The Modern Maze – Details, episodes & analysis

We live in a time of overlapping crises.

It's a lot to take in.

You may feel:

⁠ ⁠- Overwhelmed by global problems, which create so much suffering.

⁠ - ⁠Frustrated about the slow pace of change while time is running out.

⁠ - ⁠Confused on how you can best contribute your talents to make a difference.

It often feels like a Modern Maze that keeps us powerless.

But, we can choose a different story.

In today’s podcast, Adrian Röbke, a network weaver & social entrepreneur and I explore tips and strategies to:

1.⁠ ⁠Combine your skills, experience and knowledge into your unique niche.

2.⁠ ⁠Engage in aligned collectives to find allies and co-create systemic change.

3.⁠ ⁠Clarify which systems, geographies and ideas you want to focus on.

Through this process, you will be able to build a more meaningful career. There are many ways to make both an impact and an income.

It's time to create yours.

So, tune in to discover how you can contribute fully to regenerative & just futures!

Part II will be out soon.

We will cover:

⁠ ⁠- How to implement impact career strategies

- How to make an income with this work.

- How to care for your well-being & preserve focus.

Resources:

Dive deeper into this process with the article: https://the-systemic-shift-newsletter.beehiiv.com/p/the-ecology-of-your-life-s-work-a-systems-approach-to-your-impact-career-7a59

Subscribe to the Systemic Shift Newsletter for weekly tools, tips and opportunities: https://the-systemic-shift-newsletter.beehiiv.com/

Connect with Adrian on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adrian-röbke/

Adrian Röbke builds the capacity of impact networks to co-create systemic change. He is a network weaver, facilitator, capacity-builder & social entrepreneur. For a decade he is showing up each day to catalyse regenerative & just futures.

Wow what a year 2024 has been. In our final episode of the year, we pause to reflect on the state of our hearts, minds and souls as we navigate the turbulence we've faced.

Together, we'll craft a vision for 2025 - one born from our collective yearning for change and our shared journey.

What lies ahead for The Modern Maze will be shaped by our desire for wholeness, healing and a deeper connection to the world.

A question that I asked myself often but never knew the answer to was, "How did our economic structures emerge? Was it by accident, by design or a natural evolution of trades and markets?" I finally began getting the answers I was seeking when I read the book "Less is More" by Dr Jason Hickel, which revealed the history of capitalism and its not-so-gentle rise from the collapse of feudalism. 

In this episode, we will embark on a journey through the birth of capitalism, guided by this book and its concepts.

Unlike the seamless transition taught in history classes, capitalism's emergence was anything but natural, marked by a violent reshaping of societal norms and an aggressive enclosure of commons. As we delve into the historical struggles for land and autonomy, we uncover the dismantling of a communal society's ideals, setting the stage for the emergence of capitalist structures that prioritise profit at the expense of communal well-being.

Let's peel back the layers of our economic foundation and invite a reflection on the implications of capitalism's deep-seated ideologies that continue to shape our world.

References:

Less is More by Jason Hickel 

In this episode, we embark on a journey through the provocative insights of Kate Raworth's "Doughnut Economics", the book that began my journey towards the Modern Maze. Diving into the heart of our modern economic system, we question the long-held pursuit of endless economic growth and its alignment with the realities of our planet and society. 

We explore the ambitious quest to redefine the very goals of economics, shifting from the singular focus on GDP to the holistic vision of the Doughnut. This model balances human prosperity with ecological sustainability. We unravel the seven ways to think like a 21st-century economist, each a stepping stone towards an economy that nurtures human nature, embraces system thinking, and designs for distributive justice and regenerative capacity.

This book and its concepts invites us to reimagine our economic systems, not as self-contained entities but as interconnected parts of a larger societal and environmental whole.

References:

Doughnut Economics by Kate Raworth

Less is More by Jason Hickel

To ensure humanity's continued thriving, we must create an ecologically safe and socially just planet. Despite remarkable efforts by individuals and communities worldwide, we're currently grappling with multifaceted crises—from climate change to economic challenges, which threaten us with prolonged instability. 

Instead of racing collectively towards our shared goal of a safe planet that is just for all, we have created a maze for ourselves. We have become a fragmented and distracted species. We are guided by our collective ideologies, philosophical beliefs, and deepest desires, needs, and wants. We create barriers, illusions and dead ends for ourselves, forever searching for our utopia.

So step into The Modern Maze with me, a journey through the urgent challenges our planet and society face today. Our generation's defining task is to create an ecologically sustainable relationship between humanity and the Earth, while nurturing our collective societal well-being. Together, we'll explore the necessity of reimagining our structures and systems and whether a profound shift in consciousness and culture is also required to create the world of tomorrow.

References:

https://climate.mit.edu/ask-mit/will-mining-resources-needed-clean-energy-cause-problems-environment

2023 Global Slavery Index by Walk Free

How can we empower individuals and communities to shape their collective future?

In this episode, we welcome Caroline Sanz-Veitch from Regen Melbourne to explore the transformative power of participation in city planning.

Caroline dives into Regen Melbourne’s work on new urban governance, emphasising community engagement, storytelling, leadership archetypes and innovative democratic models. Together, we uncover how these approaches can inspire communities to reclaim their narratives and take meaningful action in shaping their world.

References:

Regen Gazette article bank: https://www.regen.melbourne/news.

Follow Regen Melbourne on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/regen-melbourne/

If you are interested in collaborating, reach out to hello@regen.melbourne

Scanlon Mapping Social Cohesion Index Reports: https://scanloninstitute.org.au/research/mapping-social-cohesion

Wellbeing Protocol being piloting in Melbourne: https://www.thewellbeingprotocol.org

Raundtable example: https://raundtable.com.au

References for Jon Alexander and Baratunde Thurston

Greater Melbourne City Portrait: https://doughnut.regen.melbourne

With our summers growing hotter and longer, we are confronting relentless heat that reshapes daily life. Heat waves have become our deadliest environmental disaster and will increasingly become more common as the planet continues to heat up.

We are joined by Emma Bacon, the founder and executive director of Sweltering Cities.

Sweltering Cities, founded in 2020, focuses on advocating for liveable and equitable communities affected by extreme heat.

Emma highlights the critical need for better housing, transportation, and urban planning to mitigate the impacts of heat waves, especially for marginalised communities.

We discuss extreme heat's physiological and societal effects, underlining the importance of cross-sector solutions, systemic changes and greater government involvement to truely address the growing risks of climate change.

In our latest episode, we'll explore how our modern worldview has fractured our understanding of reality, dividing us from nature, each other, and ourselves.

For most of human history, people lived with an intimate connection to the natural world, understanding that we are part of a living, breathing ecosystem. But over time, empires rose, and the European Enlightenment introduced a new way of thinking.

Nature became an object to be studied and exploited, and humans were reduced to isolated, rational beings. How does that affect how we look at ourselves, each other and Mother Earth?

Join me as we unravel how dualism has shaped our disconnection and explore how we can heal and reconnect with the deeper unity of life ⚖️ 🌎

References:

📚 Less is More - Dr Jason Hickel

📄 Hamilton, C. (2002). Dualism and sustainability. Ecological Economics, 42(1-2), pp.89–99. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/s0921-8009(02)00051-4.

During the COVID-19 lockdowns in Melbourne, I began a daily gratitude practice to cope with rising anxiety and uncertainty. While life’s pace caused the practice to fade, the first half of 2024 brought intense challenges that made gratitude feel distant. However, once those challenges passed, I realised that gratitude had quietly sustained me, evolving from a daily ritual into a deep, unconscious connection with life’s simple joys and Mother Earth.

Now, recognising gratitude's power within me, another question began forming in my mind.

“Could gratitude save our planet?”

Science reveals that consistent gratitude can rewire our minds, fostering a lasting, albeit subtle, increase in happiness. However, it’s crucial to acknowledge that our existence is rooted in duality—light and dark, creation and destruction. True harmony is found in embracing joy and sorrow as essential to our growth. Gratitude, when genuinely expressed, not only deepens our resilience but also strengthens our connections with others, subtly transforming our lives.

Like a wave gathering strength, gratitude can spread its warm light around the world. By fostering gratefulness for those close to us and ourselves, we brighten up our community and our inner worlds. And that’s enough.

Feel the gratefulness, breathe it in. Sip it.

How does it make you feel in your body?

How does it make your heart feel?

Deeply think about all the beautiful things your community gives you. Give thanks. Hug deeply. Look into their eyes and feel the connection. Be vulnerable; let your heart shine through. Show others how much they mean to you. Be optimistic, and see the good in others. Acknowledge the shadows, the darkness. Without darkness, we couldn’t see the light. It’s always there; it’s just a question of how hard we look.

And ask yourself, if gratitude was allowed to flow through the world like a gentle creek, why couldn’t that change the world?

References:

📄 Kurian, R.M. and Thomas, S. (2023) ‘Gratitude as a path to human prosperity during adverse circumstances: A narrative review’, British Journal of Guidance & Counselling, 51(5), pp. 739–752. doi:10.1080/03069885.2022.2154314.

📄 Kates, S. and DeSteno, D. (2020) Gratitude reduces consumption of depleting resources [Preprint]. doi:10.31234/osf.io/k95rj.

🌐 https://www.wri.org/insights/interactive-chart-shows-changes-worlds-top-10-emitters

🌐 https://www.ecowatch.com/wind-solar-energy-production-coal-us-2024.html

🌐 https://www.euronews.com/green/2024/07/09/deforestation-in-colombia-fell-to-historic-lows-in-2023-how-did-they-achieve-the-drop

🌐 https://www.euronews.com/green/2024/06/20/greatest-recovery-of-a-cat-species-ever-achieved-iberian-lynx-is-no-longer-on-brink-of-ext

📺 Andrew Huberman: The Science of Gratitude & How to Build a Gratitude Practice https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KVjfFN89qvQ

In today’s episode, I have the privilege of speaking with Alison Whitten, the Director of Systems Lab at Regen Melbourne.

Launched in November 2023 and inspired by Doughnut Economics, the Greater Melbourne City Portrait (also known as the Melbourne Doughnut) is a platform that applies diverse inputs and perspectives to create a holistic picture of Melbourne’s movement towards a safe and just place for people and planet.

We dive back into the impactful concepts of Doughnut Economics and how this powerful framework was applied to Melbourne, exploring its significance in fostering a more equitable and ecologically sustainable city.

You can find the Greater Melbourne City Portrait here: https://doughnut.regen.melbourne/