The Shawshank Redemption

Jiro Nonake who co-authored The Knowledge-Creating Company calls this ‘a time of clashing forces.’ It is a time of extraordinary crosscurrents. Things are getting better, and things are getting worse. On the one hand people seem much more open to talking about large scale issues that have no simple solutions. But most of the problems eliciting these responses are getting much worse, and there seems to be more and more of a backlash to maintain the status quo. Traditional mind-sets and institutional priorities are under great threat, and they’re fighting to preserve themselves – which, if you think about it, is exactly what you expect in times of epochal change.

There is always the temptation to seek a simple story in fearful times like these – simple stories of good guys and bad guys. These stories may ease our anxiety in the short term, but oversimplifying is exactly what we do not need. Are we like the man in the movie The Shawshank Redemption who at 70 or so has been in prison most of his life finally gets released but with no way to live in the world outside of prison? This little story reminds us of the difficulties of adjusting to a reality that differs from the world that’s familiar and comfortable, even if that new reality is one where we’re free and aligns much more with what we truly value. Do we, as he did, feel that there is nothing left but to commit suicide?

Motherhood and Apple Pie

Not all visions are equal. Some never get beyond the 'motherhood and apple pie' stage - good ideas that unleash no energy for change. The reason for this lies in a paradox: there's nothing more personal than vision, yet the visions that ultimately prove transformative have nothing to do with individuals.

The resolution of this paradox come about through the seeds of transformation that lie in seeing our reality as clearly as we can without preconceptions and judgments. When we see our part in creating things we don't like but that are likely to continue, we can begin to develop a different relationship with 'our problem.' We're no longer victims.

We're led to the question, "So what is it we want to create?" When I read the Creating a New Vision for Public Education in Texas I see this question addressed.

Many visions are doomed from from the outset because those who articulate them, whether consciously or not, are coming for a place of powerlessness. If we believe that we have no power over our present reality, what is the basis for believing that we can create a different future?

A saying attributed to Margaret Mead states, "Never doubt that a small group of committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it's the only thing that ever has." I totally believe it. You can do almost anything with just 5 people. With only one person, its hard - but when you put that one person with four or five more, you have a force to contend with.

This is why WE NEED YOUR HELP.