Pursuing Hope and Innovation During Times of Change Larry D. Roper Oregon State University

 Contemplation and reflection  Nourishment - emotional, psychological, intellectual  Connection and appreciation  Care for our inner landscape

 Pursuing creativity and innovation requires entering the world of the unknown  Transforming ourselves is integral to transforming our institutions  We must create space for important conversations – conversations create the future  People are seeking connection, engagement, and nourishment – there is a human yearning in our organizations  It requires positive energy to create a hopeful and sustainable future

 Re-assess knowledge of which you might have lost sight  Uncover passions and potential not previously revealed  Cultivate the sense that you contribute and that your efforts make a difference  Create new support systems  Assert declarations to which you will be anchored  Chart a more energized future  Pursue new levels of connection or relationship  Allow your heart and spirit to be aroused

 Noise  Busyness  Fragmentation and isolation  Uneven experiences  Need for hope and inspiration

 Environmental turbulence is unprecedented  Calls for reform are rampant  Questions of value and purpose abound  Cost proposition debated;  Scrutiny and accountability intensified  Criticism widespread  Broad concerns about core business and mission critical activity

 Struggles with uncertainty and confusion over expectations  Discomfort  Value gets questioned  Fragmentation of relationships  Random emotions surface – range from hope to despair  Conflict increases  Increase in “at-risk” behaviors

 Hope gets shaken  Trust can erode  Risk-taking diminishes  Cynicism can rise  Anger surfaces  Retreat to comfort in short-term view  Confidence can be fragile

 Bring new and unimagined value;  Re-imagine, reinvent and re-create;  New clarity and growth;  Stronger, more connected, more sustainable communities/organizations.

 How do we quiet the noise?  How do we change the tone?  How do we mute the insignificant?

 Lives become cluttered  We can’t bring the time and attention needed to important activities (especially conversations)  Thoughtfulness diminishes  Relationships and community get compromised

 Sense of mattering, audibility and visibility decrease  Communication gets compromised  Connection to and energy for mission diminishes  Relationships become fragile  Creativity suffers

 The world does not look the same to all of us;  The world does not feel the same to all of us;  The weight each of us carries is not the same;  Our organization produces health inequity and health equity – all of us do not receive the same health benefits.

 Communicate positive emotions – joy, happiness, love  Set goals – have belief in a positive future and willingness to plan for positive outcomes  Demonstrate courage – take risks on behalf of self and others  Express belief in self and others  Embrace community and the benefits it offers

 Heal, repair and restore  Create a sense of belonging  Acknowledge our interdependence  Elevate our accountability  Demonstrates our value for each person  Offer guidance for our relationship development  Deepen our love of place and each other  Inspire commitment and contribution

 Our organization’s story is constantly being co-authored  Our behavior in the present is influenced by the future we anticipate (believe to be possible)  The more positive and hopeful the image of the future, the more positive our present-day actions will be  Positive emotions improve our organization’s capabilities  The conversations we construct provide the foundation for our growth

Examine your inner landscape

WEIGHT  What is the heaviness or lightness of my being?  How much psychic/emotional weight am I carrying?  What kind of “lifting” does being in relationship with me require of others?  How does my psychic weight affect those with whom I interact?  What does it feel like to be me?

BREADTH  What is the range of my humanity?  Who am I capable of “wrapping my arms around” and holding in relationship with me at this time?  For whom am I able to create space in my life and the world?  Who is included in my circle?

DEPTH  How far am I able to invite others into my life and my experiences?  How deeply am I able to explore the feelings and experiences of others?  How aware am I of my own story?  Whose story am I prepared to hear?  Who gets access to my story?  How deeply am I able to feel for others?

 Do I feel appreciative or good about myself, the circumstances of my work life and the people in my life? If not, how can I focus on the good? How can I shift to see more of what I desire?  Am I clear about what I want and am I giving my attention to what matters most to me?  What image of the future am I holding and what dreams am I embracing?  Do my current actions and thinking align with the world I am trying to create? If not, how do I get my thoughts and behaviors aligned?

 Cultivate energy for a creative and sustainable future;  To show grace in your relationships;  Demonstrate faith in yourself and others;  Allow your heart and spirit to be aroused and your soul be nourished;  Feel a sense of home at wherever you are;  Be at peace with yourself.

As we move though these unprecedented times it is vital that we connect with the people, conversations and events that align with our values, promote healing and growth, optimize the potential of our interconnectivity and support us to be generative in the face of whatever comes. Carolyn Myss, author of Anatomy of the Spirit