Coming in the fourth quarter of 2020!
Two Steps Back, By Mark Boatwright-Frost
A Book about developing Resilient Ecosystems and Thriving Communities
Two Steps Back, By Mark Boatwright-Frost
A Book about developing Resilient Ecosystems and Thriving Communities
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Written as a Roadmap to community and personal resilience, it is both a good and useful stand alone read and the textbook for the Resilient Ecosystems, Grassroots, workshop series.
Resilient Ecosystems includes the story behind the development of the organization and answers the why and how this process was developed. Stay tuned, a link added to Amazon for purchase when the final editing is complete, and the book published. |
*All proceeds go to support the work of Resilient Ecosystems
Introduction
Social Media is a blessing and a curse. The promise of potential, of community without having the messiness of real encounters with people. The promise of connection, of sharing meaning, of being part of the larger whole. We all got engaged for the reason of being part, we connected because we are wired for connection in a culture that is broken and diseased, we are doing what we see as meeting that driving need within us. I have found more, and less, in my travels across social media. I have found learning and understanding beyond expectation, I have found anonymous hate and meanness beyond any human experience I have ever had, I found longing, fear, anger, desire, greed, and just plain stupidity. I have found all of the human condition and the symptoms of our cancerous culture boiled down into concentrated forms that can be observed and understood.
This is true because of the promise of connection and the betrayal of that promise, just as our culture offers that promise and betrays it. This is why we cannot have nice things, we are conditioned to break them, to disvalue them, to distrust them. We have millions of reasons to fear and hate, we are given more every minute of every day, every sense is overwhelmed with input of us against them, the power and need of individuality over human connection. The need for love at first sight over the beautiful building of relationship and tribe. When on occasion we start to be human and community is forming and diversity embraced, we are told that tribe is about having a them to hate, to fight, to overcome. Is that truth or is it information taken out of context and offered to continue our separation?
All of this, social media, the news, human behavior, politics, trolls, agendas, all of it has led me to one conclusion. We have the tools, we have the desire, we certainly have the need, and we are reaching a tipping point where anything could happen. The kicker is that we are out of time, and that is applying pressure in a way never before experienced. At the end of this century, humankind may be a memory, as the planet finds a new balance with this failed evolutionary experiment.
It is time for us to evolve, intentionally, together, all of us. It will take generations and will end somewhere we cannot possibly see from here. We need to start now, today, together, we know what the alternative is. The first step is perspective, the second is connection, and for that we have the tools given us by Social Media, we just need to practice a discipline we need to learn. For that we need to understand a few things and learn to work together and decide on steps to a human future. Let me be very clear, this is on you, nobody is going to do it for you. You need to start by gaining some perspective on the priorities you live with every day and decide to make time to gain more perspective, because “Perspective influences perception”[1] and until you get the perspective that allows you to reset priorities you will continue to be stuck, and our culture wins.
Three things to understand:
This is not a textbook, rather it is a plain-spoken exploration of truths and observations about humanity and culture. It is written to provide a reason to gain perspective, to help begin the journey and provide company on the road. Finally, it is the how to get to a human future. One of my favorite cooking shows is Good Eats, because Elton Brown gives the etymology and then provides the recipe. In this way you can see that his is only one way to get to the end results. In this way our how is a framework with the etymology of the issue giving room for each community to find an answer that fits their needs. As with all good recipe, ingredients are vital, but it goes no place without the cook. If you think reading this without participation is meaningful, stop reading, put the book down and turn on the TV, or pick up your phone. This book is a call to action, and invitation to engage in making a more human tomorrow. I hope to see you on the road.
* This book is part history, part roadmap and part journal of my journey to get here.
This is true because of the promise of connection and the betrayal of that promise, just as our culture offers that promise and betrays it. This is why we cannot have nice things, we are conditioned to break them, to disvalue them, to distrust them. We have millions of reasons to fear and hate, we are given more every minute of every day, every sense is overwhelmed with input of us against them, the power and need of individuality over human connection. The need for love at first sight over the beautiful building of relationship and tribe. When on occasion we start to be human and community is forming and diversity embraced, we are told that tribe is about having a them to hate, to fight, to overcome. Is that truth or is it information taken out of context and offered to continue our separation?
All of this, social media, the news, human behavior, politics, trolls, agendas, all of it has led me to one conclusion. We have the tools, we have the desire, we certainly have the need, and we are reaching a tipping point where anything could happen. The kicker is that we are out of time, and that is applying pressure in a way never before experienced. At the end of this century, humankind may be a memory, as the planet finds a new balance with this failed evolutionary experiment.
It is time for us to evolve, intentionally, together, all of us. It will take generations and will end somewhere we cannot possibly see from here. We need to start now, today, together, we know what the alternative is. The first step is perspective, the second is connection, and for that we have the tools given us by Social Media, we just need to practice a discipline we need to learn. For that we need to understand a few things and learn to work together and decide on steps to a human future. Let me be very clear, this is on you, nobody is going to do it for you. You need to start by gaining some perspective on the priorities you live with every day and decide to make time to gain more perspective, because “Perspective influences perception”[1] and until you get the perspective that allows you to reset priorities you will continue to be stuck, and our culture wins.
Three things to understand:
- We are wired to need culture
- Culture is a construct that can be programed by us
- Culture is, and has been, programed by people who understand the process of manipulation if not the overall impact of their short-term need.
This is not a textbook, rather it is a plain-spoken exploration of truths and observations about humanity and culture. It is written to provide a reason to gain perspective, to help begin the journey and provide company on the road. Finally, it is the how to get to a human future. One of my favorite cooking shows is Good Eats, because Elton Brown gives the etymology and then provides the recipe. In this way you can see that his is only one way to get to the end results. In this way our how is a framework with the etymology of the issue giving room for each community to find an answer that fits their needs. As with all good recipe, ingredients are vital, but it goes no place without the cook. If you think reading this without participation is meaningful, stop reading, put the book down and turn on the TV, or pick up your phone. This book is a call to action, and invitation to engage in making a more human tomorrow. I hope to see you on the road.
* This book is part history, part roadmap and part journal of my journey to get here.
