At a recent Neos Delta circle meeting we discussed our retreat,  Leading with the Long View.  Chin Siong Seah spoke eloquently and passionately about the future, the growth of a new order based on data and how we we are compromised,  ‘owned’.  We need awareness of data privacy and protection. Later he said a feed appeared, in which 2019 Pulitzer Prize finalist,  Carole Cadwalladr did an emotional but focused TED talk on living in a digital coup.  Carole gives a very sobering assessment of the future, including the death of democracy, arrival of the post truth era, and the rise of a new totalitarianism, ownership of technology and data.  She stressed we need to do to take back our power, our identity and take action.  So what do many of us do,  like me, we shout louder on social media platforms. 

That takes me back to the future.  In 530 AD a young radical called Benedict established what would become the first monastic order.  He developed a way of life, governed by The Benedictine Rule, which demonstrated a deep appreciation of living in community, and a deep understanding of human nature. He also articulated the nature of work, that working is praying ‘Laborare est orare’ . This is a theme many have played upon.   

On Work

Benedict said that work is like praying. Kahlil Gibran is attributed with the phrase “work is love in action’ from his book the Prophet.  Work should not be a drudge, but a sacred expression of care, connection and connectivity.  In many communities and as many in flow have experienced, work is actually love in action. I have often say we  need to be valued and work offers this option.  Not only for flow, people need to work to meet the practicalities of life. The irony is systems wants you to work, wants you to have debt. but a bit of a two edged sword, as technology is showing us. 

Work needs to be meaningful, to be infused with affection, purpose, a desire to add value, its about intention and spirit, and of course getting a return, but that should not be the main purpose. Work is love in action.  You need to love what you do.   If machines and technology replace work, what is the future?

Back to the monastery.  They were of course self-sufficient,  growing food, making clothes, and trading and making all the the other commodities needed for sustaining life.  A circular economy.  BUT, not only that, there was an additional value add. Each large monastery, as the network spread, had its own library, each monk his own pen and tablets.  They preserved not the bible, but also many classical authors and texts.

These monasteries became ‘centers of light and life…preserving and later diffusing what remained of ancient culture and spirituality’ in a sea of darkness and savagery. 

A reoccurring theme in our retreat is that of living, working and focusing on the local.  We are approaching dark times again, there is no doubt our global systems, both human and natural, are in crises. 

I have always believed in other options and one of them, one way to fight back, is to build local strong communities that are the blend of the best practices, not just in the online world.    We are finding that we are looking once again at rise not of monasteries, but of modern fractals communities, with local purposes, strengths, local economies and local networks. Small scale, face to face, empowered with appropriate technology and work, at all the different levels. 

So What am I personally doing?  

We are cornered in an illusionary cocoon of apparent freedom

My Calls to action.

• I asked an amazing group of friends to join me in a company, Neos Delta.  We plan fantastic work, that lives our purpose.
• I grow my own food and am building this capacity. This is good to do, at whatever scale – even join an urban food growers circle.
• Living on 4,000m2 allows me some freedom.   I am working with another circle of friends who have a shared interest to set up a Center for Transition, where we teach some of the skills for resilience, self sufficiency and loving work.  This is a long term dream, but journeys start with the first steps.  If you are interested, research eco-villages, urban Eco-communities – these are experiments in living differently – they are our fractals from the past, but experiments in the future.
• I write, talk and try to practice what I preach.  Circular economics for many will offer work that is the only option and it can indeed be love in action.  In Visions for a Post Covid World (Dixie Books 2021) I mention a number of communities that use circular economics to power their existence.  Here in the local community, Impendulo, a local not for profit is trying to build a circular economy.
• Support municipalities/local politics, join ratepayers associations, take action. I have been attending meetings aimed at holding a Chinese owned cement company to account for environmental and social compliance. PPC – feet of cement.
• Be kind. Be human. I try.  In 2025 Musk infamously commented ”  “The fundamental weakness of Western civilization is empathy.” Prove the bastard wrong.
• I paint, write and garden. Pick a career or hobby that AI cannot do and does need the internet.  If i could I would have learnt a trade, I try and learn new skills, garden. Risk meeting people. 
• I avoid buying single use products. prefer recycled. Try and support local and boycott companies that are not good corporate citizens.
• I am mindful about sharing my information. There is technology to help you keep your privacy and promote transparency, fairness and distributed control. Work with those you trust. I also need to stop scrolling. So addictive.. and they know.
• Build trust in my personal and business relationships.
• Volunteer. Not as much as I would like, but I do. I offer my professional service at reduced rates or sometimes, for free. Depends if the purpose aligns with my values.

Question -What does your personal inventory look like?

Vision for the Center for Transition