A thought from Pronoia
Posted by Megan Dietz • Follow me on Twitter
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Thursday, February 26, 2009
We’ll get back to our regular Pronoia discussion next week. This week, I wanted to share with you a quote by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, the author of The Little Prince, which can be found on page 151 as part of the Pronoia News Network:
“If you want to build a ship, don’t drum up the men to gather wood, divide the work, and give orders. Instead, teach them to yearn for the vast and endless sea.”
I’ve been pondering this since I read it. What does this mean in the context of all the problems we face now, and the future that will be created out of the solutions?
Let us know what you think.
I JUST read Little Prince in its entirety for the first time and that quote shot out at me like a high beam. It’s something that all social and environmental justice crusaders should think about. What must each of us inspire yearning for? For me, it’s the nurturing, sweet, fertile feeling of the Appalachian Mountains and the soft air that hangs between them. It’s like the feeling of being in a hammock - suspended, unencumbered but totally supported.
that’s awesome, sarah.
personally i get a lot of pleasure out of things that work well—driving in traffic that is flowing well, the feel of a can-opener that works smoothly, an elegant solution to a database issue. i yearn for a world that feels elegant and fully operational, where details have been lovingly thought through and attended to, where more and more of our days can be spent in the state of flow, and just by living our lives, we contribute beauty and well-being to the biosphere.
you’re an actress—i’m sure you know the feeling of being fully prepared, and letting go of that preparation in the moment of performance, fully immersed in and supported by both your effort and the concentration and love of those around you. what if everyday life worked like that all the time?
the more clearly i can articulate this feeling and imagine it manifest in reality, the more i yearn for it and am grateful that we have the opportunity to bring it into being.
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