The earth’s boundaries have become tangible and the journey to a natural world is in fact a transformation which affects everyone and everything. Continuing as we are is not an option. The ball is in our court, in my court. Change starts with self-reflection. Who am I and how do I live as a person, a consumer, a worker, a citizen, a nature-lover? What could I change in my choices and behaviour to live a more environment-friendly life? Which changes would suit me well? It is a process, not a one-time thing. Asking ourselves those questions provides insight to find the context and the roles which come naturally to us and let us keep our energy high. Lifemaps help to visualise what’s going on, make connections and find new perspective. To choose direction for collaboration, to create a personal compass based on overview and insight, and gather realistic ideas for action.
Lifemaps are an instrument for intuitive self-discovery. At the basis of a lifemap is a scenario, a story about a personal or societal theme or a global issue. Each of the available lifemap scenarios tells its own story and illuminates a different perspective. Following the chosen scenario people each fill in their own map on a table poster to create an overview of the current reality and the envisioned future. The text and symbol stickers for this contain knowledge on the topic and the poster facilitates the self-discovery process. In a lifemap workshop participants, in groups of four, tell each other their own story, using their maps. Together they elaborate on it in a group dialogue about the here and now and a brainstorm about the future. A lifemap experience is a learning journey, individually and collectively.
Many people all over the world live their life in safety and comfort. They work hard and enjoy what they made of it. To them, freedom and peace have become a given. The illusion behind it all is often that when you go on as you do, the conditions will stay favourable and you can stay as you are. As it is, the global situation asks of each of us to let go of our drive for more and to be less egocentric, taking better care of what is important for the collective. Developing more peace in your own life is a great way to practice this. In the lifemap scenario: Developing peace as a person, a citizen you’ll create an overview of how what’s going on in the world is reflected in your life. Seeing yourself in this overview will show you new possibilities to create peace. Acting on those will nourish you as well as the whole.
Bees collect nectar to make honey for the hive and at the same time they spread pollen for plants and trees in the area. What can humans learn from the bees? The lifemap scenario: 4 Voices in the city working together as bees in a hive brings four voices in the city together: civil servant, business manager, not-for-profit manager and citizen. It offers them a journey of discovery to find answers to the big question above. Each person in the group creates a map on the poster, representing one of the voices. They listen to each others’ stories, without discussion. In a brainstorm they elaborate on how and where they could follow the example of the bees to create honey for the collective and take care of the environment. The whole workshop is a realistic learning experience in practicing with multi-stakeholder collaboration.
The lifemap scenario Manifesting a life that is grounded in unity is about conscious manifestation. As a change maker you have chosen to take your role in the transformation of society. You’ll be drawing from all resources available to you, at a daily basis. In this scenario you’ll come to know more about yourself as a ‘personal creator’, co-creating with all of life. Unity is one of the core values of the maker of lifemaps. This scenario has been in-formed by unity. How would it be, when you would recognise your own core values as powers? When you do, you can choose to develop them and work with them as part of your life force, in support of your endeavours, in all areas of life. When you set this as your intention and commit yourself, you’ll find, that great things will come into being in the course of time.
The lifemap scenario: Becoming a global citizen in a doughnut economy is for people who are interested to learn about the Doughnut Economics model and the reality of planetary boundaries. For people who would like to discover how relating to these models helps to include the planetary level in their worldview and to find direction for change. First you will visualise your current worldview on the Blue Planet poster. A step-by-step approach lets you include and align with the two models. You will gain insight into where you stand. You will find areas in your life you want to focus on more to discover your own way to adapt to global change. The nature of the lifemap workshop is one of exploration. The group exchanges have an open agenda, depending on what emerges.
The lifemap scenario: Your life’s work, from a collective perspective is for people who are adapting their lives to be more sustainable and modest and who would like to engage in an inquiry into new areas of awareness. From what each of us sees happening, we will jointly reflect about the impact of the current social behaviours in multi-stakeholder collaboration. Using a visual overview of each person’s life on the poster, we will gather ideas on how to cope in our own environment. We will evaluate principles and practices, originated in recent works about economy, sustainability, ecology and community-oriented business models for the same purpose. As it is one of the key themes underlying all of this we will endeavour to re-think the concept of collective interest from the perspective of the individual.
Youth is a phase in which people are receptive and vulnerable. So much growth and development is going on. The lifemap scenario Sharing what it’s like to be young is meant for generational groups, to reflect and share how life is/was for them, in their youth. Group members go on an intuitive journey through their own youth. In the process they will ponder about the influence of people and events on them. After completion of the individual maps they are invited to share their experiences in the group, with a focus on how they have developed themselves, notwithstanding outside influences. When there are societal and cultural differences, or when it is about the question: how can we support each other and embrace inclusiveness, being in a generational group makes it easier to share with each other.
We live in a busy, complex and fast-changing world. As an individual it is crucial for you to see yourself clearly, know who you are and what a fulfilling life means to you. While we are becoming aware of the fact that everything is connected, the current world situation shows that as humanity we are not able yet to work from unity, interdependence and togetherness. So what is crucial at the collective level is to learn to work together, bridging differences. Jointly creating an overarching vision inspires and helps with decision-making. The lifemap scenario Recognising the soul in your life is about being aware that your life matters and that cooperation is promoted when both the I’s and the WE are fully present.