This week I am sharing a bit of a personal reflection regarding design and re-thinking the systems that we choose to operate within.

This theme of systems and eco-systems that we live within has been cropping up in my life a lot in the last few weeks. It’s been really relevant to my life personally. This year has triggered an autoimmune illness for me, I have had a complete lifestyle shift, my work situation has completely altered and I am now starting my own business, I’ve bought a home, I’m building a home. So many massive changes have taken place all while under lockdown, unable to leave the house for more than an hour a day or further than 5kms from my house. 

We have all been on this same boat in one form or another. 

Excitingly, lockdown is now lifting. Retail venues are opening this week where I live and there will be some semblance of normality again. It will be “the new normal”. And what is exciting about that is that we don’t quite know what the new normal will look like yet. 
I watched a four corners episode on the economy a few nights ago and was reminded that right now we don’t know what damage coronavirus has done to our economy and we won’t see the damages until all of the stimulus packages run out, all the helping hands are retracted and we are left with the stark reality that awaits us beyond the veil of fantasy bubble our government has created for us. It’s sort of like the government is playing “dad” and just wants the kids to feel like everything is swimming along fine while secretly in the background he’s maxing out every credit card he can find to keep the illusion going.

One thing I have learned though during this time of isolation is that sunshine is free. Fresh air is free. Smiling is free. Being kind, chatting to your neighbours, having a positive attitude, seeing the opportunity in every situation you are presented with. All free. 
Eco-systems. Self-care.

I’ve become increasingly aware of how eco-systems can have a massive impact on how each and every player in that system operates and experiences life. Performance is contextual. Behaviour is contextual. When you create a system or design a space that caters to all the needs of those within it, you create a platform for all of those players to succeed. To perform at their absolute best. 

I’ve taken inspiration from two movies I watched in the last few weeks. One is David Attenborough’s 2020 advocacy movie A life on our planet and also a beautiful beautiful South African film called My Octopus Teacher with documentary film maker come free-diver Craig Foster.

Let me ask you, was trading our values for a system that values money worth it? what price are we going to pay for not being true to ourselves? for not following our hearts and doing what we know is right for our souls, for our wellbeing, for our emotional security.
When did we stop caring about our hearts? About looking after the whole person? Emotional maturity? 
David Attenborough is an optimist – I have to be honest, I cried through half of his film too, and suggests that the solution to our problems is by adopting a system of re-wilding the planet. I love that. Re wilding our gardens, re wilding our green spaces. We have over 7 billion people on earth. Imagine if everyone planted a tree or two? Imagine if everyone stopped valuing money and started value people, connection, relationships? Caring, emotions, values, ethics.

Imagine.