 The moment when someone allows an idea to form fascinates me.
It is like watching the Universe tenderly kiss them on the brow and encourage them out into the spotlight. Whether a child or an adult, it’s a moment so pure in its vulnerability, a splitting of light refracted as they surrender to that unique expression of their unprecedented self. It is a moment of great courage, suspended between two shores; a choice to step past fear and shame and doubt to take the risk on what may seem impossible. The fact that I get to see and share this moment with people of all ages, like the start-up entrepreneurs working in Capacity Zurich’s amazing entrepreneurship programme for refugees and migrants, is a great honour; or the students from British School India in my workshop at the UN last week. I am filled with an urgency to create these moments with you, because we need to imagine a different future than the trajectory that we are on. We need to imagine it in order to create it; and we need to create it by designing around happiness. With that in mind, I am prescribing ‘wonder’ for everyone as a fast-track approach for inspiring incredible ideas for doing more good for people and planet. Diane Ackerman wrote, “Wonder is the heaviest element on the periodic table. Even a tiny fleck of it stops time.” I’ve been having some chats with Dr Vlad Glavneau, Director of the Webster Center for Creativity & Innovation Unit at Webster University in Geneva, and his working definition of wonder is: “Wonder and wondering define a particular type of experience whereby the person becomes (more or less suddenly) aware of an expanded field of possibility for thought and/or action and engages (more or less actively) in exploring this field.” (Glavneau, V.P., (2017) Creativity and Wonder. The Journal of Creative Behavior, Vol. 0, Iss. 0, pp. 1–7) I love creating the spaces for wondering, as powerful, alchemic places of embedding wellbeing and resilience; as well as the tools for taking action. Children and young people are so open and passionate in their creativity, it’s like watching a blizzard of butterflies emerge. As adults, you just take a bit longer to get to this place, because you’ve forgotten how to break your rules and take the risk on opening your hearts. Ah, but when you do, it’s a thing of great beauty. We need more wonder and wondering. It is a reclaiming of being ‘fully human’ in our connection to the planet and each other which needs to happen rapidly. It is a groundswell of more love as a social mission, the start of change, the seed of incredible ideas. Me, I’m a Star Wars watching, wild mountain woman walking under the full moon, rebellious librarian-type of wonderer. And you? What do you wonder? What do you find wondrous? Take a breath, open up to wondering today. Listen to the revolutionary response inside of you and roll with it. I’ll wrap up with the wisdom of Alice Walker in The Color Purple, “I think us here to wonder, myself. To wonder. To ask. And that in wondering bout the big things and asking bout the big things, you learn about the little ones, almost by accident. But you never know nothing more about the big things than you start out with. The more I wonder, the more I love.” #iamunprecedented #loveismysocialmission #flowinaction #imagination #ideas #creativity #innovation #entrepreneurship #wellbeing #positivity #climateaction #noplanetb #sdgs
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On Monday 18th March, I ran a youth entrepreneurship workshop at the UN Palais des Nations for @CASTrips with students from The British School - New Delhi They took on the innovation challenge of cleaning up Delhi's air - the 6th largest polluter on the planet. I was delighted to welcome Lama Sha'sha'a, the Co-Founder of IRA - International Robotics Academy, Jordan to deliver a session; and run the event in partnership with Fiorina Mugione, Chief, Entrepreneurship Section, Division of Investment & Enterprise, UNCTAD. Incredible students, incredible ideas, already innovating and dreaming big on enterprises to achieve the SDGs. #wellbeing #ideas #creativity #innovation #entrepreneurship #flowinaction  It’s 20th March 2019. Here’s wishing you a joyful International Day of Happiness!
Do this simplest of happiness practices today…a smile, a wave, an exchange of words with someone. Initiate it and notice when you receive it too. You’re creating what’s called positivity resonance. It fills up your wellbeing credit bank, so you will actually be healthier and happier by the end of the day. By the way, you’ll also have been more creative as a problem-solver and increased your capacity to take action for positive impact in your work. It’s so simple, I know that you’re tempted not to believe me, but the science of wellbeing backs it up, so really, get on with being happy today if you’re committed to being a change-maker. Flow In Action + You > happiness = increase your positive impact for people and planet You may not know yet that you can design solutions around proven wellbeing practices and measures to increase positive impact. And that is where Flow In Action comes in to help you. We create the conditions for you – as youth, educators, entrepreneurs, impact investors and change-making organisations – to integrate wellbeing into your work to:
We introduce, explain, signpost, provide practical solutions and strategic business development support integrating well-being solutions into your activities; starting with our scene-setting workshop on why designing around happiness and wellbeing matters. It’s more than a day! International Day of Happiness was adopted by the UN in 2013, “its resolution 65/309 entitled “Happiness: towards a holistic approach to development”, conscious that the pursuit of happiness was a fundamental human goal, recognized that the gross domestic product (GDP) indicator was not designed to and did not adequately reflect the happiness and well-being of people.” The UN recognised that to achieve the sustainable development goals for the good of all, we need to do things differently and integrate wellbeing, not just as a measure but as an approach in policies, strategies and delivery at a local level of the SDGs in every community. Young people get it! They may not always have the words but they intuitively feel it and know it – that we are all connected and interdependent. Last Friday, they got themselves out there to march for climate action. Gen Z is not waiting for your permission. They are demanding the economics of flourishing, where we design education, healthcare, businesses, products and services for the wellbeing of the planet. They understand, that more than ever the wellbeing of people and people, which are inextricably linked to each other, have become much more than a ‘nice-to-have’; they have become a ‘have-to-have’ - challenging us to be better, ‘fully human’ and dare to be different in the ways that we behave towards each other and as consumers. So? Do you dare? All that you need to do is get in touch via elaine@flowinaction.org to find out how the economics of flourishing can help you and your organisation. #iamunprecedented #flowinaction #loveismysocialmission #imagination #ideas #creativity #innovation #entrepreneurship #climateaction #noplanetb #designforhappiness #internationalhappinessday |
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