Speech on the Activist Mindset

Good afternoon, everyone.

Now... I hope this isn’t the first time you’re hearing this...

This is not a fire drill! We’re living in a time of extraordinary challenge.

From climate change… to artificial intelligence… From polarisation within nations, to wars between nations...

The list goes on...

What makes these challenges extraordinary is not only their scale, but also how deeply these challenges are interconnected and mutually reinforcing.

Each one is amplifying the others in a complex web of cause and effect.

For example,

Artificial Intelligence is also creating new opportunities for the creating and dissemination of false information, threatening to intensify global and national tensions.

At the same time,

Global tensions are motivating the rapid deployment of Artificial Intelligence as individual countries seek to maintain a competitive edge in the global arena.

The web continues!

This web of challenges is often referred to as the meta-crisis.

I like the term: the Great Unravelling.

Why “Unravelling”?

Because it feels to me like the systems that hold society together - the fabric of society - is fraying.

Economies, democracies, health systems, food systems and ecosystems all appear to be under unsustainable pressure.

That’s the context we are co-creating in.

My job today is not to sway your opinion on any of these matters.

I remain embarrassingly uninformed on many of these issues myself.

What is interesting to me is how each of us can build the capacity to face these extraordinary challenges, and to embrace the accompanying extraordinary opportunity.

This is where the activist mindset steps into the forefront.

Let me ask you something: What comes to mind when you think of the word “activist”?

I’m Erich Wilgenbus-Lamb.

I earn my living as an Engineering Manager and Leadership Coach.

I haven't traditionally considered myself an activist, though I have also been passionate about being a leader who has a positive impact on the world.

As I work to shape my own leadership stance, I have come to believe that there is something to learn from activists.

When I first began thinking about activism, I envisioned marches, picket lines, petitions, and boycotts.

And yes, sometimes activism does look like this.

Activism is also a bout something more.

Activism is about reimagining the world.

It’s about co-creating alternatives to the broken systems that no longer serve us. Activism is about nurturing these new systems to life. New systems that are regenerative and life-sustaining.

Activism is also about raising consciousness.

This is a big word! Raising consciousness.

In practical terms, we raise consciousness when we engage in the inner work that enables us to live our lives in alignment our heart-centred values.

We elevate consciousness with every action do from love instead of fear.

We elevate consciousness every time we embody confident wholeness rather than insecure ego.

So, what does the Activist mindset look like?

This four-step practice serves to signpost and activate the mindset.

By moving through these four steps, at any time, on our own, or together, we can strengthen the Activist within.

One - With an activist mindset, we revere the deep connection to the world around us, and we cultivate these connections by showing recognition and appreciation.

Gratitude shifts us from feeling separate to feeling interconnected. Gratitude anchors us in our communities and our ecology.

Two - With an activist mindset, we acknowledge the challenging reality we face; we don’t simply look the other way. Importantly, we recognise our role in creating these challenges.

We put down the judgments and fear that burden us, so that we can carry more love with us. This is what is meant by honouring our pain.

Three - With an activist mindset, we open ourselves to new perspectives that help to move us forward with renewed clarity, purpose, and self-determination.

When we see the world with new eyes, we not only see the extraordinary challenge as a remarkable opportunity.

Four – Activism is about acting with intention. We go forth into the world as conscious co-creators.

Let's practice the mindset together.

We start with gratitude.

Activists recognise and appreciate the interconnected self.

Activists recognise that none of us is self-made. Every one of us builds our lives on the shoulders of those who came before us and those who stand beside us.

At the core of being alive is our relationship with the wider ecological system that sustains us.

Take a moment to try on the mindset.

Let’s move forward to honour our pain.

Activists recognise that it's essential to acknowledge when things are not okay. This is not a weakness; it is a sign that you care deeply.

To honour our pain is to tell the truth to ourselves and each other.

The first truth that the activist mindset encourages us to recognise is that we are not separate from the systems we need to change. We are the system. We need to take responsibility for the mess we are in; it is our mess. This is a bitter medicine to swallow.

The second truth that the activist mindset invites us to consider is that change is as much a process of letting go as it is a process of creating something new. We must allow ourselves to grieve what we leave behind, or that unspoken sorrow will cloud our future.

Take a moment to try on the mindset.

By processing our pain, we create the potential to let go, and when we truly let go, we create space for new perspectives.

The activist mindset invites us to see again the power of community and the value of showing up for each other.

The activist mindset invites us to see that, though it's important to have a strong point of view, it's just as essential to refine that point of view by listening deeply to others.

The activist mindset invites us to see that disruption is a natural and necessary part of the renewal process. Yes, being a disruptor can be uncomfortable, especially when society has taught us not to make others feel uncomfortable. In this time and space humanity is being called to be intentional and heart-centred disruptors.

Take a moment to try on the mindset.

The final step in activating our activist's mindset is to commit to action as good people in the service of a good society.

Though we cannot do everything, we can each do something.

The trick is in figuring out what is yours to do, and we only figure it out by trying things on.

Take a moment to try on the mindset.

In conclusion, the activist mindset is important in time and this space because the world is facing tremendous crisis.

The activist mindset is about showing gratitude, honouring our pain, being open to seeing the world with new eyes, and acting.

We can activate this mindset, like a muscle, by flexing it in our day-to-day life.

In small ways and significant ways.

At home, at work, and everywhere in between.

Thank you.