The fear of impermanence
Perrin Carey
4 February 2021 at 08:00:00
“Impermanence becomes vivid in the present moment; so do compassion and wonder and courage. And so does fear.”
I was reminded yesterday, twice by the same person at either end of the day and in very different ways, of this wonderful instructive passage from Pema Chodron’s book, “When things fall apart”.
Our work in challenging the status quo in governance feels precisely this. The impermanence of all things, including the current way in which most of the corporate world sees the role of organisations in society, is the truth. It’s impermanent.
I believe that how we steer our organisations today, will determine the society of tomorrow.
We are standing on the edge.
“In fact, anyone who stands on the edge of the unknown, fully in the present without reference point, experiences groundlessness.”
The fear of not knowing what happens next.
But what’s so incredible is that...
“That’s when our understanding goes deeper, when we find that the present moment is a pretty vulnerable place and that this can be completely unnerving and completely tender at the same time.”
Having the courage to step out, to walk with fear, to embrace uncertainty as a friend...those who can do this, they are the pathfinders amongst us.
Are you a pathfinder?