The Field Effects of Our Every Action and Thought

A process for comprehensive consideration of all that we do, say, think…

Our intention in all of the work we do, both myself through the Positive Deviant site, and the work at Syzergy , plus with the collaboration of my many colleagues from around the world, is to awaken to and illuminate the field effects, from the very subtle to the overt, of our every actions, thoughts and design processes in order to navigate our ever increasingly complex world with elegance and in accordance with natural synergistic design, at all times being comprehensively considerate.

Part 1. Awaken to and illumination of…

This process is to support the awakening of people to the field effects(F.E) of their every action and thought.

If we drop a very small pebble into a pond, ripples will go out from where we dropped the pebble, no matter how small or large the pebble, or how large or small the pond. These ripples have an effect on the whole dynamic of the pond, whether we like it or not. Therefore, to be truly conscious and responsible for our every actions, and thoughts, we need to consider with exquisite care the effect of our action, and the dynamics that are created when we take that action. What effects will our ripples have on the fish in the pond, on the retaining wall, on the growth of the lily pads, of the people who fish in the pond, and the people who buy the fish..eat the fish, or come to the pond to contemplate their future…and the animals who drink from the pond….?

Our history of humanity is littered with examples of how we have not considered the F.E. of our actions and thoughts. As the movie “Blood Diamond” highlighted, to wear a beautiful diamond on our hand is no longer an innocent action. At what price, from the very beginnings of the formation of the diamond, to its mining, to who mined it, and under what circumstances and at what cost…human, land, nation, soul…to its pathway to my hand, the buyer, the seller, the next buyer, the diamond cutter….what is the real cost of this diamond? Awakening to and illumination of the field effect always considers the whole.

We are now living the consequences of our thinking that has been until this time, focused on an outcome with little or no consideration of the field effects.

The people of the Maldive Islands, for example, have hardly registered on the scale of green house gas use, if at all. Yet their entire country is under threat of immersion from rising sea levels, so that other countries can enjoy urban sprawl, and all the other wonderful choices we have as wealthy nations.

As part of a global world, and as we become more conscious, we can no longer afford to ignore the field effects of our every action. The butterfly fluttering its wings in the Amazon can indeed cause a typhoon in Asia. Each and every one of us is the butterfly. How are we fluttering our wings? With consciousness, consideration, care and reverence for all of life? Comprehensively considerate?

Our illumination and awakening may arouse in us various forms of energy in the form of emotion, everything from;Rage

Anger

Frustration

Anxiety

Fear

Indifference

Empathy

Excitement

Inspiration

Compassion

And our emotion may move us to choose an action.

Therefore intrinsic in the very design of our awakening and illumination process we must build in an environment that supports all of these possible energies of emotion in a way that channels the many types of energy towards a natural design that aligns with the flow of healthy life for all sentient beings.

Anger about the blood diamond is acceptable, but if my anger moves to action, it is important that I pause and consider what action I take? And what are the field effects of that action? My action may be to resort to an open expression of anger, such as taking up a fight with the mine managers. Or my anger may move me to create a petition, or even better, a movie with a major star to play the lead role, outlining the story of the Blood Diamonds.

Here in lies the recursive nature intrinsic within comprehensive consideration of our F.E. My anger may move me closer or further away from care and consideration of the whole, and the healthy flow of all of life. Which path will I choose? And when we design programs and events for illumination and awareness, are we also considering the field effects in all aspects of our design?

Buckminster Fuller used a similar model, which he described as precession, Often he would say that man’s side effect was nature’s main effect.

This article was created as a result of a conversation with David Martin, Laurent Labourmene and myself on the 28th August, 2009. David is one of the clearest minds and brightest souls working on our planet today. David coined the term field effect, and I wrote the article with his collaboration, to capture the essence of what he described.