Living between the two hands of chaos
Jul 24, 2025
Around June I got overwhelmed enough BEING in the work that I couldn't REPORT on the work. Maybe you know how that is... But meaningful conversations and deep thoughts don't stop, so here I am again!
Recently I was having a catch up conversation with Bob Stilger. I love talking to Bob! He's been out there supporting community activism all his life and he has a very deep sense of what's going on in the world from the grassroots level.
His organisation New Stories has done some important work with communities devastated by natural disasters both in North America and Japan.
He was one of the creators of the Two Loops model of change that came out of Berkana Institute, but he tells me he now speaks about what he calls "The Two Hands of Chaos."
He says that we are living our lives between the two hands of chaos. And so will our children and the coming generations. On one hand we have a lot that is dissolving and disappearing. On the other hand we have new things that are emerging and coming to life.
Both of these energetics cause chaos.
He says: We need to learn to acknowledge it instead of being terrified by it. We need to remember how to stay in hashtag#relationship while being in the unknown. We need to learn how to dance.
So this question: "How do we create relationships and ways of working and being together that help us to thrive?" is core to the work I do teaching participatory practice and the Flow Game and is at the heart of my interest and focus on hashtag#narrative.
Here's my latest podcast with host Mareike Tiede on the magic of stories -- some great summer listening to remind you how much power you actually have. (Intro and connections in German. I'm speaking in English.) https://open.spotify.com/episode/5n6jgiMXkrOnrsYA0lDdWp...
Isn't it time to have a brilliant ally on your side?
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