a new identity to hang on. Spring is still far in the journey and now is the moment to resist to rush the process as a way to avoid the emptiness. It’s time to trust the process, as we tell our clients. Don’t we? Again, another tension, or is it the same?
  
 The time now seems to be suitable for harvesting, or retrospective if you want. Some questions that help unfold this inner conversation around the cycle-to-complete: •

What do I celebrate from this cycle?

•

What would I do dierently?

•

What do I learn from it?

With this contemplation, often comes the natural letting go of the many leaves that need to go. We can thus celebrate them while witnessing how they fall o.
  
 I trust you are enjoying this Fall and that wherever you are, you will ďŹ nd some yellow and ochre leaves on the way, speaking words of wisdom for you to listen and yield to.  
 May We đ&#x;?? Well!

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November 50

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realize that often, when hiking, our attention goes to getting to the peak. This year, almost gone at an incredible perceived speed, has brought a huge peak to climb. In many ways, we have been challenged to going beyond our limits, assumptions and beliefs. And yet, some more weeks to go. To the peak or downhill back to the valley?

Natures goes “downhill” starting on the Fall, with the letting go and the harvesting happening in so many ways.

Why do we keep climbing when it is time to pause? How come we tend to value more the climbing than the descent?

It seems like Life has only one “key performance indicator," the vitality of the entirety of ecosystems. Vitality is not only about growing and harvesting, but also about pausing and preserving. In order to get ready for the new growth and harvesting to come with the new cycle, the act of letting go is key together with the careful selection of what needs to be preserved.

This way, the spirit of the “ancestors” keeps communicating how to align with Life. The oak tree to come knows deeply how to.

This is different, perhaps radically, from the indicators we normally use in our organizations, effectiveness, efficiency, growth, and the like. Our human narrowed goals seem to 52

be intrinsically competitive and not holding the perspective of the ecosystem beyond the organization. These goals also forget about preservation as they are highly focused on innovation. They tend to be born out of the “yang” energy and not out of the “yin” energy, the opposite way Life follows.

Does innovation without preservation take us to chaos?

Soon, many people will be thinking on what change they want for the new year, perhaps beginning already to hold the question, what’s the new year’s resolution I want to commit to?

Often, these resolutions bring the notion of becoming more, or knowing more, or having more, eventually doing more.

What if the focus for next year was rather that of “less is more”?

For that intention, the practice of letting go is very relevant and needed. This has the beauty of clearing the space, of offering a new blank canvas ready to be explored. A clearing in which new life, a new expression of the self will emerge when it is time. It seems that Life fills the space always.

Actually, there’s nothing to fear.

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“Do not try to save the whole world Or do anything grandiose.

Instead, create a clearing In the dense forest of your life And wait there patiently, Until the song that is your life Falls into your own cupped hands And you recognize and greet it.

Only then will you know How to give yourself To this world So worthy of rescue.�

(Clearing by Martha Postlewaite) What is it that I/we want or need to let go of to allow that clearing? 
 May We đ&#x;?? Well!

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“Who does not understand your silence will probably not understand your words” ELBERT HUBBARD

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December 56

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e are getting closer to the end of 2020. What a year! In the January newsletter, I was offering a question to contemplate on

What if 2020 was a year bringing the opportunity of individual and collective expansion?

I was not aware (perhaps I was?) of what was coming after the next corner of the year, but now I can say that that this year has brought many opportunities for individual and collective expansion.

The tlcers community expansion has been amazing. We explored many directions in our coming together to navigating complexity with meaningful impact. I can see that the seed of our community keeps evolving and growing in a sustainable way.

At the individual level, I’ve known through conversations with some of you, that 2020 was indeed a year of expansion, for many after a deep contraction at the beginning. Also, for me, this year has been (still few days to go!) a powerful ground for growing and learning. I am making peace with some shadows that were deeply rooted in my system and beginning to tap into the gifts underneath.

We know that when looking closely to the Reactive dimensions of the TLC model, we find plenty of gifts. At the core, there are three deep and beautiful primal gifts: 58

• •

Love (Complying) Truth (Protecting)

•

Light (Controlling)

What better gifts than these three for this year end, actually for any moment?

We have these three gifts within, yet it seems like we humans keep seeking outside of us to find them. Did we create artificial light as an attempt following the calling for “illumination”? Are we creating now artificial intelligence, following a longing for truth? And what about Love? Are we going next for artificial love?

“Everything you attract towards yourself – all relationships, experiences and their timings – serve a single purpose – to offer you the possibility of expanding your capacity to love.”

RICHAR RUDD As far as we keep searching outside, we will never find these gifts. It takes pause and contemplation to find them within, but the busyness most of us are in, does not allow for this space for stillness and silence.

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What if there was even nothing to ďŹ nd?

What if these gifts were just to open?

This is my prayer for us as we approach the edge of 2021: 


May we help each other learn, 
 grow and improve.
 
 May we live and work with a 
 deep sense of purpose.
 
 May we relate to each other in an authentic, courageous and high integrity manner.
 
 May we Be! With deep respect and gratitude!

May We đ&#x;?? Well!

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Section Two Good Morning Europe and Beyond!

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May we đ&#x;?? Well! 

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Today and Tomorrow The cold and calm sea, the moist body, burning the soul the heart sings cheerful and sincere.

Mirror of obsidian, reflection of blessed light to the new cycle sing the look and the soul, with infinite strength.

I can’t and won’t forget the look, patient my yearning, my deep respect Being!

Today and tomorrow.

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The first Lockdown During the lockdown due to COVID 19, I felt like writing daily to our community. This was my way to being present, to offering myself fully. A way of loving.

From my experience, these 106 posts were anticipating the coming together of our community to navigating complexity with meaningful impact. To me, this is a selforganized community, even if we don’t always see it as such. But, isn’t it somehow what we dream for our clients?

We don’t have a purpose. We have many of them.

We don’t have a vision. We have many of them.

We don’t have a structure. We have many of them.

I chose to include all in this book as a testimonial for all we have done during this crazy yet amazing year.

My biggest learning during this time is that my deepest essence, the divine expression I carry (as you do) was locked-down inside myself as I was not paying full attention and being aware. I keep contemplating on this insight as I am fully committed to being in service to Life and Humanity.

I am fully committed to the seventh generation!

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Good Morning Europe!

Good Morning All! Good Morning!

Good Morning Europe and Beyond!

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Much Love May you be Well!

May you All be Well!

May you Be(e) well!

May you đ&#x;?? Well!

May we đ&#x;?? Well!

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March, 18th 2020 Good morning Europe!

I woke up this morning with a deep sense of lightness and gratitude. The poem Working Together by David Whyte came to my heart:

"We shape our self to ďŹ t this world and by the world are shaped again.

The visible and the invisible working together in common cause, to produce the miraculous.

I am thinking of the way the intangible air travelled at speed round a shaped wing easily holds our weight.

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So may we, in this life trust to those elements we have yet to see or imagine, and look for the true shape of our own self, by forming it well to the great intangibles about us."

I am feeling alive!

How are you feeling this morning?

Much love 

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March, 19th 2020 Good morning Europe!

Yesterday I received a beautiful message from WindEagle, keeper of the Delicate Lodge Teachings. In her message that you can read fully at https://lnkd.in/enqZADH she offers some expanding questions to contemplate on in these times: • • • • •

How we choose to stand in this time?

What is the opportunity in front of us?

How do we choose to participate in the shaping of this time?

How can we reach out to those in need around us?

How might this change us?

I thought of sharing these with you all as dedicated people to the evolution of consciousness of our Humanity.

Our thoughts, our words and our actions contribute to our experienced reality. Perhaps, more than ever, we can grow our impeccability.

May you be Well!

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March, 20th 2020 Good morning Europe!

"When systems break down, leaders stand up". I read this quote yesterday in the Daily Stoic, and after contemplating it for a while, I took it to my dreams.

This morning I woke up with a question in mind: What's at risk?

This made me remember the practice we teach in certiďŹ cation and that allows to see what are we hooked by.

I will hold the question today, and see what I am identifying with as I am facing this "new" occasion.

I invite you to contemplate this question if you choose to.

Much love 

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March, 21st 2020 Good morning Europe!

Today I’d like to share something personal I am contemplating on.

I have been quite active these days in many ways. With the team, with the family, with friends, with colleagues, in my personal work. Thinking that I am in service, thinking.

Where is this doing coming from? What I am identified with when doing this doing?

I see that the doing can come from two places: from the mind and from heart.

The first one, the thoughts appearing in my mind, offer mainly three voices: * I can find a solution to it (Controlling?) * I cannot but the one in charge will (Complying?) * I know what to do, but I am not in charge, so let’s wait until they ask me (Protecting?)

All three focused on the Material realm. I think these three might well be coming from my fears.

The heart-mind invites me to pause, to close my eyes, to breath in and breath out. To listen deeply, To allow the fear to be present. To stay with the fear...until hopefully, at a 72

given moment, something shifts inside me. Then, my heart opens wide to the One Voice that informs me how to move.

Informing of what is “right”. The heart-mind holds a focus also on the Spiritual realm.

In connecting with the fear I can then ask myself another question, What’s the Gift underneath?

Much Love

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March, 22nd 2020 Good morning All! Yesterday I was trying to read one of the (many) books I have in my reading list but couldn't really concentrate.

Something deep inside was forcing me to break the pattern of keeping me active, busy (distracted?). My heart wanted me in another duty, pausing! So I did.

I entered this space in-between with a question: What is needed? I held it for quite long, contemplating a very special tree we have in our land. Finally, I got this understanding: 1. Focusing on bringing the unique gifts everyone has.

2. Collaborating in the co-creation of the emerging present.

3. Emphasizing on aďŹƒrming life.

What are the patterns I/We need to breakthrough?

This time oers us the possibility of turning the camera inwards and look deep inside the individual/interior and collective/interior quadrants. The possibility of breaking free of some old patterns that do not serve us anymore.

Like the leaves, the trees let go to the land so to feed the new emerging in spring.

Much Love!  74

What is needed?


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March, 23rd 2020 Good morning!

Whenever we ďŹ nd ourselves in a complex environment, listening to the early signals become really relevant. They inform us, potentially, of what's trying to emerge (or might be).

Chasing early signals is a kind of discovery process that requires presence and curiosity. Also being in the conversation that's going on. Through this mindful listening, we can see emerging fractal patterns, high might be highly informative.

I was reviewing the books I've been drawn to over the last few years and saw some patterns, a kind of trajectory. One of this books, The Three Horizons by Bill Sharpe, is somehow the headline of the pattern. This, to me, is a great lens to look at the current situation.

Something from this book that could be applied almost everywhere: * Managing H1 (business-as-usual) to avoid system essentials breakdown.
 * Disrupting in H2 (turbulent transition) to feed the future H3.

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* Invest in pockets of transformative innovation to start creating a viable future (H3).

All 3 horizons co-exist now and call for our attention at all levels.

I am looking into how can this apply to our speciďŹ c context.

May you be Well! 

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March, 24th 2020 Good morning Europe, and beyond!

Art Shirk was for me a brother and a teacher. He taught me how to facilitate TLC certifications and his energy is very present when I do facilitate them nowadays. His last and most likely most powerful and touching lesson was the way he decided to live his last times. His stake was "Every Breath Counts".

I remembered this lesson last night as I was contemplating what's the gift of this coronavirus if any? I am reminded to value every single breath again. To remember how to breath. Breath in, pause, breath out. To feel the joy in each of these movements. To enjoy the experience of the now and letting go of goals and expectations.

How would my impact be if I practiced my leadership the same way? * Breathing in, {Pausing}, Breathing Out. * Receiving, {Pausing}, Giving * Reading the Field, {Pausing}, Leading. * Being, {Pausing}, Becoming. * Being loved, {Pausing}, Loving.

What's the quality of my breathing?

May "every breath count”! Much love!

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March, 25th 2020 Good morning Europe, and beyond!

“At the still point of the turning world. Neither flesh nor fleshless; Neither from nor towards; at the still point, there the dance is, But neither arrest nor movement. And do not call it fixity, Where past and future are gathered.

Neither movement from nor towards, Neither ascent nor decline. Except for the point, the still point, There would be no dance, and there is only the dance.” (T.S. Elliot) May You Be Well!

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March, 26th 2020 Good morning Europe and beyond!

We know from our LCP debrief practice how powerful is the moment leaders share their life's stories. In most cases, this becomes a great moment of awareness of how events shaped our personal and leadership stories.

Without much doubt, when we will debrief leaders in the next days, weeks, months and years, one of the stories they will bring will be around these times we are living right now. Yes, this context is shaping us, as we are shaping it.

The current leadership trajectory we are in, both individually and collectively, will shift in many ways taking us to a totally unknown place. Between the utopia and the dystopia, a full spectrum of possibilities. Our choices are highly relevant!

How can we help leaders consciously shape and be shaped by this pivotal time?

How can we shape and be shaped by the current context in a life-aďŹƒrming way?

May you all be Well! 

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March, 27th 2020 Good morning Europe, and beyond!

I thought of introducing the TLC Europe Team today.

Amazing people who are committed to "practising humanity consciously @work...every day!"

Thank you Anne-Laure, Cristina, Gloria, Ignacio, Marc, Marta, Javier, RĂŠgis, Rosario, Rubia, Sara, for your passion and dedication to our purpose.

We are listening to you! How can we help you?

May you be well! 

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March, 28th 2020 Good morning Europe, and beyond!

In the March newsletter, we share that we, at TLC Europe, are holding two questions to inform our action. One of them is what is needed to Foster Collaboration?

I am opening this thread to share how are you adapting your practice in front of the current challenges and how collaboration is at play.

At TLC, we are moving certifications to virtual as a way to respond and adapt to the new scenario in the short term.

We still intend to hold face-to-face after the lockdown, yet in the very short term, we are focusing on keeping the essential working. Thus, all our certifications until August will be virtual.

We are collaborating with the participants from the very beginning to set up a context that works for all. The response so far is very positive. The level of effective internal collaboration as a team is amazing and working from home is bringing a new way of moving together. We are learning to focus exquisitely in what's really essential which is giving space for more potency and impact on what we do.

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I know some of you are also taking initiatives in the virtual domain using TLC with success.

What are your stories?

May you Be(e) well! 

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March, 29th 2020 Good morning Europe and beyond!

In many contexts, collaboration is emerging spontaneously in service of what is needed. It appears to me that this new manifestation of the collective is following fractal images.

"Fractals are objects, whether mathematical, created by nature or by man, that are called irregular, rough, porous or fragmented and which possess these properties at any scale. That is to say, they have the same shape, whether see from close or from far".

How does this connect to our community?

What if TLCers geographically close were forming a fractal of purpose and collective action?

What if this were a ďŹ rst-level on interconnectedness that then could be scaled through the virtual space?

What if we were forming a model for transformation that combined the physical space as well as the virtual one?

What if we were like "bees," working locally at our closest "bee hive" yet being part of a collective transformative process?

May you Be(e) Well!  84

March, 30th 2020 Good morning Europe and beyond!

Another week, another possibility. That's one perspective we could embrace in these times of huge cacophony.

Another week coming int the form of an invitation to keep present and centered.

I know that for me, paying attention and putting intention into being back to my centre whenever I get o-centre, it is really relevant. Every time I pause and focus on my breathing, there's almost always something my heart wants "me" to know.

What if any interruption was actually an invitation to pause?

May you Be(e) Well! 

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March, 31st 2020 Good morning Europe and beyond!

I woke this morning with a feeling of higher creative tension. Is this also true for you?

My sense is that we are moving gently over the steps of the grief process as described by Harrison Owen: Shock and Anger, Denial, Memories, Despair and Open Space.

Where do you ďŹ nd yourself in this process?

Myself, I am sensing that one part of our community is beginning to see the space opening.

We are holding the question of what is needed now and we'll be responding with several invitations over the next days. Stay tuned!

May You Be(e) Well! 

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April, 1st 2020 Good morning Europe and beyond!

One of the paradigms that we may need to transcend in these times is around "problem-solving". I general, we see problems as something to fix, to get rid off, to solve. What we call problems are simply pieces of evidence of something deeper, something invisible. The problem is visible yet the origin is invisible.

What if instead of 'working against' the problem we 'worked with' the problem?

For this I am finding useful the following questions: What is it?

What is it for?

How to use it? and from there using Alan Seale questions What wants to happen? Who is it asking me to be? What is this situation telling me/us? What is it asking me to do?

Thus, taking a wider perspective so to connect with the essence underneath, with the gift.

May you Be(e) Well!

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April, 2nd 2020 Good morning Europe and beyond!

The word healing means etymologically "to make whole".

This points somehow to let all parts remember that they function individually yet in service of the "whole". This, taking to the largest system, implies being in service of Life.

Some times we humans get trapped in the illusion of the smaller system, forgetting that we are nested in the web of Life, being fractals of the Whole. This is also called the illusion of separation.

Without awareness of this, we often privilege our own individual or ethnic safety and neglecting the other pole, purpose. Especially in these times, I think it is really relevant that we connect anew with purpose. Privileging safety may trigger the reactive and, we know that whenever we "play not to lose," we lose.

As I was contemplating this, I thought this video by Bob Anderson would be helpful not only for us as a community, but also for our clients.

May you Bee Well!

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April, 3rd 2020 Good morning Europe and beyond!

Yesterday I met again a quote Bob shares often. He says: "Most of us are trying to change or create a future from a structure that is actually designed to maintain your current reality".

Most existing structures are in place to keep doing "business as usual". They are great when we face the ordinary, but now we are facing the extraordinary and most likely they need to be transformed. Both, personal and organizational.

How come are we going to create a viable future if we don't change the structures?

And we know that structure determines performance.

Is trying to protect (stick to) current structures a wise choice?

What structures are needed henceforward? What new structures are emerging?

How to balance Structure and Vision/Dream as we create a viable world?

May you Bee Well!

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April, 4th 2020 Good morning Europe and beyond!

Today, I am feeling like standing in front of a "blank canvas," and at the same time keep painting another one that is ďŹ lled with little, if any, blank spaces to be painted.

If there is not space, how come can I bring the creative “painting"? Who is the painter in each case?

These questions evoke in my awareness the word "responsibility". What's the impact of action without being in a place of full "response-ability?

What does it take to step into this space of responseability?

What emotions I am feeling?

What is it that I love so much as to feel those emotions?

What is needed for me to reconnect with this love underneath?

Until then, perhaps it is not that wise to even think of the spectrum of possible actions in response to the "blank canvas" in front.

May you Bee Well!  90

April, 5th 2020

Good morning Europe and beyond!

Today I am feeling like what is needed is Pausing. Sit down in deep contemplation. Listening to the silence.

Keep listening.

What if I just sat in front of a loved one and look into his/her eyes for a long while? What would emerge from this?

Perhaps a deep sense of Re-Union?

May you đ&#x;?? Well! 

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April, 6th 2020 Good morning Europe and beyond, One of the frameworks of complexity theory is that one created by Dave Snowden, the Cynefin framework. In this, we find five domains: simple, complicated, complex, chaos and disorder. Each of them require a different leadership approach and, if we don't match leadership and domain we may end up either creating chaos (sounds familiar?) or disorder.

Visiting one of their websites I found a list of suggestions for these moments of growing complexity: 1. Enabling the pro-active monitoring of the emotional wellbeing of staff and/or community members, especially those being forced to adopt virtual ways of working or adapt to social isolation.

2. Taking this opportunity to capture key lessons learnt and lessons learning during the unique circumstances created by the crisis.

3. Leader’s Journal - to gain insight, create a peer group and gather ideas of innovation.

4. Finding emergent ideas, changes and opportunities to innovate in the crisis.

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5. Understanding and supporting the complex challenges.

6. Imagining a better future, without idealism.

How are you doing in these six points?

May you đ&#x;?? Well! 

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April, 7th 2020 Good morning Europe and beyond!

One way or the other, a part of the self believes I am not "enough," that I am incomplete. This is true and also not true, both at the same time yet neither. From there the question, how can I be more of who I am?

We could also ask ourselves other questions.

What is my Genius?

How does Genius expresses through me when I am deeply centered, being one with Life, and moving with love?

What question do we need to ask "out loud" so to access our Genius?

May you đ&#x;?? Well! 

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What is my Genius?

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April, 8th 2020 Good morning Europe and beyond, From one perspective, we could say that Life works in cycles and seasons, starting from birth and ending with death. From one to the other we could trace a trajectory, like a curve (often many curves and ups and downs).

We are being (or will be) confronted with the need to make highly relevant choices as we navigate this complex context. To me, it is important to remember, when doing so, that we are following a trajectory.

What brought me here, to this very moment and situation? This might connect me with the choices I did in the past. * Where will "I" end if I don't change anything? Our current destination based on our choices, individual and collective. * Getting there is what brings "me" vitality? If no, a new vision might be needed. * Where would "I" like to end? The vision. * What is needed so "I" get there? The transformation.

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The process is simple. What is not that simple is to follow through it with a high level of consciousness. We are at cause, and our thoughts, words and deeds have an impact.

What impact would have in our impact if we replaced in each of the questions above the word "I" by something like "grand grandchildren"?

May you đ&#x;?? Well! 

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April, 9th 2020 Good morning Europe and beyond!

These days I am ďŹ nding value in exploring the trajectory we are following as individuals, communities and species. This is relevant in order to help us make choices that are aligned with what's emerging.

To me, over the last decades or even centuries, tension has been building between the Old and the New, between "business-as-usual" and a vision for "a viable world". With this polarization has been escalating in many dimensions.

Somehow, in the mainstream, we have been pretending to be blind to the many early signals that were right there, before us. On the other hand, the natural cycles are unavoidable. What we can avoid is doing harm in the process.

So here we are, in the space right at the end of a cycle (a large one) and the beginning of the new one. Something new is emerging and "soon" to be released. From my perspective, this "new" is about remembering we are one with all life, and that we must align our actions so to aďŹƒrm life.

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What if we put our energy in keeping the essentials working while we co-create the future?

May you đ&#x;?? Well! 

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April, 10th 2020 Good morning Europe and beyond, We are here!

This very time of human history it's quite hard to grasp and understand rationally, at least for me. In this is a pivotal moment between the "old" and the "new," I feel I can be at choice. This is my freedom. A very simple choice, yet challenging.

If I had to write some headlines describing this moment, one would be around this choice: Do We Come Together as Humans or Do we stay as Individuals sheltered in ethnic groups?

Writing headlines describing the current "here" of our trajectory can be a powerful way to foster the coming together and aligning about the challenge and opportunity ahead.

What headline would you write?

May you đ&#x;?? Well! 

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April, 11th 2020 Good morning Europe and beyond!

One of the patterns well embedded in the Western worldview is the tendency to move fast into action, into solving. This, often, results in many voices not heard as well as some lack of depth in the sense-making about the situation.

We need to look deeper into the current trajectory backwards so to better highlight where it is taking us to. In order to do so, the question What events or circumstances brought me here? is really helpful. We need to do it one event back at a time.

Finding the right immediate one, and the next one, and so on, as back in the trajectory as needed to gain insight.

What brought us here, to the very complex situation before us?

May We đ&#x;?? Well! 

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April, 12th 2020 Good morning Europe and beyond!

I was searching for pictures in Unsplash as I am creating a virtual emotional cards set and found the one below.

It attracted me at ďŹ rst by its beauty, the calmness I experienced when looking at it. Then I read the text below the photo: "sunlight reects on trees and river".

Every single day, the Sun is there, after the rising ready to gift his Light to all of us and all beings in this planet. Every single day. We know that the day the Sun will complete his cycle, life on Earth will have a challenging time.

I feel a deep gratitude today for the Sun, giver of all life. An ongoing source of energy for growth and of light.

And, it also reects on every single one of us humans!

May We đ&#x;?? Well! 

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April, 13th 2020 Good morning Europe and beyond!

Yesterday I watched the movie "Finding Joe" on youtube.

It's about the "Hero's Journey" as developed by Joseph Campbell.

In this journey, there are three main phases: Separation, Initiation and Return.

After hearing the "wake up call" we leave our current reality and step into the unknown to learn something deep about the self. We meet challenges and get unexpected help.

Eventually, we embrace a new aspect, harvest a deeply hidden treasure in the "shadow" and that we share with others upon return.

Sounds familiar? What if this conďŹ nement was that very wake-up call? What treasure is waiting for us to embrace?

Follow your Bliss!

May We đ&#x;?? Well! 

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April, 14th 2020 Good morning Europe and beyond!

Today I thought of sharing a poem a friend shared with me recently: The Trough (by Judy Brown)

There is a trough in waves, a low spot where horizon disappears and only sky and water are our company.

And there we lose our way unless we rest, knowing the wave will bring us to its crest again.

There we may drown if we let fear hold us in its grip and shake us side to side, and leave us ailing, torn, disoriented.

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But if we rest there in the trough, in silence, being in the low part of the wave, keeping our energy and noticing the shape of things, the ow, then time alone will bring us to another place where we can see horizon, see land again, regain our sense of where we are, and where we need to swim.

What do poems do to you?

May We đ&#x;?? Well! 

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April, 15th 2020 Good morning Europe and beyond!

We shall agree that in this community we are dedicated, one way or another, to the evolution of the conscious practice of leadership, to helping people grow. Am I right?

In our practice, we hold the perspective of "leadership development". This means, subtly or not, that we are not ready to lead as needed, we need to develop.

Development implies a journey, time. However, in these times many leaders may say that "there's no time" to "develop right now". What if they are right?

From one perspective, they are right. What if this is not the time for "leadership development" but for "leadership show up"? I also dream leaders "showing up" now, not in one year or two, from higher levels of consciousness. Or even, I dream Integral leaders showing up.

This brings another perspective to our practice, and thus oering some new questions: How can we help "leaders" show up from the Creative and even from the Integral?

How can we help integral leaders show up? What new services, programs, platforms, etc., are needed for this?

May We đ&#x;?? Well!  106

April, 16th 2020 Good morning Europe and beyond!

As you know TLC is pivoting certiďŹ cations to virtual in response to the current situation. Nothing extraordinary in terms of the "what" I'd say. What has been really extraordinary is that we did this pivoting in 5 working days.

We teamed up with participants, faculty, the pool of coaches and ďŹ nally, we made it. We have delivered not only a certiďŹ cation virtually but a really powerful one according to the comments and feedback from participants as well as our own beautiful (and intense ;) experience.

This was possible because of the collective leadership. My biggest learning is that when systems breakdown, people stand up. "Ordinary" people become "extraordinary leaders". This is the power of the collective.

A single question, yet powerful, question is our North Star all the time, What is needed?

A question that is guiding us along the process.

May We đ&#x;?? Well! 

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April, 17th 2020 Good morning Europe and beyond!

I just realized that the way I hold the word "journey" puts me in a perspective of years, of long duration, and also something happening in the future. I see this might be limiting.

I have been contemplating on Joseph Campbell's idea of the "Hero's Journey" these days, as I shared in another post.

What's the impact in my own "hero's journey" when holding the beliefs above? What if every moment was the "journey"?

This opened up a new perspective to me.

A simple pause at the moment can be the start of the "hero's journey". Wake up calls come quite often and in many forms. However, am I listening to them?

When confronted in any moment with a "wake up" call (conict, challenge, etc.) we can enter the journey using Richard Rudd's techniques.

1st. "Pausing". Stopping, closing the eyes and paying attention to the breathing can become the act of "Separation" in the journey.

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2nd. "Pivoting". Holding what we are contemplating on during the pause, might bring us some new insights. That would be the "initiation".

3rd. "Merging". After the pause and the pivoting, it's time to "return" and merge with our world anew. The more we do this, the more we might be able to merge from a place of love.

What lands for you with this?

May We đ&#x;?? Well! 

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April, 18th 2020 Good morning Europe and beyond, In many places around the planet, with our conďŹ nement, animals are getting closer and entering "our spaces". Deers, wild boars, dolphins and other species are using the socalled "human spaces".

I've heard from many that "as humans are not there, Life goes on". That the planet is recovering when we cease our activity. That's one perspective, which is partially true. Is this pointing out that humans are not life? That we are only harmful?

What if the animals actually were getting closer to let us know they are holding us in this? That they care for us?

That they love us?

What if they are telling us that we have a place in Life that is needed? What if they are asking us to remember what really our role in Life is?

What does it mean to be Human?

May We đ&#x;?? Well! 

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What does it mean to be Human?


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April, 19th 2020 Good morning Europe and beyond!

We continue to hear many stories of transformation that happened in just forty days since the lockdown started. In just forty days, some organizations have restructured themselves to respond to the current complex context.

Many of the stories come from hospitals all around. Some businesses have done alike. Also, thousands of people have shifted and self-organize in order to serve the society in many ways. Other organizations are waiting or trying to protect the status quo.

I heard recently in one client, "what we did in two weeks would have taken us one year before the crisis".

I am curious about these stories. What made them possible and successful?

To me, this speaks of servant leadership emerging from many levels or corners of organizations. I think these stories have ďŹ ve things in common: 1. A deep sense of purpose.
 2. Focus on what is needed?

3. An enabling context.

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4. People (not positions) coming together.

5. Egos put aside.

It's time to let go of the "old" story and opening our hearts to the "new" one.

May We đ&#x;?? Well! 

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April, 20th 2020 Good morning Europe and beyond!

Simon Sinek says "It all starts with why!". This points to the reason to do something, what makes worth living and working for. From the why, the how and the what unfold more easily and powerfully.

However, what if the purpose (the why) was not something we are here to do but a state of being to embody?

Why do we believe that purpose is something to accomplish outside of us?

From another perspective, we know that the level of consciousness we operate from is key in how eective we are when leading. Thus, as leaders move from reactive to creative, then to integral, their leadership eectiveness increases. Does this explain that purpose is rather a state of being?

What if it all doesn't start with why but with who?

May We đ&#x;?? Well! 

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April, 21st 2020 Good morning Europe and beyond, What is needed?

The more I contemplate this question, the more I appreciate its potency. It informs of what's emerging and directly tells us about how can we contribute in service of the common good.

It can be held from many perspectives too. Using the eight directions, we can look at any given situation to make more conscious choices. I ďŹ nd extremely useful these eight perspectives: Freedom, Attention, Trust, Direction, Nurturing, Learning, Courage, Enthusiasm.

They provide a holistic view to inform any relevant choices.

By listening to the voice of each one of these perspectives, one has access to the ongoing natural process of balancing, achieving higher and higher levels of equilibrium.

In the current context, what is needed from each one of these perspectives, Freedom, Attention, Trust, Direction?

Nurturing? Learning? Courage? Enthusiasm?

A contemplation worth engaging in.

May We đ&#x;?? Well!  115

April, 22nd 2020 Good morning Europe and beyond!

Yesterday we had our ďŹ rst TLC European Community gathering with 105 TLCers attending. We circled up around a vision: "Navigating Complexity with Meaningful Impact". and had three outcomes in mind for this interactive session: * Expand the enabling context * Leave the session with actionable insights * A deeper sense on the We, of connectedness.

It was another step in the unfolding of this community in these times of turbulence. A community which time is now.

Time to keep evolving as a community, to expand the connections and to allow what's emerging to inform us of what is needed.

The picture below is the image of the word cloud we cocreated in the check-out. I think we are making it happen, and that we are already in the co-creation of the "blank canvas" before us.

May We đ&#x;?? Well!  116

April, 23rd 2020 Good morning Europe and beyond, These days the word virtual is used a lot. We refer to virtual to the exchanges we hold through the many "screens" at hand. A screen is deďŹ ned as "a surface on which motion pictures, etc., may be projected", also as "anything that shelters or conceals".

We could say that anything we see in those screens is a projection which, in turn, is interpreted by the viewer. This is what's making these experiences virtual ("being something in essence or eect, though not actually or in fact").

Projections and interpretations are somehow the sources of our experiences, yet not only through the physical screens.

Also in what we commonly call reality.

What's the screen in which I see the "motion movie" of life? Am I the projector?

May We đ&#x;?? Well! 

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April, 24th 2020 Good morning Europe and beyond!

Do I(you) feel free to play with all possibilities?

Something that happened yesterday reminded me of the power of playfulness. To me, it carries the energy of freedom and informs of the degree in which I feel open to all what comes as a possibility. Everything and everyone is a possibility of life.

How open I am to receive all possibilities from a place of benevolence? Whenever I close myself to the possibility and to appreciating it, regardless of what I chose as a response, I might be creating some sort of selfenslavement.

When looking at the TLC model, I see four degrees of playfulness (or games we can play): đ&#x;Œ‘ Egocentric self: I don't want to play! đ&#x;Œ‘ Reactive self: Playing not to lose. đ&#x;Œ‘ Creative self: Playing to win. đ&#x;Œ‘ Integral self: Simply playing.

What game I am playing now?

May we đ&#x;?? well!  118

What’s possible?

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April, 25th 2020 Good morning Europe and beyond!

Normal or new normal? Is this the question?

To be "normal" means "conforming with the standard". I see in this definition at least three limiting constraints.

1. The call to conform, to act as "expected". By whom? Is this complying?

2. To bring oneself as close as possible to the mean.

Otherwise, you are not in the majority (the mainstream), you are an outlier, even a loser. What if I don't feel like agreeing?

3. It points or suggests the one way (standard) of being, of acting. What if I don't fit? What if a collective doesn't fit?

We hear a lot about the "new normal," yet to me, it cannot be "normal" as we hold it. We need a new paradigm of "normal".

How do we bring in the 100% of the population, without holding any judgement? Without leaving anyone outside?

Integrating all perspectives?

Such inclusive "new normal" calls, at least, for an integral level of consciousness.

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What is needed?

What context needs to be set up for this?

May We đ&#x;?? Well! 

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April, 26th 2020 Good morning Europe and beyond!

Yesterday, while reading a paper on sensemaking I met this quote by Marcel Proust: "The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes but in having new eyes.�

As I keep contemplating on the "blank canvas" before us, I feel the impulse of inviting other "eyes" to look at it. There is so much potential, so many possibilities (inďŹ nite?) that is hard to grasp for one pair of eyes. This calls for the collective contemplation and observation, to the pausing and waiting.

A time of seeing with the eyes open and closed at the same time.

Is this time to hold action until the time is right?

May We đ&#x;?? Well! 

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April, 27th 2020 Good morning Europe and beyond!

Is there too much newness in these times? Does it really make sense to make sense of what's going on in the world?

That might help on the global scale, but in the local (and hyper-local) scale I am not sure. Again, if I intend to make informed decisions, I can easily get overwhelmed by the tones of information and eventually over my head.

Complexity is scaling up rapidly, exponentially. Is there a way to cope with it? I think so. The answer might be found in simplicity. As Sydney Bank put it: "In simplicity lies the answers to all complexity".

There's a technology available and at hand. We have with us from birth that might be really helpful. It's called a heartknowing. It just requires trusting Life. Pausing, breathing, staying in the Silence long enough until we hear the heart.

If nothing comes, perhaps it's because the best action is non-action.

I know, that's not that easy as our mind-brain keeps provoking us to try to understand and to make the "right" choice. What if what's "right" for Life is way beyond our capacity to understand?

May we đ&#x;?? well!  123

April, 28th 2020 Good morning Europe and beyond!

Yesterday I had a conversation about the power of imagination. This is basically about forming an image in our mind about anything. Yes, anything.

Our human system, both individual and collective, is made of images. Before manifesting anything, we ďŹ rst imagine it, consciously or unconsciously. Accessing imagination can be tough if we approach it from a merely cognitive perspective. Instead, if we allow the quality of poetry, of the poetic spirit, which is not about understanding but about expanding the "under-standing," we may enter the realm of imagination.

Yet before this, the quality of playfulness is needed. Being open to whatever comes, being benevolent with "it" and letting the heart feel into it.

Playfulness followed by poetry, then imagination. After this, some sort of creativity might (will) emerge.

Now, an invitation to just imagine. Turn your attention inwards for a moment, perhaps with your eyes closed. Hold there. Ask yourself the question, "What's my genius?" and be open to whatever image coming to you.

May we đ&#x;?? well!  124

April, 29th 2020 Good morning Europe and beyond!

How attuned are we with the natural rhythms of life?

Even, how aware are we of them? Rhythms inside and rhythms outside.

Life works in cycles that keep repeating themselves and each one of them has its rhythm. From the human heart to the farthest star. From the beginning till the end. And from there, a new beginning.

There are no deadlines, nor timelines. All happens when is meant to be. All is orchestrated in each moment by the interplay of all that is. Looking from this perspective, Life is timeless.

Yet here I am, dancing in the Patience ∞ Impatience polarity.

May WE đ&#x;?? well! 

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April, 30th 2020 Good morning Europe and beyond!

On March 30th we decided to pivot our certiďŹ cations to virtual. On April 26th we have delivered two of them extremely successfully and with high impact. We did a retrospective after each one of them and came to see eight ingredients that made this possible in such a short period of time: * An Enabling Context. * People, not positions, Coming Together to face the challenge. * Working with a deep sense of purpose? * Creating with the resources at hand. * Designing step by step (Skateboard approach). * Focusing on What is needed? * Egos put aside. * Relating authentically.

One of the key learnings was to remember that we can create magic just with the resources available at the 126

moment to manifest the vision. After having a clear goal/ vision, try out following these four steps: 1. Resource, 2. Assembly, 3. Strategy, 4. Action.

What resources do you have at hand?

May we đ&#x;?? well! 

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May, 1st 2020 Good morning Europe and beyond!

In general, we think of being centered as a pre-condition before doing something.

"I need to get centered so I can be calm and responsive during the meeting so I can get my point across". "I am going to centered myself so I can give my keynote with impact".

Of course, being centered in "order to" helps and is quite useful. However, this might be based on the assumption that "being centered" is a means to an end.

What if being centered was the end in itself and not a means?

May we đ&#x;?? well! 

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What’s the End?

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May, 2nd 2020 Good morning Europe and beyond!

"Make with what we have at hand" is one of the five principles shared by Philippe Silberzhan about "effectuation". His framework connects nicely with what we have learned in our pivoting of certifications to virtual.

Often we think about what we don't have, what we need in order to manifest our visions. Another perspective is around another question. What can I create with what I have at hand?

Or put differently within our larger context, What meaningful impact may I have with the resources I have available?

In order to step into this space of abundance, perhaps a previous step is needed, that of embracing our responseability. If we are hooked by an emotion, chances are that we move from the reactive. A step that consists of allowing the emotions to be, exploring them and connecting with the gift it brings.

What is it that I love so much as to feel this emotion right now?

Holding this question long enough will open a "clearing" of emotional stability in our personal forest.

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Here comes again the opportunity for that question, What can I create with what I have at hand?

What can you?

May we đ&#x;?? well! 

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May, 3rd 2020 Good morning Europe and beyond!

We often refer to complexity, especially these days, as something exterior, something contextual. Actually, what we see as complexity outside might be mirroring our own complexity of Self.

Is it that the more complex we see the outside, the more the need to increase our own complexity inside?

Is this external complexity speaking of our internal limitations to navigate the external?

What if our challenge was not about the external complexity but about the internal one? I point here to both, the individual and the collective.

The complexity of context expressed in the external Wilber's quadrants invites us to navigate the inner complexity for meaningful impact in the outside.

Context is continuously shaping us, at least trying or inviting us to. When we allow this to happen, immediately we began shaping the context. This is the interpenetrating dance in the polarity Outside ∞ Inside, opening a clearing for the optimal conict that fosters our growth.

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Perhaps we have been privileging the outside in some contexts and the inside in some others. With that, we have been bringing more and more downsides.

Is it the time now to bring the balancing quality of Life into our human systems?

May we đ&#x;?? well! 

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May, 4th 2020 Good morning Europe and beyond!

Do you want to play with this?

From the 63 insights we harvested during our recent European Community online gathering, I created a word cloud with the top 50 words. I copied and pasted all the texts in the site https://lnkd.in/ehZCtNJ that oers a great tool for this.

We also created a task force with 13 volunteer practitioners who will join in a ďŹ rst call this week in order to make sense, ďŹ nd patterns and suggest directions and initiatives that will be shared with all of you.

In the meantime, I invite you to play with us. What stories or phrases would you make up with the 50 words in the word cloud? Please share yours as a comment.

What's the story you see emerging?

May we đ&#x;?? well! 

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May, 6th 2020 Good morning Europe and beyond!

Context, context, context. It's all about context. It can mainly be enabling or constraining.

Take an acorn in your hand. It contains all the information to grow and develop in its maximum expression. It actually contains an oak tree, even an oak grove.

Think about the best place to plant it. What's your intention? If you plant it in a ower pot you will get overtime a beautiful oak tree bonsai. If you do in a fertile meadow, it may end up with time being a forest. I like this metaphor to express the power of context.

Context is dynamic and in time of intensiďŹ ed complexity, there might be a tendency to constrain the context which would limit the chances for growth and creativity.

Especially in these times, context is highly relevant.

How do you keep expanding the context?

How do you keep shaping enabling contexts?

May we đ&#x;?? well! 

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May, 7th 2020 Good morning Europe and beyond!

What is context?

Def: "the interrelated conditions in which something exists or occurs," "the set of circumstances or facts that surround a particular event, situation."

As facilitators and coaches we pay attention to the context of our work, the programs we deliver. Yet, do we pay attention to the larger context. I think there's something we may easily neglect around this. The groups or teams we work with exist already in a given context. How implicit or explicit is it?

Some questions that I ďŹ nd useful in working with teams, explored right at the beginning.

What made us come together?

What's trying to emerge through us?

What is the vision we are to serve?

Who is this situation asking us to be? To become?

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What agreements do we need to explore this ďŹ eld of collective being and doing?

What other questions do you oer to set and expand the context?

May we đ&#x;?? well! 

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May, 8th 2020 Good morning Europe and beyond, Many of us are looking into what's available to create from.

The sense of immediacy that what is needed brings, might well be calling for a dierent kind of leadership. One that is able to listen deeply through the many conversations happening and even the noise generated by the inďŹ nite stream of information.

This points to the relevance of sensemaking. Once we collect the stories embedded in that stream, the ones that carry meaning, illuminating the patterns is key. What are the patterns in our conversations?

In this context, do we have time left for leadership development? Maybe not, because now it's time for leadership showing up.

How do we help each other show up in the most creative or even integral way?

How can we tap into the gifts in the reactive especially now?

May we đ&#x;?? well! 

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May, 9th 2020 Good morning Europe and beyond, It is Full Moon.

What does it mean as a natural cycle? 
 How does it impact us?

How is this informing you about the theme you have been contemplating lately?

What have you been going through?

How does your unique journey ďŹ t in the greater context?

What's the new clarity available for you right now?

What are you conscious about?

What is it that you are called to realize next?

May we đ&#x;?? well! 

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May, 10th 2020 Good morning Europe and beyond!

I keep looking at the horizon. I have no clue what we will ďŹ nd there, at all. Neither how to get there. Actually, where is the question "How..." coming from?

I am connecting again with the vision: Navigating complexity with meaningful impact. I am aware of the turbulences we'll ďŹ nd in the transition between the current reality and that horizon. There are many ways to get there, all very needed as there is no single answer.

I look again at my current reality, deeply. I appreciate what is, what is not. Who I am. Who I am not. Deep gratitude.

I stay in between the vision and the current reality long, allowing all emotions and discomfort to be. Tension keeps building, more and more.

I stand up and walk towards the horizon.

May we đ&#x;?? well! 

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May, 11th 2020 Good morning Europe and beyond!

Do we all have a never-ending story?

I was listening to this song a moment ago and got curious about its lyrics. When doing so, it came to me that perhaps humans we also have a never-ending story in our many cultures, in our way of showing up, in our way organizing (mostly around the concept of hierarchy). It seems like we keep repeating some patterns over history.

"Turn around, look at what you see In her face the mirror of your dreams Make believe I'm everywhere Hidden in the lines, written on the pages is the answer to a never-ending story."

What is it that we mirror each other?

"The birth of a new day Rhymes that keep their secrets Will unfold behind the clouds And thereupon the rainbow Is the answer to a never-ending story."

May we đ&#x;?? well! 

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May, 12th 2020 Good morning Europe and beyond!

When systems break down, leaders stand up...or not!

We are living hypercomplex times in which leaders are called forth to show up from an integral mindset. In the current context, many are feeling over their heads with an intense sense of being overwhelmed. This might be due not only to the fact that most leaders operate from earlier stages of leadership (i.e., reactive and creative) but also to the tendency of operating below their centre of gravity due to the increased complexity with this crisis. This has an eect in their leadership eectiveness and therefore in their overall performance.

How can we help them leverage creative tension so they can create more eectively what matters most?

What is needed to support them?

How can ongoing feedback help them overcome the cancelling eect?

To me, this opens a space of possibilities worth exploring through small safe-to-fail experiments. Wanna play?

May we đ&#x;?? well!  142

May, 13th 2020 Good morning Europe and beyond, From many traditions, life works in cycles of seven. Days, years, generations. For the Iroquois, their Great Law stated "In every deliberation, we must consider the impact on the seventh generation..."

I like to imagine myself being the fourth generation in one of this seven-year cycles. From this perspective, I am thus, somehow, following a legacy, a direction. The three generations before mine tell me about the direction. At the same time, I am holding the impact in the next three generations, children, grandchildren and grand grandchildren.

What if we all were a fourth-generation?

What can we see in the trajectory we are in?

What would we need to honor and celebrate?

What would we like to see our grand grandchildren experience?

May we đ&#x;?? well! 

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May, 14th 2020 Good morning Europe and beyond.

Today is day 59 of conďŹ nement on this side of the Planet. It feels a lot and at the same time that these days ew quickly.

From another perspective, we could say that humans have been conďŹ ned in this Planet since some 500 million years ago. From another, my spirit is conďŹ ned in this body since 1961.

What changes when shifting the perspective?

The more perspectives we hear and include more integrity.

All perspectives hold some truth, yet all are incomplete and partial. Some perspectives are, some were and some will be. Some are human, some are not.

New perspectives emerge every moment. They evolve.

They are let go. With this movement, Life keeps growing and reaching out.

How attached I am to that speciďŹ c perspective?

Something is shifting in our collective perspective. What are you noticing?

May we đ&#x;?? well! 

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May, 15th 2020 Good morning Europe and beyond!

These last days I came often to a famous open by Antonio Machado.

"Wayfarer, there is no path Wayfarer, the only way Is your footprints and no other.

Wayfarer, there is no way.

Make your way by going farther.

By going farther, make your way Till looking back at where you’ve wandered, You look back on that path you may Not set foot on from now onward.

Wayfarer, there is no way; Only wake-trails on the waters."

I ďŹ nd it can be a great companion as we walk towards the horizon together. I ďŹ nd magic in poetry, also in this poem.

Every space, every pause, every silence is full of everything and of nothing.

May we đ&#x;?? well! 

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May, 16th 2020 Good morning Europe and beyond!

Equilibrium is an ongoing process of balancing the opposites. Is not an end but a movement. This is why becoming aware of our preferences and our biases when meeting a polarity is very relevant.

From my understanding polarities can be also held as nested within other polarities. Although in a speciďŹ c situation one evident polarity might be at play, underneath there's most likely another one, and so on.

I also believe that our life work is about transcending a speciďŹ c polarity which is somehow our life mission. In order to do so, we are confronted and gifted with situations that inspire and evoke us to do this work.

So far, I've come to one deep polarity I have been navigating all my life in many forms: Equilibrium ∞ Innovation. This, as I hold it, is my main life challenge as I navigate the Giving ∞ Receiving aspect of the Self.

What would be your life's polarity?

May we đ&#x;?? well! 

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What’s needed for equilibrium?

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May, 17th 2020 Good Morning Europe and beyond!

We recently did at TLC Europe our own Collective Leadership Assessment CLA in order to foster a more creative space. Our intention is tapping into the power of the collective for navigating complexity with meaningful impact.

We explored the results, created new agreements, shared our individual strengths and focused on our path forward as follows: Vision: "Practicing Humanity Consciously @Work Every Day�. One Big Thing: "We develop as a high vitality team to have a meaningful impact" From there, each of us is holding a creative competency to bring it further. Now we are focusing on having a higher equilibrium and balance, through increasing our individual self-awareness.

How are you experiencing the TLC Europe team?

We'd like to have your qualitative feedback. Perhaps one thing you appreciate and one improvable.

May we đ&#x;?? well!  148

May, 18th 2020 Good morning Europe and beyond!

There's a dilemma, expressed through some polarities but mainly thru the one heightened between Speed ∞ Depth, that is becoming highly relevant these days. Also in Scale ∞ Relatedness. And others.

Some cultures privilege Speed, while others do Depth. Few balance the two harmoniously.

The downside of always going fast is most likely superďŹ ciality, lack of connection, leaving others behind, not listening to all the voices. The one in Depth is lack of action, not bringing change, moving in circles.

However, when we intentionally go deep for long enough, we eventually connect with what is needed and how to bring it into form. Then, from that clarity, we can move swiftly. From my experience, this is the way to go far together.

What are your biases?

Which one of these poles do you privilege?

May we đ&#x;?? well! 

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May, 19th 2020 Good morning Europe and beyond!

It is time for discernment and for opening our awareness wide. Another kind of action is requested if we don't want to go back to "normal". We need to admit that "normal" was not working, and therefore some (or a lot) newness is needed.

A large percentage of us operates from the Reactive, which is perfectly suited for managing "normality". However what is needed is an evolved leadership, individual and collective, that take us all to horizon 3, to a viable world. In that world, humans have a regenerative presence on the planet.

This is also an invitation to the practice of conscious participation in Life. For this, we need to develop further many abilities. The starting point is presence: open, aware, connected, appreciative.

How does your personal and leadership practices need to evolve?

May we đ&#x;?? well! 

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May, 20th 2020 Good morning Europe and beyond!

My relationship with calendars has changed. I was used to having one-year visibility on what I was going to be involved in. Now, this is really a permanent and open question, with a very single answer. I don't know!

What I hold to be true is always coming from the current paradigm and beliefs I hold. Always from a certain mindset.

This means that I am trying to make sense, understand and know from within the "box" I live in. What's outside that box? I don't know!

From the inside, I can nothing but to make up, imagine or fantasize about the outside but I cannot know. Perhaps I need to admit that I am certainly blind although I may pretend to see. If I am permanently inside one box or another, how can I know what's outside?

Actually, where the need to know what's outside come from?

May we đ&#x;?? well! 

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May, 21st 2020 Good morning Europe and beyond!

Days are long, weeks are long, months are long. Regardless of the level of activity during the lockdown, they feel long.

From one perspective we may say this can take us in two directions: boredom and exhaustion. Both are downsides of one or several polarities, yet both are coming from a positive intent, navigating complexity with meaning.

I tend to privilege the "doing" pole, so when my selfawareness exes down I may feel exhausted. Last weekend I did some "weeding" on the land here. As I immersed myself into the act of "weeding" I was calming more and more the mind, became more aware, open, connected and appreciative of the very activity, of the "weeding". I enjoyed the "experience of weeding".

This reminded me of the question, what I am experiencing? which points to the now. This might be a slippery question due to the "weed" existing in our inner map. The outside "weeding" as a reection of the inner "weeding", both inseparable.

How are you "weeding"?

May we đ&#x;?? well! 

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What I am experiencing? 

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May, 22nd 2020 Good morning Europe and beyond!

Many agree that the current hypercomplex context calls for Integral leadership if we want to face VUCA. What does it mean this stage of leadership in practice?

We know from Bob Anderson's research that there are four questions in the Creative that correlate highly and positively with Integral: 1. "I help people learn, improve, and change" (Mentoring & Developing).

2. "I investigate the deeper reality that lies behind events/ circumstances" (Personal Learner).

3. "I live and work with a deep sense of purpose" (Purposeful & Visionary).

4. "I create a vision that goes beyond the organization to include having a positive impact in the world" (Community Concern). and two reactive tendencies that correlate highly and negatively: Ambition and Conservative

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If we combine the above with Authenticity ("I relate to others in an authentic, courageous, and high integrity manner") we may have a direction to follow so to expand the context in our organizations and clients.

How much personal and collective energy is put into these behaviors?

May we đ&#x;?? well! 

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May, 23rd 2020 Good morning Europe and beyond!

Sheltering ∞ Adventuring is a polarity I am contemplating these days. Both poles are serving the integrity and vitality of my own circle and those circles closest to me. Yet, privileging one or the other for too long would take me to "death".

I can hear clearly both voices. I see that both are focused on receiving something, that is highly relevant for vitality. I acknowledge the need both voices have, yet I oer them a question, What are you willing to give? Silence...They are both used to focus on receiving, not that much in giving.

The "shelterer" says after a while: "I can give meaning and direction". The "adventurer" responds: "I can give presence and right action"...and the dialogue unfolds with beauty.

"Let's partner in this!", both say at the same time.

Giving ∞ Receiving!

May we đ&#x;?? well! 

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May, 24th 2020 Good morning Europe and beyond, I am witnessing a lot of "either/or" these days, an approach that may work well in the simple domain. However, this doesn't help much in the complex domain.

When facing complexity, it is about exploring as many possibilities as possible after making sense of the situation, and get fast feedback to see quickly what works and what doesn't. This means that the process of converging to end up with two options to chose from is highly limiting, actually constraining. What might be needed instead is a process of expanding the spectrum of choice, and even try out possibilities that are opposing.

This calls for a "both/and yet neither" approach. Something that requires a well open mindset, integral. It calls for an open mind, and open heart and an open will at both, the individual and the collective level. It may call as well for dissent in the conversation.

What are you in disagreement with?

May we đ&#x;?? well! 

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May, 25th 2020 Good morning Europe and beyond!

Intention is meant to help one stay "in-tension" around something that matters. It connects me with the reason why I do (or not) what I do (or not). It comes from the wants I know are true to myself.

The deepest I go in its exploration and contemplation, the stronger the tension. It comes right after awareness. If my awareness ends in appreciation of what is, that tension becomes creative tension. If it ends in judgement, sooner or later, then it becomes anxiety.

Once the creative tension gets activated, the movement just happens. In order to keep this tension alive, we need to keep measuring, How am I doing? From there, re-aligning to get back to the path I chose.

Remembering helps me stay connected with the original intention. What am I called to be, to do?

Remembering, aligning, measuring, realigning...remembering.

What is it that you remember about yourself?

May we đ&#x;?? well!  158

What am I called to be, to do? 

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May, 26th 2020 Good morning Europe and beyond!

We may agree that the so-called "normal" was not working but, how would the viable world in the horizon look like? I don't really know, yet I think we need to change how we function in life in many ways.

Something it's clear to me is that we need to learn to practice conscious participation in Life. What does this mean? We will need to have many conversations to remember what's our role, how to re-align with the natural rhythms and cycles, and how to take "right" action so we do no harm.

I believe that we would also need to focus on shaping regenerative cultures and communities. This will mean being shaped ourselves. Valuing power over force and the common good over individual gains.

For this, we need to become masters in context-setting.

What is needed to activate inherent human curiosity for consciousness evolution?

How to set an enabling context that evokes our sacred humanness?

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What is needed to trust each other?

Exciting times indeed!

May we đ&#x;?? well! 

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May, 27th 2020 Good morning Europe and beyond, Many of us, if not all, have a "hungry learner" which is actively seeking new knowledge. New pieces of training, new books, new webinars, new...This is great!

At the same time, how open am I to the teachings right in from of me?

Every situation, every person we meet has the potential to teach us something. Perhaps exactly what we need at that moment. Even our name may carry teaching. Mine is not that common in this country. It means "slave made free" and has brought me many insights in my life.

Yesterday evening I was walking in the woods with my wife.

After a while, we crossed a couple with a 3-year old (about) son and two dogs. We exchange some hellos and were about to continue when the child talked to me and asked me if "I had had a good time". Amazing, isn't it?

I asked him, "what's your name?" and he responded "Liberto". I was in awe.

What's the probability of this happening?

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I believe everything is interwoven, so there's no accident as all is part of the "tapestry". I am also trying to be aware of the cycles I am in.

How come right now?

I am still looking for the teaching in that encounter, yet I sense this is about an invitation to the energy of the child in me. He is saying "simply play!" while sensing the ow.

May we đ&#x;?? well! 

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May, 28th 2020 Good morning Europe and beyond!

The main dierence between reacting and responding is who is choosing the action. When I allow pausing between the event or circumstance, I can access our response-ability much more easily.

What happens in the pause can be magical. From my experience, what's practiced in such moment is one of those behaviors (maybe all) that correlate highly and positively with the integral mindset: "I investigate the deeper reality that lies behind events/circumstances." This happens without even thinking. If the pause is long enough, we go beyond our current inner map without noticing.

In order to practice response-ability at the moment, pausing is a must. Once we pause, we may use the following structure/process to allow our response to emerging: 1. What is it? Appreciating what came, looking simply at what it is, with no judgement.

2. What is it for? Looking into how it can help me align or re-align with intention and purpose.

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3. How to use it? Meaning the dierent alternatives I can navigate and what impacts I can anticipate.

4. Responding in a life-aďŹƒrming way.

Especially in these times, a vital question is Am I reacting or responding?

May we đ&#x;?? well! 

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May, 29th 2020 Good morning Europe and beyond!

I am listening to Jamie Cullum's song "Dont' you know".

What immediately comes is, no I don't know. These times have brought to me a deep sense of not knowing. The incertitude of the moment is simply overwhelming.

If I try to know, I just get confused. There are some many variables at play that I am ďŹ nding simply impossible to make sense of most of the situations. This is called being in over my head :) However, I am ďŹ nding a way to navigate these times, which is the power of collective leadership. I am amazed by what is emerging and what's possible whenever we come together.

Thank you TLCers for being there and contributing to a better world in so many ways and in so many circles.

May we đ&#x;?? well! 

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May, 30th 2020 Good morning Europe and beyond, One of the metaphors we often use in certiďŹ cations is that of the "ďŹ sh in the water" to ease the understanding of a stage of development and how we are subject to it. When under the water, we cannot see the water as we are subject to it. Only when we come out of the water, we can begin to see it. Then it becomes an object, and our identiďŹ cations begging to vanish as we transcend them.

When we do so in transitioning from reactive to creative, we are able to see how our identity is built around acceptance, brilliance and success (among others). Of course, this is not a one-time discovery as there are many aspects of the self that call us to revisit the reactive.

At the same time, when we come out of the water of the reactive and enter the "air of the creative" there are many things we cannot see. Now we are subject to "air". We have got nowhere in this transition. We just see "reality" through dierent "eyes". Thus, creative is not the goal, even not integral. Is there a goal at all? “The real voyage of discovery is not to seek new landscapes but to have new eyesâ€? (Marcel Proust) May we đ&#x;?? well!  167

May, 31st 2020 Good morning Europe and beyond!

What if polarities were just an illusion?

Or at least the way we look and explore them?

What is there beyond polarities?

Let's look at the Them ∞ Us one. We know this is coming out of a worldview we call ethnocentric. If we put this worldview in one pole, what's in the other pole? A third element that expands our perspective.

Is there always a third element embedded in the polarity?

Also we could get even more curious and ask, where is this Them ∞ Us polarity present? To me, polarities need a context to exist. Do we have here the fourth element?

If there are four elements, do polarities really exist?

When applying this to LCP or CLA, we may recall that at the core of the reactive (also in the creative) we find Head, Heart and Will (Hands).

We need the three for highly effective leadership, and leadership happens within a context.

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The Controlling ∞ Complying polarity needs the perspective of the Protecting, informed by the context in which these dynamics occur.

What if we approached our practice around LCP/CLA through the exploration of these four elements?

May we đ&#x;?? well! 

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June, 1st 2020 Good morning Europe and beyond!

"You do not have to be good.

You do not have to walk on your knees for a hundred miles through the desert, repenting.

You only have to let the soft animal of your body love what it loves.

Tell me about despair, yours, and I will tell you mine.

Meanwhile, the world goes on.

Meanwhile the sun and the clear pebbles of the rain are moving across the landscapes, over the prairies and the deep trees, the mountains and the rivers.

Meanwhile the wild geese, high in the clean blue air, are heading home again.

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Whoever you are, no matter how lonely, the world oers itself to your imagination, calls to you like the wild geese, harsh and excitingover and over announcing your place in the family of things."

(Wild Geese ¡ Mary Oliver) May we đ&#x;?? well! 

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June, 2nd 2020 Good morning Europe and beyond!

Once upon a time, there was a gardener who worked hard in his forest garden. Every day he cared with love for the plants and trees and was proud of his work. "I am a great gardener" he used to tell his family and friends. "I make them grow".

One day the weather began to change and less rain was coming over the garden. The sun was warming the soil up and the plants and trees did not have enough water.

Because of that, after a couple of years the forest garden dried up and all the plants and trees died.

The gardener was suering. He did not understand how come that happened. "I am a great and powerful gardener", he thought often. This change does not allow me to do what I am good at. Because of that, he started blaming the plants and trees for not putting enough eort to adapt to the change. Also the soil, for not storing water enough. He decided to move to the city where he worked as a facilitator.

A few years later he visited the garden. When he got there, he was amazed by the renewed abundance. There were new plants and trees.

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How come they had grown without him?

Magically, he realized pride had conquered his heart. He was not the one making them grow. At that moment he woke up.

May we đ&#x;?? well! 

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June, 3rd 2020 Good morning Europe and beyond!

Words hold power and danger. Words are energy and once they are shared the impact is there. Same with thoughts.

Depending on the use we make of them we can have a powerful or a dangerous impact. Of course, this is not black and white as power ∞ danger is a continuum.

I am curious these days about how words loose their essence over time. When looking at the etymology of some of the words we used a lot in relation to the crisis, I see that in many cases there's a distortion of the word's essence.

We could also say these distortions are natural consequences of the cultural biases, yet there was a reason for the word in the beginning. The distortion of the word might alter is intended original impact.

For example, pandemic means "of all the people". It is used currently in many contexts as "disease". Perhaps we would rather say "pandemic disease", although a virus is not even a disease.

Words are a human ability, that like any other needs to be practiced consciously as we participate in Life.

May we đ&#x;?? well!  174

What’s a disease?

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June, 4th 2020 Good morning Europe and beyond!

Yesterday I facilitated the ďŹ rst in-person workshop since mid-March. It was really great to feel into the ďŹ eld and the energy of the group, a circle of 10. Although I've been enjoying remote facilitation, there's something special in face-to-face.

First the use of the structure of the circle. Sitting in circle sets a context that I haven't been able to experience remotely. Structure shapes consciousness. There's something magical about circles and how we relate to each other within this structure.

Second, because it's potency. Being able to sense into the centre of the group and what's wanting to happen.

Listening to this and being in service brings to me a sense of yielding and connection.

Also, the possibility of using physical tools (talking stick, kush, etc.) add much to the unfolding of what's emerging.

Structures within the structure that are available for us to play with to make certain all voices are heard.

Yet, I could sense some "virtuality" in the in-person.

Whenever one member of the group speaks as if s/he was holding the truth, excluding other perspectives, we enter the "virtual" human space. In remote it works the other way 176

around, we enter the "virtual" and we (potentially) connect with the "real".

May we đ&#x;?? well! 

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June, 5th 2020 Good morning Europe and beyond!

"We choose to go to the Moon" said John F. Kennedy in 1962 when he shared his vision with the world. At that moment, after a solid reading of the current reality, he formed a ďŹ eld a creative tension that inspired the collective to walk towards the horizon, traveling to the moon.

That vision became a structure that shaped the consciousness of hundreds of people and made them believe it was possible. From this shift in consciousness, dedicated work until the rocket was ready to go to the Moon. We got there in 1969, seven years later. Once the rocket cam back to Earth, it becomes useless.

Up until a few weeks ago, we were subject to the structure of "working at the oďŹƒce". That was shaping our consciousness. Now we learned much about another structure, home oďŹƒce. What consciousness we are operating from?

Where do I choose to go?

May we đ&#x;?? well! 

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Where do I choose to go? 

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June, 6th 2020 Good morning Europe and beyond!

In a way, our current way of working is based originally on the paradigm of "one-to-few". This has been informing our actions for decades, even centuries. Over time, with the acceleration of growth, we began to witness other models based on an evolved structure of the former, the "one-tomany" paradigm.

When I look through either of those lenses, "one-to-few" or "one-to-many", am I still basing the development of my work on a sort of "competition" mindset? am I still basing it on a "mine is better" one? am I still seeing the world as imperfect and in need of change, myself being the "changer"? am I seeing myself as the leader who knows where to go?

When remembering that the "one" is also part of the "many", and opening with trust to the new space, many possibilities emerge. This is the "many-yo-many" mindset.

In the beginning, it emerged as a way of sharing. Now, perhaps, it getting to another level as we keep navigating this crisis.

Is the "many-to-many" challenging our current notion of leadership?

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It actually goes beyond leadership, as what informs the action or inaction is not a person or even a role, but what's needed.

Is it time for Adult-ship?

May we đ&#x;?? well! 

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June, 7th 2020 Good morning Europe and beyond!

We can agree that we must evolve the conscious practice of leadership if we want to break through the many challenges before us. In this community, we are mainly dedicated to leadership development.

Who are our clients? Normally leaders on the top of the hierarchy.

Am I right? It's true that we also may put some of our time in other groups, but most of our work is in helping the top of the pyramid. With this, we leave out 80 to 90% of the people.

What if the need was no so much around developing leadership but transcending the hierarchical model?

Holocracy, sociocracy, heterarchy and circles are some of the alternatives aiming to support this breaking through.

However, it seems like most of these experiments don't work. Why? To me this is due to the assumptions and beliefs we hold around the concept of leadership. What's beyond leadership?

I think we need to put as much (at least) eort on the "followers" than on "leaders".

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We may assume that if 70% of the leaders operate in the reactive, 70% of the followers do too. What if now was the time for "followership development"?

Can we tap sustainably onto the power of the collective without this development?

Is it time for adult development everywhere?

May we đ&#x;?? well! 

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June, 8th 2020 Good morning Europe and beyond!

Ken Wilber, among others, puts development into four "baskets": Wake Up, Grow Up, Clean Up, Show Up. Where do most development eorts go into?

How much of our collective action is focused on waking up?

What does it mean each of these "baskets"?

What does it mean "wake up"?

To me is about seeing what we are subject to for the ďŹ rst time as an object. It can be a belief, an assumption, a relationship, a piece of identity and even a paradigm.

As we move through the crisis, we may be seeing that what is changing are some of the fundamental ways of being and doing. This points to new and evolved paradigms. In terms of leadership, as we discussed in yesterday's post, it might well be about leadership being a human quality and not a position or place in the organization.

Is there a critical mass of people waking up?

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Not sure! We might be trying to understand the new reality with the mind, without being aware that what we store in the mind is the past, which cannot be helpful anymore.

Shakespeare was already pointing to the biggest awakening: "to be or not to be".

May we đ&#x;?? well! 

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June, 9th 2020 Good morning Europe and beyond!

What does it mean to be an adult?

Whenever I ask this question, the answer is pretty clear and straightforward. Often, the answer comes with a sensation of shame and sadness. Perhaps this is because we deeply know what it means but immediately our ego sees the small space it would have if we practiced adult-ship fully.

To me, adult-ship (a term that doesn't exist, yet) is that practice of conscious participation in life. Thus, "developing into free, morally responsible and integrated individuals who go out into the world as free, independent and creative beings." Whether we are leading or following, we need to grow as adults. As sacred adults, I'd even say.

From one perspective this is very simple. Is my ego, and the fears it holds managing me or my Being moving from and through love?

The ego is most likely based on all the social conditioning we hold in our inner map, crafted in the past, and that speaks of what we actually are not. The Being is that doorway into connection with all Life, fostering vitality and integrity, and that holds our genuine self.

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It can also be simple (although diďŹƒcult often) when we contemplate the question "am I responding or reacting"?

How am I participating in Life?

May we đ&#x;?? well! 

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June, 10th 2020 Good morning Europe and beyond!

From one perspective we could look at ego as a traveller of the future. Ego is always in fear of something bad (X) happening, or something good (X) not happening. Ego is just focused on the "severe consequences" of not X. The ego doesn't trust Life, doesn't trust us.

It travels to the future and sees how life might be without "X" and fears that possibility. In this sense, ego takes us out of the present moment. It does so basing its fears on past experiences stored in our system, from which he fantasies about the future.

When ego sits in the driver seat, the past is driving us, managing us. There's no space for the adventure of Life in the present moment. Then, we tend to focus on "what I need" and pretending being blind to "what's needed".

Is this the experience of separation?

All that is, was and will be, is now!

May we đ&#x;?? well! 

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What’s the experience of separation?

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June, 11th 2020 Good morning Europe and beyond!

A few months ago I was in an amazing conversation with a good friend of mine, also a TLCer, and out of the blue this came through my mouth "Being centered is not a means to an end but the end". We were both touched by these words.

They have stayed with me since.

We normally think of getting centered in order to "something". Have a great meeting, speak our truth, being effective, and so on. However when we put the focus in being centered a fundamental shift happens in my awareness and even in my consciousness, at least in my experience.

There's a sense of not-knowing yet at the same time deeply knowing. I connect in such moments with a deep sense of trust. The "right" information and action comes, sooner or later. Many great insights and inspirations emerge from "nowhere". That "something" emerges as it is wanting to happen, effortless, and not because I am wanting "something" to happen.

I think "being centered" is the practice which calls for rapid, repeated recovery as soon as I find myself off-center.

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Without expectations or desired outcome, just for the sake of being centered. A practice that is about building the muscles of trust and letting go.

May we đ&#x;?? well! 

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June, 12th 2020 Good morning Europe and beyond!

What if all the conicts we experience were due to the unbalance between the "old" and the "new"?

One voice aims to keep things as they are as the status quo gives a sense of normality, safety, certainty and comfort.

Another one aims to challenge the status quo, to go beyond, to adventure, as it brings discovery, growth, awe and wonder. The conict emerges whenever one wants to win over the other.

The "Old" ∞ "New" perspective might be due to a limited point of view that holds things and situations as static.

Taking a process perspective can be helpful to understand this. How would it be to look at change from a dynamic point of view?

When doing so, I see that "old" and "new" are not separate, as they are part of the same cycle, the same trajectory.

They both take us in a certain direction. Now the question can be, do I want to go in that direction? Perhaps, then, we may see that what needs to change is not only the "old" but the "new".

May we đ&#x;?? well! 

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June, 13th 2020 Good morning Europe and beyond!

The word "virtual" ďŹ nds its roots in the word "virtue" ("the practice of behaving or living one's life according to moral and ethical principles"). In this sense, we could say that "virtual" is an invitation to access higher grounds in our practice as adults, citizens, leaders and followers. A higher consciousness ground.

However, we mainly use this word as a "simulation" of what we do in-person, not being "real". At the same time, we forget that our experience of life is ďŹ ltered through our inner map containing beliefs and assumptions that, hopefully, evolve over time. Also by deep social conditioning. Isn't our inner map "virtual" in the current sense of the word?

What is needed to make "real" more "virtual" and "virtual" more "real"?

May we đ&#x;?? well! 

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June, 14th 2020 Good morning Europe and beyond!

Being centered is about entering a space of equanimity, holding an eagle view while staying in our core stability.

There's a deep sense of readiness in that space, of responseability.

In these moments of exquisite presence, we could say that our awareness is focused in four domains: what is it, what is it for, how to use it, what energy is needed. With these, four qualities emerge: appreciation, remembering, ow sensitivity, sourcing.

These are qualities of being, or presencing. We have done nothing yet. Simply awareness. A gateway to purpose rather than a preparation for taking a step towards a purpose.

The "space between two notes" keeps expanding while we feel into what is needed and what to command in ourselves as a life-aďŹƒrming response.

If we don't aďŹƒrm life, what are we doing?

May we đ&#x;?? well! 

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If we don’t affirm life, what are we doing?

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June, 15th 2020 Good morning Europe and beyond!

I've shared already this quote from Richard Rudd: "Unless my response is loving, it's about me." As a receptor being of information, events, people, signals and so on, I am able to choose my response. If not, I am enslaved by old conditioning, beliefs and assumptions. What is needed to choose a "loving response".

An immediate, often unconscious, question emerges: "What is it?" This is the critical point of choice. If we are not conscious of this question, we may easily jump into the reactive mode.

This short questioning process, yet deep, might help: 1. What am I aware of? In perceiving what's coming I'm entering in a relationship with some sort of newness (or renewed oldness) that captures my attention.

2. How open am I? The mind needs to be wide open to embrace what's coming in its newness, with no echoes from the past.

3. How connected am I? The heart opens up widely to what is, yielding into its presence with respect.

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4. What do I appreciate in it? Seeing the beauty and the perfectness of what is with no willingness to change it.

Trying to change something that is, might well bring a touch of pride.

With this inquiry, I will know if I am ready to respond with love or not. If the second, I may need a pause.

May we đ&#x;?? well! 

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June, 16th 2020 Good morning Europe and beyond!

Being ready to respond doesn't necessarily mean responding. Once we are in a place of appreciation of "what is" and before getting there, we need to add a second ingredient: intention. We cannot skip this. Whether consciously or unconsciously there's always an intention. In order to make it conscious, we need to keep refraining the use to act and command ourselves clearly: "guards out!" being vigilant of that impulse.

After this, four steps (questions) would help: 1. What is my intention? Contemplating on the objective and conscious and impact I want to have.

2. How will I know? Anticipating ways of measuring if the intention that emerged is manifesting.

3. How will I re-align? Having strategies to go back to the intention whenever o track.

4. How I will remember? Thinking of ways to keep the intention present along the process.

This process could be applied with our TLC clients in the developmental journey. Once they get their results, and while they keep deepening in their awareness of what they 198

choose to work on, that's to say when they are appreciating the results, we can work with them the intention.

What's the intention for your development journey?

How will you remember?

May we đ&#x;?? well! 

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June, 17th 2020 Good morning Europe and beyond!

It may seem that once we are appreciating what is and have a clear and deep loving intention, it is time to bring our response. We still need to refrain from action. Why? We need to look into what's the right timing for bringing in our response. All is interwoven and as such, nothing happens in a vacuum. This means that "what is" came to us with a teaching that we are invited to recognize and integrate.

Again, four questions to contemplate on: 1. How is this interwoven with my journey / the journey?

Looking into the many parts and systems that are connected.

2. What cycle(s) am I (are we) in? Drafting the trajectory of the cycle brings a different quality of awareness as we connect the dots.

3. What's the learning being offered? We are consciously of unconsciously contributing to the very situation we want to respond to.

4. When is the right timing? Sensing into the flow as the trajectory keeps unfolding for whe the time is right to respond.

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All together, we come to a place of appreciation, intention and ow sensitivity. Almost ready to respond.

May we đ&#x;?? well! 

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June, 19th 2020 Good morning Europe and beyond!

And before taking action and responding there's another step, the fourth one in this journey from "what is" and our response. By the way, our response could be not responding. This ďŹ nal step completes the cycle with the validation of our intended response.

For this, four questions that help: 1. Is my response really going to bring more vitality? As soon as we respond (thoughts, words and actions), there's energy moving which is going to have an impact.

2. How do I need to move my energy? Responding can come in many dierent ways (8 core energies) and it is needed to align our energy with our response.

3. How will I sustain the response as soon as initiated?

The strategic focus is key. When we go into too many directions our energy gets dispersed and we may lose impact. If so, our intended impact might not manifest, or even having unintended impacts that actually do not aďŹƒrm life.

4. How do I command my energy in the direction needed?

Finding the space to intentionally build the "right" energy up in service of our response.

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It may feel like following the pathway I described in the last four posts might take too long.

How long does it take to repair a response that was not the right one?

May we đ&#x;?? well! 

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June, 20th 2020 Good morning Europe and beyond!

In the last four posts, I have shared a pathway towards "right action". Appreciation, Remembering, Flow Sensitivity and Sourcing are the ultimate four qualities of each of its four steps. These are qualities of being, of getting ready to respond in a life-aďŹƒrming way through "right action".

What is "right action"?

It's an action that emerges from deep inside and that aims for wholeness and integrity. It responds to what is needed and not to what I/we need, a subtle dierence informing our doing.

"Right action" aims also to "doing no harm". And we all know inherently what "doing nor harm" means, a principle, a fundamental law of life that is intended to foster vitality and integrity for change and growth. It has been like this for billions of years.

Thus, the relevance of having conscious participation in Life. Is this our common purpose as humans?

For this, we need to show up in a balanced way with mind, heart and will in exquisite alignment.

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A reason relevant enough to being centered and listening to what is needed.

What is needed?

May we đ&#x;?? well! 

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June, 21st 2020 Good morning Europe and beyond!

"Right action" emanates from a conscious contemplation on what is needed. The path and steps I described in the last few posts are intended to support this contemplation, before the doing. In order to follow the path in a conscious way, I need to be in balance.

How can I be in balance?

One way to check our balance, individual or collective, is using the four elements as a metaphor: Fire, Water, Earth, Air. 1. If I was a fire, what kind of fire would I be? Would it be a balanced fire? What is needed for a higher balance?

2. If I was water, what would be my sound? Would it be a balanced sound? What is needed for a higher balance?

3. If I was earth, what would be my form? Would it be a balanced form? What is needed for a higher balance?

4. If I was air, what would be the breathing? Would it be a balanced breathing? What is needed for a higher balance?

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"Right action" aims to aďŹƒrm Life and somehow makes all our choices sacred.

How aware am I of the consequences of my actions?

May we đ&#x;?? well 

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June, 22nd 2020 Good morning Europe and beyond!

We have just entered the cycle of summer, a new one. What will this cycle bring? May it be of beauty and abundance in all ways and for everyone. In this space between, of transition, we have the opportunity to measure the balance of our own personal system. These are some questions (coming from the Delicate Lodge Teachings) that help is measuring balance in the self. Feel into them and open your heart to listen "yes" or "no" as you contemplate them.

1. Do I feel free to play with all possibilities?

2. Are my senses awakened?

3. Do I feel open to the world around me?

4. Am I on my path?

5. Am I caring for myself?

6. Am I harvesting the learnings in this cycle of my life?

7. Can I take action?

8. Am I putting "juice" into my life?

Any "no" will inform you of a need you may need to put attention into. From the need one "want".

What are your wants?

May we đ&#x;?? well! 

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If I am an answer, what was the question?


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June, 23rd 2020 Good morning Europe and beyond!

Perhaps, one of the most relevant questions we can ask ourselves and our clients is “ Am I responding or reacting?"

This is a simple question we can ask at any time, yet easy to forget when we allow ourselves to get trapped by the challenges and circumstances. We need to remember that we are able to respond to challenges and claiming the learning without being trapped.

Gifting ourselves a pause is a good reference point. At that moment, we can practice remembering who we are and connect with what is needed. Without the pause the chances to get trapped into the "cancelling eect" as described in Scaling Leadership are big. Auto-pilot will take us into the path of least resistance which without contemplation may take us to the part of us well conditioned by past stories. In those moments, our body will always be there to tell us through a feeling of expansion or contraction.

In the pausing, we can remember what we are for and thus allow the creative tension to form and guide us towards responding.

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A feeling of expansion follows as we stand up anew.

How are you feeling now?

May we đ&#x;?? well! 

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June, 24th 2020 Good morning Europe and beyond!

This morning I am feeling like I have nothing to say, to share here. Nothing comes. Perhaps an invitation to pausing.

The poem “Still Point� by T.S. Elliot comes to my heart:

“At the still point of the turning world.

Neither esh nor eshless; Neither from nor towards; at the still point, there the dance is, But neither arrest nor movement.

And do not call it ďŹ xity, Where past and future are gathered.

Neither movement from nor towards, Neither ascent nor decline.

Except for the point, the still point, There would be no dance, and there is only the dance.�

May we đ&#x;?? well!  212

What do poems do for you?


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June, 25th 2020 Good morning Europe and beyond!

Someone I respect much shared with me once: "The role of knowledge is to create confusion. When confusion eventually touches us, then we may realize that there's nothing to learn as we know already all we need to know."

The more we store in our mind, the hungrier the mind becomes without realizing that each piece we store is "past". This can be helpful for downloading but not that much for participating in life consciously in service of what's emerging.

Confusion means pouring together dierent things. As we pour more and more things together we create more and more confusion. Amazingly, we aim for more knowledge in order to gain clarity, yet the more things poured together the less clarity. So, perhaps in order to have clarity, we may simply need to stop accumulating knowledge.

Only then, maybe, we will access the deeper sense of clarity. The acorn knows very clearly all the "million" possibilities of the oak tree she can become and simply follows Life unfolding one of them. And it's perfect as it is!

What's the deepest knowing we carry of our own "million" possibilities? May we đ&#x;?? well!  214

June, 26th 2020 Good morning Europe and beyond!

We have many minds, all exchanging "information" with the context we are in. We are somehow receptor beings of information. This is a great gift. The key though is what we do with that information. Through the socialization process, we are often conditioned. This makes us more vulnerable to the information as we make it knowledge that we store in our brain-mind. When we incorporate knowledge without questioning it, we become blind and conditioned. This may happen in many ways.

I believe one of the attitudes we need to develop is that of seeing beyond. Beyond what we "think" we "know". Seeing beyond means asking questions that cannot be answered by downloading the knowledge we stored in our brain in the past. Seeing beyond is an invitation to question what we know, to challenge any new information that comes our way.

Beyond sameness. Beyond dierence. Beyond believing.

Beyond knowing. Beyond doing. Beyond coaching. Beyond Leadership. Beyond development...Beyond the "fog"!

What if we were inside the Mind and not the mind inside us?

May we đ&#x;?? well!  215

June, 27th 2020 Good morning Europe and beyond!

One key element of the work many of us are doing is facilitating equilibrium in teams and organizations. With technology, we can do this with teams that sit in many places around the world.

We spent lots of hours servicing this mission with passion and drive trying to help them change and evolve. Myself, I am putting most of my awake time in this. What about you?

However, when looking at this from the perspective of the circle of relevance, we may realize that we are neglecting ďŹ elds of higher relevance.

Before we get to clients in this circle we need ďŹ rst to care for the self, our partner, our children, the extended family and the local community. One may think (perhaps an excuse) that by caring ďŹ rst for my clients (my work) I can care better for the closest ones.

The "price" we are paying is high. Our children "parked" from early ages in the kindergarten and schools getting socialized and therefore often conditioned.

Our elders "parked" in nursing homes. Ourselves "parked" in front of a screen.

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What is needed?

May we đ&#x;?? well! 

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June, 28th 2020 Good morning Europe and beyond!

Let's have a look at leadership from the perspective of time.

Leadership development is often based on models that come up from research. This is the case of The Leadership Circle. From looking into how leaders did in the past, a norm is created and from there a leader can educe how eective is in a certain context. This is the power of the LCP debrief, hopefully raising awareness of the current reality.

The leader then can project the vision on who s/he wants to become in the future. There are many ways to do this work. This is power of dreaming, which sets the "north star" for the leader.

However, what makes leadership eective is how the leader shows up in the "now" to have a positive impact. Showing up is key in leadership, especially in times of complexity and uncertainty. This is the power of presence.

We may need the three in order to form the creative tension that will foster development and growth. Creative tension emerges in the present moment, not in the past nor in the future.

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In the current context, this may point to the need for living and working with a deep sense of purpose "now", getting feedback "now", and showing up "now".

How is all this going to impact the way we facilitate and coach leadership?

May we đ&#x;?? well! 

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June, 29th 2020 Good morning Europe and beyond!

Polarities are useful to the extend that help us map a process that exists within groups or even within the individual.

We need maps in order to take a perspective of where we are positioned in the territory and making sense in order to decide our next steps. However, this map is a static simplification of what the process is and as such, just a map.

Each one of us has an inner map which defines our unique subjectivity. All we are subject to, make up our individual (or collective) map which determines our perspective, always true yet partial as there're as many perspectives as individuals (and groups).

Taking an eagle view, we may see that polarities are a process, a movement. Thus, there's not such a static position to look from. While we stop to look at the map, the territory keeps changing. This means that our perspective is always partial yet untrue.

This movement keeps moving energy through the continuum formed by infinite points of subjectivity between what we call poles.

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Whenever we are looking statically to the map, we may be somehow stuck in the map, subject to and identiďŹ ed with the map.

Is adult development a journey from pure subjectivity towards pure Consciousness?

May we đ&#x;?? well! 

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June, 30th 2020 Good morning Europe and beyond!

When we look at polarities as a never-ending process, we may get new insights about the situation we are in. We are then able to see flow and patterns.

Flow is the third element embedded in any polarity. Energy keeps moving from one "pole" to the other without interruption. Even if we get stuck in one of the poles, energy keeps moving.

Perhaps with a different flavor yet moving, even if we are not aware as we "defend" our subjectivity cornered in one "pole".

One way to expand our perspective and being able to see the patterns we may be trapped by is to make the two poles one single pole. For example, if we take the polarity Individuation ∞ Integration and we make it the pole of another polarity in which we put Consciousness as the other pole (Individuation/Integration ∞ Consciousness), we may realize new insights about the dynamics at play in the Individuation ∞ Integration polarity. I invite you to try it.

What level of consciousness is behind the polarization between Individuation and Integration?

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What would be possible if we looked at it from a more inclusive level of consciousness? And an even more inclusive one?

What polarities are you trapped in?

May we đ&#x;?? well! 

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July, 1st 2020 Good morning Europe and beyond!

Nothing happens in a vacuum, neither polarities. As we observe them, where are we? At the moment we articulate the polarity at play, it becomes an object we can look at.

With this, the process of transcending our identiďŹ cation wit either pole or even with the polarity itself.

When taking that perspective our subjectivity expands. We can see not only the dynamics but the trap the players in the polarity at in. We could say that at that moment we are exploring further the context the polarity is experienced in.

Polarities are dynamic, having a ow and a rhythm, and happen within a certain context. We know that context shapes us and that we shape the context. I am ďŹ nding very helpful when working with polarities to look not only at the poles (upsides and downsides) but also to the ow (third element) and to the context (fourth element).

Working ďŹ rst in shaping the context will ease the tension.

One way to do so is through opening a question, how do we want to explore this together?

How do we?

May we đ&#x;?? well!  224

“Questioning breaks open the stagnant, hardened shells of the present, opening up options to be explored.”

FRAN PEAVEY

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July, 2nd 2020 Good morning Europe and beyond!

We all hold several roles or "hats". Often, we are more comfortable wearing one or two and somehow neglect others.

Each one of them holds a mission, an essence and all are needed. We intend to express ourselves in the many contexts we use them.

Expressing ourselves is the deepest mission we all have.

Expressing who we are, sharing the gifts we carry. That's it!

Instead, often we identify with the "hat" and believe we are it.

In doing so, we may get stuck in a certain context and don't see beyond. The "beyond" is often the new places where our gifts are needed and called forth. And if we don't go beyond, our expression diminishes.

Today, I am going beyond and will move my personal sharings to https://www.tlcers.eu/ , the community platform. I feel like my sharings here are often written when I wear the "hat" of tlcer and not that much of TLC Europe VP. Of course, I will keep sharing here but more from my "VP hat".

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If you are not yet there at the tlcers.eu platform, feel free to join if you choose to. Hopefully, I'll see you there!

Have you ever thought how would your last expression be?

May we đ&#x;?? well! 

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Section Three Questions for Contemplation 228

“The very purpose of the contemplative way is to turn your energies inwards and make your life a centrifugal experiment in order to first discover and then embrace your true higher purpose in life.”

RICHARD RUDD

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“A paradigm shift occurs when a question is asked inside the current paradigm that can only be answered from outside it.”

MARILEE GOLDBERG, THE ART OF THE QUESTION

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Questions for Contemplation When writing, I am following the curiosity that emanates from the question or questions I am contemplating. Often, when doing so, new questions emerge.

I believe that everything starts with a question. We currently tend to value answers over questions which could be at the root of our current challenges.

What's the question? I ask myself often. With this, a journey of discovery begins.

When I put together all the questions that I shared in the newsletters' editorials and the posts at Linkedin during the first lockdown, I came to 310 questions. Each of them offering the opportunity for a deep contemplation.

Thus, I decided to add them in the Section 3 of this book as an invitation for you to play with them. You may go in numerical order, or access them through the reading or simply picking one randomly. Whichever way you may want to play, if you do want to, take that question into your contemplation for a day, a week or as long as you want. See what comes to you!

May you find magic through this playing!

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1. 3What if all we’ve been co-creating so far was meant to take us to this point?

2. What if the challenges we face were there not for us to solve but for us to evolve?

3. What are the reasons for my existence?

4. What if 2020 was a year bringing the opportunity of individual and collective expansion?

5. Is there a reason why most of the systems (structures) created by humans tend to create unbalance over time?

6. Does this happen because we struggle to stay in the middle between structures and freedom?

7. Is it only from that middle place equilibrium offers, that one can take a wider perspective in any situation?

8. Can collective equilibrium occur without individual equilibrium?

9. How committed am I to being of greatest service to humanity?

10. What is needed to get ready for this new era?

11. What is needed to Foster Collaboration?

12. How can be for each other in that moment?

13. What wants to emerge from the whiteness?

14. How do I/you/we want to show up?

15. What would be possible if this seed was planted in “fertile soil”?

16. What wants to emerge?

17. What is this asking us to be?

18. What is it asking us to do?

19. What if leading in times of complexity actually could make leadership simpler?

20.Shall we talk about Simplicity?

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21. What is it that creates the aha moment when being debriefed? What is it that creates new aha moments when looking again at the original LCP after some time, even years?

22.What if we intentionally shaped contexts that fully supported human growth to affirm life?

23.What is this alignment needed for? What’s the vision is it meant to be in service of?

24.When was the last time you looked at your LCP? 25.If so, what’s the question that makes life grow?

26.What’s the question that make humans grow?

27. What’s the conversation that we never had before, one that has the power to create something new into our world?

28.What if the paradigms that drive our actions was the cause of the problems we want to solve?

29.Who are we?

30.What are we called to create?

31. What’s worth preserving?

32.What’s that new question to be explored?

33.Don’t we? Again, another tension, or is it the same?

34.What do I celebrate from this cycle?

35.What would I do differently?

36.What do I learn from it?

37. To the peak or downhill back to the valley?

38.Why do we keep climbing when it is time to pause?

39.Does innovation without preservation take us to chaos?

40.What’s the new year’s resolution I want to commit to?

41. What if the focus for next year was rather that of “less is more”?

42.What is it that I/we want or need to let go of to allow that clearing?

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43.How are you feeling this morning?

44. How we choose to stand in this time?

45.What is the opportunity in front of us?

46.How do we choose to participate in the shaping of this time?

47. How can we reach out to those in need around us?

48.How might this change us?

49.What's at risk?

50.What’s the Gift underneath?

51. What is needed?

52.What are the patterns I/We need to breakthrough?

53.What's the gift of this coronavirus if any?

54.How would my impact be if I practiced my leadership the same way?

55.What's the quality of my breathing?

56.How can we help leaders consciously shape and be shaped by this pivotal time?

57. How can we shape and be shaped by the current context in a life-affirming way?

58.How can we help you?

59.What is needed to Foster Collaboration?

60.What are your stories?

61. How does this connect to our community?

62.What if TLCers geographically close were forming a fractal of purpose and collective action?

63.What if this were a first-level on interconnectedness that then could be scaled through the virtual space?

64.What if we were forming a model for transformation that combined the physical space as well as the virtual one?

65.What if we were like "bees", working locally at our closest "bee hive" yet being part of a collective transformative process?

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66.What if any interruption was actually an invitation to pause?

67.Is this also true for you?

68.Where do you find yourself in this process?

69.What if instead of 'working against' the problem we 'worked with' the problem 70.What is it?

71. What is it for?

72. How to use it?

73. What wants to happen?

74. What is this situation telling me/us?

75. How come are we going to create a viable future if we don't change the structures?

76.Is trying to protect (stick to) current structures a wise choice?

77. What structures are needed henceforward?

78.What new structures are emerging?

79.How to balance Structure and Vision/Dream as we create a viable world?

80.If there is not space, how come can I bring the creative “painting"? Who is the painter in each case?

81. What's the impact of action without being in a place of full “response-ability?

82.What does it take to step into this space of responseability?

83.What emotions am I feeling?

84.What is it that I love so much as to feel those emotions?

85.What is needed for me to reconnect with this love underneath?

86.What if I just sat in front of a loved one and look into his/her eyes for a long while?

87. What would emerge from this?

88.Perhaps a deep sense of Re-Union?

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89.How are you doing in these six points?

90.How can I be more of who I am?

91. What is my Genius?

92.How does Genius expresses through me when I am deeply centered, being one with Life, and moving with love?

93.What question do we need to ask "out loud" so to access our Genius?

94.What brought me here, to this very moment and situation?

95.Where will "I" end if I don't change anything?

96.Getting there is what brings "me" vitality?

97.Where would "I" like to end?

98.What is needed so "I" get there?

99.What impact would have in our impact if we replaced in each of the questions above the word "I" by something like "grand grandchildren”?

100.What if we put our energy in keeping the essentials working while we co-create the future?

101.Do We Come Together as Humans or Do we stay as Individuals sheltered in ethnic groups?

102.What headline would you write?

103.What events or circumstances brought me here?

104.What brought us here, to the very complex situation before us?

105.Sounds familiar?

106.What if this confinement was that very wake-up call?

107.What treasure is waiting for us to embrace?

108.What do poems do to you?

109.Am I right?

110.What if they are right?

111.What if this is not the time for "leadership development" but for "leadership show up”?

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112.How can we help "leaders" show up from the Creative and even from the Integral?

113.How can we help integral leaders show up?

114.What new services, programs, platforms, etc. are needed for this?

115.What is needed?

116.What's the impact in my own "hero's journey" when holding the beliefs above 117.What if every moment was the "journey"?

118.However, am I listening to them?

119.What lands for you with this?

120.Is this pointing out that humans are not life? that we are only harmful?

121.What if the animals actually were getting closer to let us know they are holding us in this? that they care for us? that they love us?

122.What if they are telling us that we have a place in Life that is needed?

123.What if they are asking us to remember what really our role in Life is?

124.What does it mean to be Human?

125.What made them possible and successful?

126.What if the purpose (the why) was not something we are here to do but a state of being to embody?

127.Why do we believe that purpose is something to accomplish outside of us?

128.Does this explain that purpose is rather a state of being?

129.What if it all doesn't start with why but with who?

130.In the current context, what is needed from each one of these perspectives, Freedom, Attention, Trust, Direction? Nurturing? Learning? Courage?

Enthusiasm?

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131.What's the screen in which I see the "motion movie" of life? Am I the projector?

132.Do I(you) feel free to play with all possibilities?

133.What game am I playing now?

134.Normal or new normal? is this the question?

135.By whom?

136.Is this complying?

137.What if I don't feel like agreeing?

138.What if I don't fit?

139.What if a collective doesn't fit?

140.How do we bring in the 100% of the population, without holding any judgement? Without leaving anyone outside? Integrating all perspectives?

141.What context needs to be set up for this?

142.Infinite?

143.Is this time to hold action until the time is right?

144.Is there a way to cope with it?

145.What if what's "right" for Life is way beyond our capacity to understand?

146.What's my genius?

147.How attuned are we with the natural rhythms of life?

Even, how aware are we of them?

148.What resources do you have at hand?

149.What if being centered was the end in itself and not a means?

150.What can I create with what I have at hand?

151.What meaningful impact may I have with the resources I have available?

152.What is it that I love so much as to feel this emotion right now?

153.What can I create with what I have at hand?

154.What can you?

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155.Is it that the more complex we see the outside, the more the need to increase our own complexity inside?

156.Is this external complexity speaking of our internal limitations to navigate the external?

157.What if our challenge was not about the external complexity but about the internal one?

158.Is it the time now to bring the balancing quality of Life into our human systems 159.Do you want to play with this?

160.What's the story you see emerging?

161.How do you keep expanding the context?

162.How do you keep shaping enabling contexts?

163.What is context?

164.What made us come together?

165.What's trying to emerge through us?

166.What is the vision we are to serve?

167.Who is this situation asking us to be? To become?

168.What agreements do we need to explore this ďŹ eld of collective being and doing 169.What other questions do you oer to set and expand the context?

170.What are the patterns in our conversations?

171.In this context, do we have time left for leadership development?

172.How do we help each other show up in the most creative or even integral way?

173.How can we tap into the gifts in the reactive especially now?

174.What does it mean as a natural cycle?

175.How does a natural cycle impact us?

176.How is this informing you about the theme you have been contemplating lately?

177.What have you been going through?

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178.How does your unique journey fit in the greater context?

179.What's the new clarity available for you right now?

180.What are you conscious about?

181.What is it that you are called to realize next?

182."How..." coming from?

183.Do we all have a never-ending story 184.What is it that we mirror each other?

185.How can we help them leverage creative tension so they can create more effectively what matters most?

186.What is needed to support them?

187.How can ongoing feedback help them overcome the cancelling effect?

188.Wanna play?

189.What if we all were a fourth-generation?

190.What can we see in the trajectory we are in?

191.What would we need to honor and celebrate?

192.What would we like to see our grand grandchildren experience?

193.What changes when shifting the perspective?

194.How attached am I to that specific perspective?

195.What are you noticing?

196.What would be your life's polarity?

197.How are you experiencing the TLC Europe team?

198.What are your biases?

199.Which one of these poles do you privilege?

200.How does your personal and leadership practices need to evolve?

201.If I am permanently inside one box or another, how can I know what's outside Actually, where the need to know what's outside come from?

202.How are you “weeding”?

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203.What does it mean this stage of leadership in practice?

204.How much personal and collective energy is put into these behaviors?

205.What are you willing to give?

206.What are you in disagreement with?

207.How am I doing?

208.What am I called to be, to do?

209.What is it that you remember about yourself?

210.Wow would the viable world in the horizon look like?

211.What is needed to activate inherent human curiosity for consciousness evolution?

212.How to set an enabling context that evokes our sacred humanness?

213.What is needed to trust each other?

214.At the same time, how open am I to the teachings right in from of me?

215.Amazing, isn't it?

216.What's your name?

217.What's the probability of this happening?

218.How come right now?

219.Am I reacting or responding?

220.Is there a goal at all?

221.What if polarities were just an illusion? Or at least the way we look and explore them?

222.What is there beyond polarities?

223.If we put this worldview in one pole, what's in the other pole?

224.Is there always a third element embedded in the polarity?

225.Where is this Them ∞ Us polarity present?

226.Do we have here the fourth element?

227.If there are four elements, do polarities really exist?

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228.What if we approached our practice around LCP/CLA through the exploration of these four elements?

229.How come they had grown without him?

230.What consciousness we are operating from?

231.Where do I choose to go?

232.When I look through either of those lenses, "one-tofew" or "one-to-many", am I still basing the development of my work on a sort of "competition" mindset? am I still basing it on a "mine is better" one? am I still seeing the world as imperfect and in need of change, myself being the "changer"? am I seeing myself as the leader who knows where to go?

233. Is the "many-to-many" challenging our current notion of leadership?

234.Is it time for Adult-ship?

235.Who are our clients?

236.Am I right?

237.Why? 238.What's beyond leadership?

239.What if now was the time for "followership development�? Can we tap sustainably onto the power of the collective without this development?

240.Is it time for adult development everywhere?

241.Where do most development eorts go into?

242.How much of our collective action is focused on waking up?

243.What does it mean each of these "baskets"?

244.What does it mean "wake up"?

245.What does it mean to be an adult?

246.Is my ego, and the fears it holds managing me or my Being moving from and through love?

247.How am I participating in Life?

248.Is this the experience of separation?

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249.What if all the conflicts we experience were due to the unbalance between the "old" and the “new"?

250.How would it be to look at change from a dynamic point of view?

251.Do I want to go in that direction?

252.Isn't our inner map "virtual" in the current sense of the word?

253.What is needed to make "real" more "virtual" and "virtual" more “real"?

254.If we don't affirm life, what are we doing?

255.What am I aware of?

256.How open am I? 257.How connected am I? 258.What do I appreciate in it?

259.What is my intention?

260.How will I know?

261.How will I re-align?

262.How I will remember?

263.What's the intention for your development journey?

How will you remember?

264.How is this interwoven with my journey / the journey?

265.What cycle(s) am I (are we) in?

266.What's the learning being offered?

267.When is the right timing?

268.Is my response really going to bring more vitality?

269.How do I need to move my energy?

270.How will I sustain the response as soon as initiated?

271.How do I command my energy in the direction needed?

272.How long does it take to repair a response that was not the right one?

273.What is "right action”?

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274.How can I be in balance?

275.If I was a fire, what kind of fire would I be? Would it be a balanced fire? What is needed for a higher balance?

276.If I was water, what would be my sound? Would it be a balanced sound? What is needed for a higher balance?

277.If I was earth, what would be my form? Would it be a balanced form? What is needed for a higher balance?

278.If I was air, what would be the breathing? Would it be a balanced breathing? What is needed for a higher balance?

279.How aware am I of the consequences of my actions?

280.Do I feel free to play with all possibilities?

281.Are my senses awakened?

282.Do I feel open to the world around me?

283.Am I on my path?

284.Am I caring for myself?

285.Am I harvesting the learnings in this cycle of my life?

286.Can I take action?

287.Am I putting "juice" into my life?

288.What are your wants?

289.How are you feeling now?

290.What's the deepest knowing we carry of our own "million" possibilities?

291.What if we were inside the Mind and not the mind inside us?

292.How is all this going to impact the way we facilitate and coach leadership?

293.Is adult development a journey from pure subjectivity towards pure Consciousness?

294.What level of consciousness is behind the polarization between Individuation and Integration?

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295.What would be possible if we looked at it from a more inclusive level of consciousness? And an even more inclusive one?

296.What polarities are you trapped in?

297.As we observe them, where are we?

298.How do we want to explore this together?

299.How do we?

300.Have you ever thought how would your last expression be?

301. Who are We? 302. If I am an answer, what was the question?

303. What’s needed for equilibrium?

304. What’s the End? 305. What’s possible?

306.What better gifts than these three for this year end, actually for any moment?

307.Did we create artificial light as an attempt following the calling for “illumination”? Are we creating now artificial intelligence, following a longing for truth?

And what about Love? Are we going next for artificial love?

308.What if these were nothing even to find?

309.What if these were just to open?

310. Wanna Play?

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About the author

I see myself as the fourth generation in a family cycle of seven generations. One of my grand grand fathers moved from a land in Burgos (Spain) following the spirit of adventure or perhaps a longing or a deep need. He was a seeker. He left the small hamlet in search of a “new land”. He became a sailor and ended in Barcelona, where I was born, in 1961. This is a lineage of seekers and entrepreneurs walking towards that "new land" Juan dreamt. I am not there yet, but I keep seeking, growing and learning, with deep faith as I am certain that my grand grandchildren will get “there”.

I am in service of higher equilibrium in humanity, through our collective exploration of the delicate balance between the spiritual and material realms.

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Thank You !

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May we help each other learn, grow and improve.

May we live and work with a deep sense of purpose.

May we relate to each other in an authentic courageous and high integrity manner.

May we Be!

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