The world as I see it

Today I want to try and answer the simple, yet profound question you might
ask a potential new friend over a cup of coffee.
“So, tell me, who are you?”

The only way to figure out if you want to continue seeing someone,
if you want to have me in your life, is to get to know me a little better.

So today, I will tell you some parts of my story so that you can judge,
whether I am worth having in your life.

This will not be a complete picture.
This is a glimpse into my world, a potential starting point for a new bridge.

Is this Universe a school?

The typical answer to the question, “who are you”, often
involves topics like occupation, family, education and hobbies.

I want to dive deeper straight away.
Why?
Because that’s me.

Sure I can talk about the weather if you want to.
I have studied meteorology and climate strategy, so
I can talk to you about the atmosphere all day if you want to.

But I like diving deeper into life. I think I always have.

“Who am I”, “why are we here”, “what is the meaning of life”…
all those traditional questions are a part of my life.

These questions of the universe have taken up both
time and space in my mind… but I still have no good answers to give.

Because I am not really looking for answers.
I am often looking for new questions.

Always curious to learn more.
Always humble of how much there is to learn.
Always with an open mind and an open heart.

I see this universe as a school. A place to learn.
Not in order to pass a test to get into the kingdom of heaven, or something like that.
More a place to learn and experience the complete spectrum of what it means to be alive.

This newsletter is one way I try to contribute to this school.

To create a psychological and emotional space where people can
reconnect with meaning, each other, and themselves.

To learn from each other and rebuild the bridges we didn’t know we needed.

Can you feel the complexity surrounding you?

When I teach sustainability or when I give a presentation about
global misconceptions, I am not very concerned about individual facts.

I am more focused on the bigger picture, the complexity, all the layers.
And I don’t just want to tell you about it. I want to show you and I want you to feel it.
To stand in awe of the patterns that hold our world together.

I don’t want to just transfer knowledge.
I want to offer some form of transformation.
(And yes, I know how that sounds.)

Knowing is one thing… but without the ability to transfer
that knowledge into your everyday life, nothing will ever change.

If you have read any of my previous letters, you already know that I like
to ask big questions, and never settle for only one answer. Regardless if we are talking about the size of the sun or how you would design a city.

I have been exploring, and still do, how it feels when standing in the complexity that surrounds us. And how we talk, communicate and educate around that.

This complexity is what I like to explore and in these newsletters, I hope to offer some form of structure to understand it. Not to reduce things into smaller pieces, but to grasp and absorb more of reality.

A type of structure to give you a feeling of possibility, a new lens, and a gentle nudge into new actions. A way to start the conversation, but never so rigid that it loses the sense of wonder and mystery.

What does all this really mean?

It means that I am exploring new ways of teaching complexity.

I firmly believe that we need more wisdom in our world, and for me wisdom comes from seeing things from many points of view. To be patient and always try to find another answer, another explanation, another question.

One of my favourite expressions is the famous saying:
“To understand all, is to forgive all”

Since I want to understand, and always try to look deeper, I rarely judge anyone.
So don’t expect me to ever tell you what to do, or blame you if you don’t.

So… do you feel like you know me now?

I know that this was far from a traditional introduction.
But I am also far from traditional… and yet… in many cases, I am just like you.

I listen to good music and dance to the rhythm of Life.
I love playing board games, finding a good strategy and trusting my luck.

My religion is found in the patterns of Nature.
My philosophy has a large part of its origin in the teachings of Alan Watts.

I grew up in the world of Middle Earth, and
I still wonder why I never got a letter to Hogwarts.

…

I can continue this list but it feels like I have been talking for too long now.

So tell me, who are you?

Want to learn even more about me,
feel free to send me a message on LinkedIn.

Until next time!
Daniel - The Talking Bridge

Ps. Music Motivation: