Mindset
He mata whariki, he matawhanui
Thinking differently about how we can thrive, together
He matawhanui is a term in Te Reo Māori for a broad vision that includes all views. ‘Mata’ denotes the eyes, being watchful and mindful, while ‘whanui’ is an inclusive term for everyone, a broad view that considers the neurodiversity of all involved. ‘He mata whariki’ is a term in Te Reo Māori that describes a harakeke bush that is used for making mats. This variety of harakeke is long and durable - sustainable.
Together, ‘he mata whariki, he matawhanui’ is a metaphor for a welcoming place for all people to gather and set a broad vision - this is the essence of the Thrive Mindset.
Guiding principles
Embrace tikanga Māori as one source of solutions.
Collaboration is key.
Different does not equal deficient.
Pursue equity before equality.
Inclusion means to include: a verb. It takes some do-ing!
He waka eke noa - We are all in this together!
It all starts with activating your optimism
The Thrive Mindset isn’t about solving the problem, but how we choose to respond to it. How we can cultivate ‘active’ optimism, where you are actively working towards what you hope for. I liken optimism to a spectators sport, but It doesn’t have to be wishful thinking, Thrive Mind is the willingness to face difficulty with a mindful and active response.
There are numerous examples of well known people with a Thrive Mindset, such as:
Malala Yousafzai: Malala Yousafzai is a Pakistani activist for girls' education and the youngest Nobel Prize laureate. Malala was shot by the Taliban in 2012 for advocating for girls' education in Pakistan. Despite this near-death experience, Malala refused to be silenced. She continued to speak out for the rights of girls and women around the world, and she founded the Malala Fund to support girls' education initiatives.
Instead of trying to change “mindsets” through therapy, we could change how we respond to societal norms. She saw the potential for positive change in the face of adversity, and she used her voice to inspire others to do the same - she’s chosen Advocacy as her Thrive Mindset.
If we asked Malala to mark on the ‘Problemeter’ below the vastness of the problem, she’d have likely marked it high, but she was able to respond with a nine or ten because she believed she could direct positive change. It’s not based on outcomes but on ‘respondability’. Malala hasn’t solved the problem but she’s actively engaged in responding to it. She’s inspired change.
Your problem vs. your response
The Problemeter
Let’s start by rating the severity of the challenges you face on a scale from zero to ten. Zero is no problem at all, while ten represents problems that are catastrophic. With your challenges in mind, where would you place the dial on this Problemeter?
The Respondometer
The second scale is hugely important: how you rate your ability to respond to these problems. Where would you put the dial on your Respondemeter? We find this fluctuates with the energy and support available. It doesn’t mean your ability to solve the problem, rather your ability to respond to the problem. Think Malala. Think Mindset.
Applying the Thrive Mindset
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Step 1: Define what thriving means to you
To thrive means to be in a state of flourishing and growth, where you are not just tolerating/coping but truly thriving. It means you're living life to the fullest way within your sphere of control, with purpose and meaning, and that you're actively working to improve your mental and physical well-being.
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Step 2: Prioritise self-care and wellbeing
You ask, how can we thrive in climate upheaval, societal breakdown or global inequity? Building resilience to an uncertain future starts with taking care of ourselves. We need to prioritise our mental and physical wellbeing, set appropriate boundaries, and make time for rest and recovery. By doing so, you'll be better equipped to handle the challenges of daily life and be more resilient in the face of climate change uncertainty.
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Step 3: Think long-term
Just as nature takes a long-term view when adapting to changing conditions, we need to adopt a similar mindset (leaning on Biomimicry). We need to think about how our actions today will impact future generations,. Meaningful structural change won’t happen overnight but equally, change won’t happen without us. The distress you feel is a healthy signal to do something about it.
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Step 4: Help others thrive
Finally, a Thrive Mindset is about helping others thrive as well. By taking care of yourself, you'll be better equipped to help those around you. Social action and connectedness is the medicine that relieves people’s personal and collective distress. We need to draw inspiration from nature and work together to support one another. Whether it's through acts of kindness, sharing knowledge and skills, or simply being a positive role model, being of service to others is the best antidote for depression or anxiety.
Essay: Donella Meadows, Leverage Points: Places to Intervene in a System (The Sustainability Institute, 1999).
Book: Naomi Klein, The Shock Doctrine: The Rise of Disaster Capitalism (Picador USA, 2008).
Article: Megan Seibert, “Systems Thinking and How It Can Help Build a Sustainable World: A Beginning Conversation,” Solutions 9:3 (June 2018).
Chapter: Howard Silverman, “Chapter 7. Systems Literacy: A Toolkit for Purposeful Change,” in The Community Resilience Reader: Essential Resources for an Era of Upheaval, Daniel Lerch, ed., (Island Press, 2017).
Essay Collection: Donella Meadows, Dana Meadows Must-Reads (The Donella Meadows Project, online).
Jared Diamond, Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed (Penguin, 2011).
Further Reading
Arnold J. Toynbee, A Study of History (Oxford University Press, 1987).
Joseph Tainter, The Collapse of Complex Societies (Cambridge University Press, 1990).
Peter Turchin and Sergey Nefedov, Secular Cycles (Princeton University Press, 2009).
Video collection: “Videos for teaching ecology,” blog maintained by Meghan Duffy.
Essay: Richard Heinberg, “Want to change the world? Read this first.” (2014).
Manifesto: Richard Heinberg, There’s No App For That: Technology and Morality in the Age of Climate Change, Overpopulation, and Biodiversity Loss, (Post Carbon Institute, 2017).
