A very warm welcome to the second in our series of brief conversations and blog posts exploring the notion of wisdom in the 2020s!
Hosted by the Primrose Hill Golden Civilisation Conversation community, we have taken the following motif to guide our exploration:
‘What might we ask most of our wisdom in these challenging times? As individuals, as families, as communities, as organisations, as society more broadly?’
Our first conversation was with Jane Gaukroger on the notion of organisational wisdom. And here is our second – Alison Hogan exploring in 25 minutes the notion of ‘Dwelling in the Empty Space of ‘not knowing’.
You will hear Alison talk about her own journey in becoming more at ease with resting and dwelling in ‘being’ rather than ‘doing’, and her respect for leaders who have learnt to be more open, honest and humble about themselves and their worlds. For her, both knowing and doubting is at the core of wise leadership.
In the context of the myriad of transitions that we experience in life, Alison describes the ‘empty space’ or ‘fertile void’ as the liminal place between thoughts and moments and things - an ‘in between’ space that can be full of possibility and creativity, so long as we can find the resources to recognise it, step into it and dwell in its richness – a space that is very real for many of us in present times.
Noticing and understanding the challenge for us all of just ‘being’, Alison offers several ideas for embracing and finding peace in the ‘fertile void’, so that we can emerge better resourced, revitalised and renewed:
Befriending the whole spectrum of polarities and dilemmas that we all carry deep inside ourselves (caution-courage; sadness-joy; pessimism – optimism etc.); living and growing with them, resisting the urge to reduce them to erroneous and over simplistic ‘certainties’, nurturing the possibilities they contain
Embracing the potency of curious dialogue with ourselves and others, noticing and improving the way we choose to respond to others, containing our tendency to judgement
Attending to healthy endings, choosing to handle ‘unfinished business’ effectively, letting go so that we can move on well
Tuning up our mindful awareness and observation of ourselves and our surroundings
Perhaps above all, staying connected to others
Alison encourages us to approach the notion of the ‘fertile void’ out of joy and excitement for its possibilities – not out of fear and anxiety. And she concludes with the hope that we can sustain into the future the collective heightened awareness that we have assembled in response to Covid-19 – for it is this that is the fuel for new, creative possibilities. Amen to that Alison! Let us not allow it to be punctured but to be enriched and developed still further.
Many thanks indeed Alison, a really invigorating conversation! I am sure that our readers and listeners will enjoy your commentary very much indeed.
You can connect with Alison at a.hogan@anchorpartners.co.uk ; https://www.linkedin.com/in/alisonhogan/ and www.anchorpartners.co.uk.
Next up, conversation with Adam Wells on the journey of wisdom evoked by the Il Camino pilgrimage in Spain. Do look out for that in a week’s time!
In the meantime, take care on all fronts and very best wishes.
Julian
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