Fun and games - until someone opens an eye

[Nick Potter]

Last week I enjoyed taking part in a curious event that was organised around the idea that "we have our Eyes Wide Open to the opportunities that will make our country shine." It aimed to help shift the conversation on climate change in a more positive direction. Much of the current debate on climate change - and it mostly is a debate instead of a constructive conversation - focuses on the costs of taking action. If we always look for costs, we'll keep finding costs. If we look for benefits, we'll find and create benefits. Here's a video from the event:


While we all try to keep the wool from our eyes, and wonder who to trust in the flow of commentary on climate change, it's worth remembering that how we see, and what we choose to focus our attention on, always limits (and enables) what we do. The following video is a great illustration of this. If you haven't seen it, take the test (it only takes a minute!).


This begs a question: What are people not seeing when focusing on climate change?

For another great video, which highlights how sensitive our perception is to everything around us, see this little gem by Derren Brown.

I'm personally enjoying the more playful side of action on climate change, including this year's Freeze and the recent iceburg that mysteriously appeared in Wellington harbour. Many people will question how 'useful' these actions really are, which is all good and well. I personally reckon that anything that encourages curiosity is welcome. Curiosity can open people up and help lift people up from a bog of rigid perspectives. As Big Al commented earlier this year, climate change can also be approached with a sense of joy. Maybe what the world needs more than anything right now is more people feeling deeply good in life. Constantly focusing on the costs doesn't seem, to me, to lead very far in that direction.

[Te Rawhitiroa]

speaking of looking...


I remember

Back when we were kids we used to play

We used to play up in the trees,
Climbing up so high that we could dangle our feet and feel the
adrenaline pumping through our veins.

We never once thought of falling, and never once did we fall. The
thought didn’t enter our minds and so the event never entered our
reality.

From the trees to the paddocks, the valleys and hills.

We used to imagine the dogs, the wolves, the beast that were hunting
us and to us
The were as real as the rain on our faces

The magical powers that we had were real and it was they that kept us
safe
As did our connections to the guardians of the place.

Who said they weren’t real?

We make real that to which we place attention.
When we focus our energy to a thing, the thing that we focus on
becomes real.
So is true of everything in the world.
You go where you look.

How else can a car hit a power pole that is less than a meter wide?
When there is a space of at least 100 meters on either side.

We made real the threats and saw through our eyes the resources and
allies that would help keep us safe.
So is true of everything in the world.
You go where you look.

So where are we looking?

What is it that we are creating through our collective thought –
intention?

Think about it.

[Rachel Bolstad]

Thanks for this page Nick, and as for the second youtube clip, wow! I am obviously not very aware!!!! :)
I agree about using curiosity and joy as tools for helping ourselves and other people to change. Focussing on the costs, is like focussing on the barriers - it causes people to dig their heels in or give up because they think it can't be other-wise.