Frameworks
4 Mindsets
Whole Brain Living Framework
One framework that we have explored in Mindful Earthkeeper is the idea of Whole Brain Living by Jill Bolte Taylor.
In 2021, we spent the entire fall season, reviewing mindsets as pathways for evolution as a free course for our community.
This is a framework we revisit every year in retreats and workshops.
We continue to build upon the whole brain ideas as a pathway for moving into leadership, creativity and connection.
The Four Mindsets
As with any other framework for change, we need to integrate into how we make decisions.
One way of looking at whole brain living is to acknowledge that we all four mindsets that we can tap into.
Every person has innate capacities built into our brains for:
- Survival
- Leadership
- Creativity
- Connection
For many sustainability advocates, their focus is on the survival of the earth, for good reasons.
Given that humans are destroying ecosystems and the foundations for life at an alarming rate, survival matters.
Here are brief descriptions of how we see these different capacities in our brains interacting with mindful earthkeeping.
Surviving
Each of us has a part or maybe parts of our brain that are geared towards our personal survival. We need this part of ourselves. Unfortunately, much of the world is in survival mode. Many parts of the world are facing utter destruction from climate change. Economic survival issues plague perhaps a majority of people on the planet. Yet, there are paths we can follow when we are in survival mode that can benefit ourselves and the planet.
Leading
Most mindful earthkeepers need to embrace their leadership capacity, if only as a role model for others. We have the opportunity to demonstrate how mindfulness, sustainability and stewardship of the earth can lead to better ways of living without having to become someone that feels wrong for us. It’s important that we keep evolving and sharing what we learn, from both our successes and our mistakes, including other ways of approaching change.
Creating
A challenges the world faces is that human beings don’t recognize the destructive aspect of creativity. So many advances and innovations are helping humans live longer lives but leading to a mass extinction of life on earth. As mindful earthkeepers, we need to find ways to be restorative in our innovations, and our art. We need to take a look at how we can be less wasteful and less toxic.
Connecting
Our ability to connect with ourselves, with each other, and the rest of life is becoming more and more important. The global pandemic showed us how closely connected we are as people. Now, we have the opportunity to move into restoring life across the plane in new ways, with different types of work, and alternative ways of prospering through deep connection.
Why use a Whole Brain Framework:
– When you notice that your left brain approaches to making change happen aren’t working
– When you want a more “feminine” or right brain approach to change
– When you want to feel better
– When you want to embrace all the aspects of the power of your brain.
Mindful Earthkeeper 