June 24, 2025 • 14 mins
Have you ever considered that the most powerful changes in your life might be happening right now, quietly, without fanfare? This mind-expanding exploration challenges our fundamental assumptions about transformation, revealing that significant change often begins with shifts so subtle they're hidden in plain sight.
We dive deep into why meaningful change rarely announces itself with dramatic declarations. Instead, it emerges in those quiet moments of decision – when a parent chooses to break destructive patterns, when someone finally schedules that first therapy appointment, or when you pause before sending that angry text. These seemingly small acts represent profound turning points that can reshape entire lives.
But what happens when we apply this insight to complex global challenges? Conventional wisdom says massive problems need equally massive actions. Yet our analysis reveals that in truly complex systems, thoughtfully applied small changes often provide more flexible, adaptive pathways to transformation. The key lies in shifting our perspective to spot these leverage points. Through practical frameworks like spectrum thinking (moving beyond rigid either/or dualism) and "shifting from two to three" (breaking free from path dependencies), we discover how previously invisible possibilities become apparent.
Perhaps most encouraging is the evidence suggesting that transformative mindset shifts are more accessible than we imagine. Research into the "sustainability mindset" demonstrates how changing our thinking creates the foundation for innovative action. Many people, especially younger generations, are already primed for these perspectives – they simply need the language and frameworks to articulate what they're sensing.
What subtle changes might already be in motion in your life that you've overlooked? How might spectrum thinking reveal entirely new possibilities for that challenge you're facing? The greatest leverage point for transformation may not be some dramatic external action, but rather a quiet shift in perspective that's available to you right now.
"Fan Mail: Your Voice Matters! Share your thoughts, feedback, and encouragement with the "ChampionTalk" team."
“Before we close, let me remind you—connection is a choice. And so is disconnection. Every assumption left unspoken, every silent resentment, and every ignored emotion creates distance. But you have the power to rebuild. One conversation. One act of honesty. One decision to listen before reacting.
If you’re ready to do the deeper work of transformation—not just in your relationships, but in how you show up in the world—I invite you to connect with me and my team at The Life Change Group NC Consulting.
Visit pensight.com/x/thelifechangegroup to explore courses, coaching sessions, and resources designed to help you live, lead, and love at the highest level.
Until next time—stay connected, stay conscious, and remember: real growth happens when you stop running and start reaching in. I’m Dr. Brian Johnson. Be well, Champion.”
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Okay, let's unpack this.
What if some of the mostpowerful changes you're looking
for maybe in your own life or,you know, in the big messy
challenges around us?
Speaker 2 (00:10):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (00:11):
What if they aren't these huge, dramatic, loud
events?
Speaker 2 (00:14):
Right.
Speaker 1 (00:15):
What if they're actually happening, like right
now, quietly hidden in plainsight?
Speaker 2 (00:19):
That's exactly the fascinating thread, isn't it?
It runs through the sourceswe've pulled for this deep dive.
Exactly the fascinating thread,isn't it?
It runs through the sourceswe've pulled for this deep dive.
We've got insights from abehavioral health coach, a
systems thinking expert and alsoa researcher focused on
mindsets, and they all seem topoint towards this idea that,
well, significant transformationcan begin with shifts so subtle
they're just really easy tomiss if you're not looking.
Speaker 1 (00:41):
Exactly, yeah.
So our mission today is toreally dive into these sources,
trying to figure out where thiskind of change actually comes
from.
Speaker 2 (00:48):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (00:49):
How we can maybe train ourselves to spot it when
it's not, you know, screamingfor attention, right and why?
Maybe shifting how we perceivethings, our perspective, might
be the most I don't know,accessible way, the easiest
leverage point for sparking realtransformation.
Speaker 2 (01:04):
It definitely challenges that common idea that
big problems need equally bignoticeable actions right from
the start.
Speaker 1 (01:12):
Totally.
One of our sources, who comesfrom a background in coaching
and community leadership, putsit really well.
I think Change doesn't alwaysannounce itself with fireworks.
Speaker 2 (01:21):
No.
Speaker 1 (01:22):
It often just well it walks quietly into your life.
Yeah, maybe it's just a thoughtor a small choice you make, or
even just a different way youstart seeing yourself, or a
situation.
Speaker 2 (01:31):
And yeah, precisely because it's quiet, we often
completely overlook it.
Speaker 1 (01:36):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (01:37):
It is change, it's just, yeah, hidden in plain
sight.
Like you said, they emphasizethese profound transformations.
They're rarely born in somegrand public declaration.
It's much more often that theyemerge from things like
difficult conversations, maybeones you have to have.
Speaker 1 (01:54):
Oh yeah.
Speaker 2 (01:55):
Or moments of quiet, honest reflection, or just
finding that little bit ofcourage to say, ok, I need
things to be different.
Speaker 1 (02:04):
You see it in the examples they bring up, right
Like the father who consciouslydecides not to repeat a
destructive pattern that helearned from his own parents, or
the young adult who finallyovercomes that inertia, makes
that first counselingappointment.
Speaker 2 (02:15):
Yeah, that's a big one.
Speaker 1 (02:17):
Or the mother who finds her voice, sets healthy
boundaries, maybe really for thefirst time.
None of these are usually likefront page news.
Speaker 2 (02:24):
No, not at all.
Speaker 1 (02:25):
But they are absolutely life altering shifts
for people involved.
Speaker 2 (02:29):
And the core idea they really hit on here is so
powerful.
Change isn't waiting forsomeone to let it happen, for
permission Right.
It's waiting for you to becomeaware of it.
Speaker 1 (02:39):
And that awareness piece.
That's the key, isn't it?
The sources highlight that ifwe just slow down, maybe even
just a little, we can actuallysee it.
You know that moment you decideto try again after feeling like
a failure, or that crucialpause you take before hitting
send on that angry email, ortext Critical pause.
The quiet strength it takes tooffer an apology or accept one,
(03:03):
or even just the discipline ofwriting one sentence in a
journal or a silent prayer.
These are all subtle actionswhere change is already
happening.
You don't need to wait for NewYear's or some huge crisis.
The potential, the leverage,it's right here in recognizing
the significance of this present, often quiet moment.
Speaker 2 (03:22):
Which brings us right to that incredibly
thought-provoking question theypose what small change is
already happening right in frontof me?
Speaker 1 (03:30):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (03:30):
Because you know, as overlooked as it might seem,
that quiet shift couldabsolutely be the start of
something fundamentallylife-changing.
Speaker 1 (03:38):
Okay, that makes total sense.
On a personal level, I get that.
But what about when you scalethis up?
You look at complex problems,global challenges, systemic
issues.
I mean the conventional wisdomis still.
Massive.
Change needs massive action.
How do the sources square thatcircle?
Speaker 2 (03:54):
Well, another of our sources tackles that exact point
head on.
They argue that the massivechange, massive action, saying
it's only partly true,especially when you're facing
genuine complexity, like thekinds of, you know, deeply
interconnected problems we'veseen, really intensify,
particularly over the last fewyears.
Speaker 1 (04:10):
Right, because there isn't usually just one big giant
lever you can pull in a complexsystem and suddenly fix
everything.
It's not that simple.
Speaker 2 (04:16):
Precisely.
The sources suggest that inthese complex scenarios actually
small changes, but when they'redone frequently and coordinated
intelligently and monitoredthoughtfully, they actually
offer a far more flexible,dynamic and adaptive way to
generate significant change overtime.
Speaker 1 (04:36):
Okay.
So the challenge then flipsright.
It's not just about takingaction, but how on earth do you
even spot those potentiallycrucial small changes when you
feel completely swamped by thesheer scale and difficulty of
the big problems?
Speaker 2 (04:51):
And that's where the sources pivot, isn't it?
The answer they propose isn'tjust, you know, more technical
solutions or more planning.
Speaker 1 (04:56):
It's something else.
Speaker 2 (04:57):
It's about changing the lens you're using.
It comes right back to ourthinking and our perception,
essentially our mindsets.
That's what unlocks the abilityto even see the possible
options A little bit of likestrategic visual thinking,
shifting the framework you'relooking through.
That can fundamentally changewhat you're able to notice and
maybe influence.
Speaker 1 (05:17):
OK, let's dive into some of the specific methods
then.
What do these sources offer forshifting that perspective, for
getting better and seeing thosesubtle shifts and maybe
unlocking new possibilities inthese complex situations?
The first one they talk aboutis moving from dualism to
spectrum thinking.
Speaker 2 (05:36):
Yeah, this is a big one.
We're so often trained, aren'twe, to see the world in these
stark contrasts.
Good or bad, right or wrong,either this or that, black and
white, black and white, exactly.
And look this dualistic way ofthinking.
It's efficient for simplethings, maybe even complicated
puzzles sometimes, but it really, really fails us when we're
dealing with true complexity.
A spectrum view is just well,infinitely more useful.
Speaker 1 (05:59):
Like thinking about colors on a spectrum where it's
not just blue and yellow, butyou've got all the greens in
between and the blue sort ofsubtly blends into violet or
green on either side.
Speaker 2 (06:10):
That's a perfect analogy.
A color spectrum isn't justdistinct blocks.
The hues bleed into one anotherRight, and even a pure blue has
traces of what's next to it.
Applying this to a situationmakes it dynamic and granular.
You can actually plot ideas oractions along the spectrum, and
what's powerful here is that itimmediately shows you how a
small shift can representmeaningful movement towards
(06:33):
where you want to go, withouttrapping you in that rigid
either choice.
Speaker 1 (06:37):
The example in one source is urban walkability
Right, so instead of gettingstuck framing it as like we
either ban cars completelyversus we maintain car only
policies.
Which are two extremes, right,two extremes, a spectrum
approach lets you see all thepossibilities in between.
You know mixes of car freezones, maybe pedestrian priority
streets, better public transitintegration, things like that.
Speaker 2 (06:59):
Exactly and by plotting various interventions
on that spectrum, you canidentify specific, often smaller
changes that incrementally moveyou towards a more walkable
city.
Speaker 1 (07:10):
Instead of needing one massive, probably
politically difficult policyoverhaul all at once.
Speaker 2 (07:16):
It completely reframes the challenge, doesn't
it?
And it expands the solutionspace way beyond those initial
two poles.
Speaker 1 (07:23):
Okay, and closely related to that spectrum idea is
another method.
They talk about shifting fromtwo to three.
Speaker 2 (07:30):
Yeah, this takes the idea maybe a step further,
because even if you're usingspectrum thinking, if you're
still fundamentally stuck in atwo-point frame, you can still
be limited by things that kindof resemble one of those two
original points.
Speaker 1 (07:42):
How so.
Speaker 2 (07:42):
Well, like in the urban example again, if you're
only thinking cars versuswalking biking, your mind might
stay limited to things that looklike traditional car
infrastructure or traditionalwalking biking infrastructure.
The sources call these pathdependencies the literal or
mental grooves we get stuck in.
Speaker 1 (07:59):
So it makes it really hard to see solutions that
don't fit neatly into either ofthose established boxes.
Speaker 2 (08:04):
Exactly so.
Adding a third dimension, likea third point of reference
that's outside of the originaltwo, that fundamentally reframes
the problem and the possiblechoices again.
Suddenly you can perceivealternatives that simply made no
sense or weren't even visiblewithin that original two-point
constraint.
Speaker 1 (08:22):
Like the examples they mentioned are pretty
surprising, aren't they?
Urban gondola systems?
Speaker 2 (08:26):
Yeah, in cities across Latin America, yeah.
Or the development of elevated,segregated bike highways in
parts of China.
Speaker 1 (08:33):
Right things you probably wouldn't come up with
if you were just thinking carson roads versus people on
sidewalks.
Speaker 2 (08:39):
Precisely.
These are innovative kind ofhybrid solutions.
They combine elements in waysyou wouldn't typically generate
if you were only stuck betweenthose two points.
Speaker 1 (08:47):
Creating that third option.
It's like adding depth, likeyou said, a new dimension to a
drawing.
Speaker 2 (08:52):
It reveals things you couldn't see before as small or
mid-scale projects, you know, aspecific gondola line or a
single bike highway segment thatthen contribute to a much
larger systemic shift over time.
Speaker 1 (09:10):
So it sounds like these visual thinking techniques
, things like spectrum thinkingand actively looking for a third
option.
They're practical tools.
They help us actually see thosesubtle differences and
possibilities.
They can make a huge differencein our strategy and how we
design solutions, especially incomplex systems.
Speaker 2 (09:28):
They provide the necessary lens really to spot
the kind of hidden in plainsight change we talked about at
the personal level but nowapplied to these larger
interconnected challenges.
Speaker 1 (09:39):
Okay, so bringing this all together, one of the
sources highlights a reallyspecific example of this kind of
inside out change the conceptof the sustainability mindset.
This really seems to embody howchanging your thinking and just
being differently can be afundamental point of leverage.
Speaker 2 (09:56):
Yeah, this emerged from some fascinating research.
They identified commoncharacteristics in business
leaders who weren't just doingsuperficial green things.
Speaker 1 (10:05):
Or not just ticking boxes?
Speaker 2 (10:06):
No, they were taking genuinely novel, transformative
approaches to environmental andsocial challenges, and the key
wasn't just their technicalknow-how.
It was how they processedinformation, their thinking and
how they showed up theirunderlying values and
assumptions, their being.
Speaker 1 (10:21):
Ah, the thinking and being.
Speaker 2 (10:23):
Exactly this forms the invisible foundation for
their actions.
Speaker 1 (10:27):
And the source points out that look, despite rising
public awareness about globalchallenges and plenty of
technical solutions beingavailable, yeah, we know a lot
of what to do.
Changes just aren't happeningfast enough and a lot of what is
happening feels a bitsuperficial.
That greenwashing term comes up.
Speaker 2 (10:42):
Right, and this is precisely why the mindset aspect
is so critical.
Multiple global leaders theyknow, people like Pope Francis,
muhammad Yunus, various UNofficials, the Dalai Lama
they're all emphasizing thatdeep, meaningful change must
come from changing our mindsets.
Superficial stances just won'tcut it anymore.
Speaker 1 (11:01):
But the really hopeful finding that's mentioned
in the source is that shiftinga mindset might actually be more
accessible than we tend tothink.
That shifting a mindset mightactually be more accessible than
we tend to think.
It's not some impossible task.
Speaker 2 (11:13):
Exactly that research and the network of academics
who've been working globallysince about 2014 to cultivate
the shift.
They often find that students,especially, are already ready
for this conversation.
They just seem to need thelanguage or the frameworks like
you know, spectrum thinking orthe elements of the
sustainability mindset toarticulate what they're already
(11:34):
sensing or grappling withinternally.
Speaker 1 (11:36):
And the methods they use to help cultivate this.
They're not just lectures,which I find really interesting.
They talk about using thingslike art, literature, service,
learning experiences, reflectiveessays, spending time in nature
, open dialogues, askingspecific probing questions,
doing interviews.
Speaker 2 (11:53):
Yeah, techniques designed to engage someone's
thinking and their being on amuch deeper level.
Speaker 1 (11:58):
You see the real world impact of this kind of
mind shift too in the examplethey give of the MA student.
After engaging with theseconcepts, she created a
professional oath specificallyfor her school's industry.
Yeah that's powerful.
It was a direct expression of apowerful internal shift she
experienced right Changing howshe saw her future role and her
profession's potential tocontribute positively.
Speaker 2 (12:20):
And the oath itself.
It wasn't just vague platitudes.
It incorporated key elements ofthat sustainability mindset.
Speaker 1 (12:27):
Like what?
Speaker 2 (12:28):
Thinking about long-term impacts, actively
considering diversity andinclusion, valuing ecosystems
not just as resources,understanding their carbon
footprint, seeing tourism as away to educate and support local
communities.
Wow, it's proof really thatwhile the mindset itself is
intangible, like a worldview ora set of values, it manifests
directly and powerfullyintangible actions and creations
like that oath.
It's a significant leveragepoint.
It manifests directly andpowerfully intangible actions
(12:50):
and creations like that oath.
It's a significant leveragepoint.
Speaker 1 (12:53):
It really does bring us back to that simple but
profound summary from the source.
Deep change happens from theinside out.
Speaker 2 (13:01):
It's about seeing the world differently, which then
enables you to think differently, which influences how you show
up, your being, and that is whatultimately drives different,
more impactful actions.
Speaker 1 (13:13):
So, summing up this deep dive, then, we've explored
how truly powerful change oftenstarts small and quietly,
potentially hidden in our ownsubtle thoughts, choices,
actions.
Speaker 2 (13:27):
Unseen.
Speaker 1 (13:27):
We've seen how tackling complex, big problems
isn't just about massive actionbut, critically, it's about
shifting our perspective, usingtools like spectrum thinking or
actively looking for that thirdoption to reveal possibilities
we couldn't see before.
Speaker 2 (13:42):
Right opening up the view.
Speaker 1 (13:43):
And finally, we've seen how cultivating a specific
mindset like this sustainabilitymindset can be a fundamental
lever for transformation andperhaps surprisingly more
accessible to shift than wemight initially assume, because
sometimes people are alreadyprimed for it.
Speaker 2 (13:58):
They just need the language or the lens.
Speaker 1 (14:00):
Exactly.
They just need the right toolsor language.
It's about recognizing theincredible potential for change
that is already present butperhaps currently invisible to
us.
Yeah, well put Absolutely, andthat leaves you, the listener,
with something to think about.
Look at your own goals, maybe apersonal change you're striving
for, or even a larger challengeyou care deeply about.
Where might you be overlookingsubtle shifts or small changes
(14:23):
already in motion?
And how could applyingsomething like spectrum thinking
or intentionally looking for athird option reveal a completely
new path forward that yousimply hadn't considered before?
Okay, let's unpack this.
What if some of the mostpowerful changes you're looking
for maybe in your own life or,you know, in the big messy
challenges around us?
Speaker 2 (00:10):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (00:11):
What if they aren't these huge, dramatic, loud
events?
Speaker 2 (00:14):
Right.
Speaker 1 (00:15):
What if they're actually happening, like right
now, quietly hidden in plainsight?
Speaker 2 (00:19):
That's exactly the fascinating thread, isn't it?
It runs through the sourceswe've pulled for this deep dive.
Exactly the fascinating thread,isn't it?
It runs through the sourceswe've pulled for this deep dive.
We've got insights from abehavioral health coach, a
systems thinking expert and alsoa researcher focused on
mindsets, and they all seem topoint towards this idea that,
well, significant transformationcan begin with shifts so subtle
they're just really easy tomiss if you're not looking.
Speaker 1 (00:41):
Exactly, yeah.
So our mission today is toreally dive into these sources,
trying to figure out where thiskind of change actually comes
from.
Speaker 2 (00:48):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (00:49):
How we can maybe train ourselves to spot it when
it's not, you know, screamingfor attention, right and why?
Maybe shifting how we perceivethings, our perspective, might
be the most I don't know,accessible way, the easiest
leverage point for sparking realtransformation.
Speaker 2 (01:04):
It definitely challenges that common idea that
big problems need equally bignoticeable actions right from
the start.
Speaker 1 (01:12):
Totally.
One of our sources, who comesfrom a background in coaching
and community leadership, putsit really well.
I think Change doesn't alwaysannounce itself with fireworks.
Speaker 2 (01:21):
No.
Speaker 1 (01:22):
It often just well it walks quietly into your life.
Yeah, maybe it's just a thoughtor a small choice you make, or
even just a different way youstart seeing yourself, or a
situation.
Speaker 2 (01:31):
And yeah, precisely because it's quiet, we often
completely overlook it.
Speaker 1 (01:36):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (01:37):
It is change, it's just, yeah, hidden in plain
sight.
Like you said, they emphasizethese profound transformations.
They're rarely born in somegrand public declaration.
It's much more often that theyemerge from things like
difficult conversations, maybeones you have to have.
Speaker 1 (01:54):
Oh yeah.
Speaker 2 (01:55):
Or moments of quiet, honest reflection, or just
finding that little bit ofcourage to say, ok, I need
things to be different.
Speaker 1 (02:04):
You see it in the examples they bring up, right
Like the father who consciouslydecides not to repeat a
destructive pattern that helearned from his own parents, or
the young adult who finallyovercomes that inertia, makes
that first counselingappointment.
Speaker 2 (02:15):
Yeah, that's a big one.
Speaker 1 (02:17):
Or the mother who finds her voice, sets healthy
boundaries, maybe really for thefirst time.
None of these are usually likefront page news.
Speaker 2 (02:24):
No, not at all.
Speaker 1 (02:25):
But they are absolutely life altering shifts
for people involved.
Speaker 2 (02:29):
And the core idea they really hit on here is so
powerful.
Change isn't waiting forsomeone to let it happen, for
permission Right.
It's waiting for you to becomeaware of it.
Speaker 1 (02:39):
And that awareness piece.
That's the key, isn't it?
The sources highlight that ifwe just slow down, maybe even
just a little, we can actuallysee it.
You know that moment you decideto try again after feeling like
a failure, or that crucialpause you take before hitting
send on that angry email, ortext Critical pause.
The quiet strength it takes tooffer an apology or accept one,
(03:03):
or even just the discipline ofwriting one sentence in a
journal or a silent prayer.
These are all subtle actionswhere change is already
happening.
You don't need to wait for NewYear's or some huge crisis.
The potential, the leverage,it's right here in recognizing
the significance of this present, often quiet moment.
Speaker 2 (03:22):
Which brings us right to that incredibly
thought-provoking question theypose what small change is
already happening right in frontof me?
Speaker 1 (03:30):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (03:30):
Because you know, as overlooked as it might seem,
that quiet shift couldabsolutely be the start of
something fundamentallylife-changing.
Speaker 1 (03:38):
Okay, that makes total sense.
On a personal level, I get that.
But what about when you scalethis up?
You look at complex problems,global challenges, systemic
issues.
I mean the conventional wisdomis still.
Massive.
Change needs massive action.
How do the sources square thatcircle?
Speaker 2 (03:54):
Well, another of our sources tackles that exact point
head on.
They argue that the massivechange, massive action, saying
it's only partly true,especially when you're facing
genuine complexity, like thekinds of, you know, deeply
interconnected problems we'veseen, really intensify,
particularly over the last fewyears.
Speaker 1 (04:10):
Right, because there isn't usually just one big giant
lever you can pull in a complexsystem and suddenly fix
everything.
It's not that simple.
Speaker 2 (04:16):
Precisely.
The sources suggest that inthese complex scenarios actually
small changes, but when they'redone frequently and coordinated
intelligently and monitoredthoughtfully, they actually
offer a far more flexible,dynamic and adaptive way to
generate significant change overtime.
Speaker 1 (04:36):
Okay.
So the challenge then flipsright.
It's not just about takingaction, but how on earth do you
even spot those potentiallycrucial small changes when you
feel completely swamped by thesheer scale and difficulty of
the big problems?
Speaker 2 (04:51):
And that's where the sources pivot, isn't it?
The answer they propose isn'tjust, you know, more technical
solutions or more planning.
Speaker 1 (04:56):
It's something else.
Speaker 2 (04:57):
It's about changing the lens you're using.
It comes right back to ourthinking and our perception,
essentially our mindsets.
That's what unlocks the abilityto even see the possible
options A little bit of likestrategic visual thinking,
shifting the framework you'relooking through.
That can fundamentally changewhat you're able to notice and
maybe influence.
Speaker 1 (05:17):
OK, let's dive into some of the specific methods
then.
What do these sources offer forshifting that perspective, for
getting better and seeing thosesubtle shifts and maybe
unlocking new possibilities inthese complex situations?
The first one they talk aboutis moving from dualism to
spectrum thinking.
Speaker 2 (05:36):
Yeah, this is a big one.
We're so often trained, aren'twe, to see the world in these
stark contrasts.
Good or bad, right or wrong,either this or that, black and
white, black and white, exactly.
And look this dualistic way ofthinking.
It's efficient for simplethings, maybe even complicated
puzzles sometimes, but it really, really fails us when we're
dealing with true complexity.
A spectrum view is just well,infinitely more useful.
Speaker 1 (05:59):
Like thinking about colors on a spectrum where it's
not just blue and yellow, butyou've got all the greens in
between and the blue sort ofsubtly blends into violet or
green on either side.
Speaker 2 (06:10):
That's a perfect analogy.
A color spectrum isn't justdistinct blocks.
The hues bleed into one anotherRight, and even a pure blue has
traces of what's next to it.
Applying this to a situationmakes it dynamic and granular.
You can actually plot ideas oractions along the spectrum, and
what's powerful here is that itimmediately shows you how a
small shift can representmeaningful movement towards
(06:33):
where you want to go, withouttrapping you in that rigid
either choice.
Speaker 1 (06:37):
The example in one source is urban walkability
Right, so instead of gettingstuck framing it as like we
either ban cars completelyversus we maintain car only
policies.
Which are two extremes, right,two extremes, a spectrum
approach lets you see all thepossibilities in between.
You know mixes of car freezones, maybe pedestrian priority
streets, better public transitintegration, things like that.
Speaker 2 (06:59):
Exactly and by plotting various interventions
on that spectrum, you canidentify specific, often smaller
changes that incrementally moveyou towards a more walkable
city.
Speaker 1 (07:10):
Instead of needing one massive, probably
politically difficult policyoverhaul all at once.
Speaker 2 (07:16):
It completely reframes the challenge, doesn't
it?
And it expands the solutionspace way beyond those initial
two poles.
Speaker 1 (07:23):
Okay, and closely related to that spectrum idea is
another method.
They talk about shifting fromtwo to three.
Speaker 2 (07:30):
Yeah, this takes the idea maybe a step further,
because even if you're usingspectrum thinking, if you're
still fundamentally stuck in atwo-point frame, you can still
be limited by things that kindof resemble one of those two
original points.
Speaker 1 (07:42):
How so.
Speaker 2 (07:42):
Well, like in the urban example again, if you're
only thinking cars versuswalking biking, your mind might
stay limited to things that looklike traditional car
infrastructure or traditionalwalking biking infrastructure.
The sources call these pathdependencies the literal or
mental grooves we get stuck in.
Speaker 1 (07:59):
So it makes it really hard to see solutions that
don't fit neatly into either ofthose established boxes.
Speaker 2 (08:04):
Exactly so.
Adding a third dimension, likea third point of reference
that's outside of the originaltwo, that fundamentally reframes
the problem and the possiblechoices again.
Suddenly you can perceivealternatives that simply made no
sense or weren't even visiblewithin that original two-point
constraint.
Speaker 1 (08:22):
Like the examples they mentioned are pretty
surprising, aren't they?
Urban gondola systems?
Speaker 2 (08:26):
Yeah, in cities across Latin America, yeah.
Or the development of elevated,segregated bike highways in
parts of China.
Speaker 1 (08:33):
Right things you probably wouldn't come up with
if you were just thinking carson roads versus people on
sidewalks.
Speaker 2 (08:39):
Precisely.
These are innovative kind ofhybrid solutions.
They combine elements in waysyou wouldn't typically generate
if you were only stuck betweenthose two points.
Speaker 1 (08:47):
Creating that third option.
It's like adding depth, likeyou said, a new dimension to a
drawing.
Speaker 2 (08:52):
It reveals things you couldn't see before as small or
mid-scale projects, you know, aspecific gondola line or a
single bike highway segment thatthen contribute to a much
larger systemic shift over time.
Speaker 1 (09:10):
So it sounds like these visual thinking techniques
, things like spectrum thinkingand actively looking for a third
option.
They're practical tools.
They help us actually see thosesubtle differences and
possibilities.
They can make a huge differencein our strategy and how we
design solutions, especially incomplex systems.
Speaker 2 (09:28):
They provide the necessary lens really to spot
the kind of hidden in plainsight change we talked about at
the personal level but nowapplied to these larger
interconnected challenges.
Speaker 1 (09:39):
Okay, so bringing this all together, one of the
sources highlights a reallyspecific example of this kind of
inside out change the conceptof the sustainability mindset.
This really seems to embody howchanging your thinking and just
being differently can be afundamental point of leverage.
Speaker 2 (09:56):
Yeah, this emerged from some fascinating research.
They identified commoncharacteristics in business
leaders who weren't just doingsuperficial green things.
Speaker 1 (10:05):
Or not just ticking boxes?
Speaker 2 (10:06):
No, they were taking genuinely novel, transformative
approaches to environmental andsocial challenges, and the key
wasn't just their technicalknow-how.
It was how they processedinformation, their thinking and
how they showed up theirunderlying values and
assumptions, their being.
Speaker 1 (10:21):
Ah, the thinking and being.
Speaker 2 (10:23):
Exactly this forms the invisible foundation for
their actions.
Speaker 1 (10:27):
And the source points out that look, despite rising
public awareness about globalchallenges and plenty of
technical solutions beingavailable, yeah, we know a lot
of what to do.
Changes just aren't happeningfast enough and a lot of what is
happening feels a bitsuperficial.
That greenwashing term comes up.
Speaker 2 (10:42):
Right, and this is precisely why the mindset aspect
is so critical.
Multiple global leaders theyknow, people like Pope Francis,
muhammad Yunus, various UNofficials, the Dalai Lama
they're all emphasizing thatdeep, meaningful change must
come from changing our mindsets.
Superficial stances just won'tcut it anymore.
Speaker 1 (11:01):
But the really hopeful finding that's mentioned
in the source is that shiftinga mindset might actually be more
accessible than we tend tothink.
That shifting a mindset mightactually be more accessible than
we tend to think.
It's not some impossible task.
Speaker 2 (11:13):
Exactly that research and the network of academics
who've been working globallysince about 2014 to cultivate
the shift.
They often find that students,especially, are already ready
for this conversation.
They just seem to need thelanguage or the frameworks like
you know, spectrum thinking orthe elements of the
sustainability mindset toarticulate what they're already
(11:34):
sensing or grappling withinternally.
Speaker 1 (11:36):
And the methods they use to help cultivate this.
They're not just lectures,which I find really interesting.
They talk about using thingslike art, literature, service,
learning experiences, reflectiveessays, spending time in nature
, open dialogues, askingspecific probing questions,
doing interviews.
Speaker 2 (11:53):
Yeah, techniques designed to engage someone's
thinking and their being on amuch deeper level.
Speaker 1 (11:58):
You see the real world impact of this kind of
mind shift too in the examplethey give of the MA student.
After engaging with theseconcepts, she created a
professional oath specificallyfor her school's industry.
Yeah that's powerful.
It was a direct expression of apowerful internal shift she
experienced right Changing howshe saw her future role and her
profession's potential tocontribute positively.
Speaker 2 (12:20):
And the oath itself.
It wasn't just vague platitudes.
It incorporated key elements ofthat sustainability mindset.
Speaker 1 (12:27):
Like what?
Speaker 2 (12:28):
Thinking about long-term impacts, actively
considering diversity andinclusion, valuing ecosystems
not just as resources,understanding their carbon
footprint, seeing tourism as away to educate and support local
communities.
Wow, it's proof really thatwhile the mindset itself is
intangible, like a worldview ora set of values, it manifests
directly and powerfullyintangible actions and creations
like that oath.
It's a significant leveragepoint.
It manifests directly andpowerfully intangible actions
(12:50):
and creations like that oath.
It's a significant leveragepoint.
Speaker 1 (12:53):
It really does bring us back to that simple but
profound summary from the source.
Deep change happens from theinside out.
Speaker 2 (13:01):
It's about seeing the world differently, which then
enables you to think differently, which influences how you show
up, your being, and that is whatultimately drives different,
more impactful actions.
Speaker 1 (13:13):
So, summing up this deep dive, then, we've explored
how truly powerful change oftenstarts small and quietly,
potentially hidden in our ownsubtle thoughts, choices,
actions.
Speaker 2 (13:27):
Unseen.
Speaker 1 (13:27):
We've seen how tackling complex, big problems
isn't just about massive actionbut, critically, it's about
shifting our perspective, usingtools like spectrum thinking or
actively looking for that thirdoption to reveal possibilities
we couldn't see before.
Speaker 2 (13:42):
Right opening up the view.
Speaker 1 (13:43):
And finally, we've seen how cultivating a specific
mindset like this sustainabilitymindset can be a fundamental
lever for transformation andperhaps surprisingly more
accessible to shift than wemight initially assume, because
sometimes people are alreadyprimed for it.
Speaker 2 (13:58):
They just need the language or the lens.
Speaker 1 (14:00):
Exactly.
They just need the right toolsor language.
It's about recognizing theincredible potential for change
that is already present butperhaps currently invisible to
us.
Yeah, well put Absolutely, andthat leaves you, the listener,
with something to think about.
Look at your own goals, maybe apersonal change you're striving
for, or even a larger challengeyou care deeply about.
Where might you be overlookingsubtle shifts or small changes
(14:23):
already in motion?
And how could applyingsomething like spectrum thinking
or intentionally looking for athird option reveal a completely
new path forward that yousimply hadn't considered before?
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