Sparking light, hope and great conversations throughout November
November tends to be very long, dark and dreary – in fact, in Denmark we have a famous poem saying that the year has 16 months:
January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October,
November, November, November, November, November, December.
However - there is also a beautiful song saying that when November is so dark our hearts and minds need to shine even more brightly. And that song is the inspiration for Concopia’s November Conversations. Because November certainly is dark this year. With all of the darkness outside combined with the grim circumstances of the world. And I truly think we need to rethink and reenchant the world to create a future worth hoping for.
Therefore – throughout November 2024 – I’ll be sharing various Concopia Cards with you. Hoping to inspire you to start Concopian Conversations with you friends and family over dinner or with your colleagues over lunch. You may even feel like watching the videos on your own to spark the contemplations of your day.
I’ll be sharing the videos and questions on various social platforms – but this is where you’ll find the full November Collection.
Reimagning the World
What would you like to rebuild from scratch if you had the chance? Why does it need rebuilding?
The Danish mindset is reflected in the philosophy of LEGO. The idea of simple bricks that can be combined in a myriad of ways sparks unending creativity – even the most beautiful constructions can be pulled apart, rebuilt and refined over and over again. With LEGO, nothing is ever really finished.
Metaphorically this also goes for society, democracy and public institutions. Even when things work relatively well, it is no excuse to rest on your laurels. There is always room to tear apart the settled structures, tear the constituent parts, refine them and make them even better.
CIVIC DESIRES
Creating Cooperatives
How can you join forces with others to make things happen that couldn’t have done on your own?
When the first milking machines were invented during the industrial revolution, they were too expensive for individual farmers to buy. Their solution was to pool their capital and found cooperative dairies so they could benefit from the joint ownership of machinery.
In addition to its impact on farming the principle of collective ownership inspired other trades, like housing, insurance, slaughterhouses, and shops to follow suit.
Since then, many Danes have made their dreams come true by joining forces in various cooperative movements – today Danes come together to tackle the challenges of our times, like in Andelsgårde where old farms are reimagined on the principles of regeneration, permaculture, and biodiversity.
CIVIC DESIRES
Memento Mori
How have your notions of death – and sense of urgency – changed as you aged?
Within arts and philosophy, the awareness that human life is transient, and that we’ll eventually die, has spurred magnificent thoughts and pieces of art. This awareness encourages reflection on the meaning of life and urges us to live purposefully.
Many refrain from talking about death, considering such conversations somber or morbid. But they are important to have because they help us comfort each other when we lose our loved ones. And really: the notion of death is in essence life assuring.
Being aware of your own mortality – and the inevitable mortality of your loved ones – is an important part of living life to the fullest. It is a constant reminder not to postpone your dreams and it urges you to seize the day.
REENCHANTMENTS
Taking Risks to Make Dreams Come True
Share a story of something – or someone – you believed in so much that you took a risk for them. What happened after this leap of faith?
Karen Blixen 1885 – 1962
Blixen’s Seven Gothic Tales earned her worldwide recognition on 1934 for her rich, lyrical style, fantastic realism, erotic notions, and existential themes.
But despite her noble background, she struggled financially for most of her adult life. She returned to Denmark rom the life in Kenya she chronicled in Out of Africa. Financially defeated, infected with syphilis by her unfaithful husband and having lost the love of her life. Even when she first achieved success at the age of 49, it was under the male pseudonym ‘Isak Dinesen’.
But she kept going far longer than was advised, and to this day, Blixen’s work is critically acclaimed – and now in her own name.
PIVOTAL PEOPLE
Fibonacci Spirals
What systems or patterns do you find helpful when you are trying to structure your thoughts?
Literally
A sequence of numbers where each subsequent number is there sum of the two preceding ones. The sequence begins like this: 1,1,2,3,5,8,13,21,34 and continues infinitely.
Concopially
Once you have been awed by the recurring pattterns of the world it is impossible not to notice how those same spirals occur in sunflower seeds, snail shells, ferns and the golden ration of art. The Fibonacci sequence is also said to point out the perfect number of people in a team, at a dinner party or even in the old Roman legions. The Danish poet Inger Christensen even wrote an amazing poem where the metrics closely follow the Fibonacci sequence. In small ways these sequences show us how everything is connected, and thinking in patterns can greatly boost your creativity.
WONDERS OF NATURE
Resisting Stagnation
Share a story of a time when you were stuck in a project or at work and went for a walk. What happened on the walk?
How did it change your mindset?
Søren Kierkegaard 1813 – 1855
The philosopher Kierkegaard once said “Life can be understood backward, but it must be lived forwards.”
He was known for his love of walking and claimed that his walks gave life to his best ideas, cured him when sick and encouraged him when depressed. He met all kinds of different people, and observing and engaging in their lives enhanced his understanding of the world and human nature.
Kierkegaard understood, that we can’t always know what will happen, but we have to resist stagnation by taking chances and being open to inspiration – getting up and going for a walk. We never know what will trigger our next big idea, but we can keep putting one foot in front of the other.
PIVOTAL PEOPLE
Wayfinding
Where and how do you exercise your way finding muscles? What is the difference between following a map, a GPS or your intuition?
[Wayfinding] The ability to navigate and orient oneself in a physical space.
CONCOPIAN NAVIGATION
With a GPS always in our pockets, we rarely think to develop our intuitive sense of direction.
But when you explore a new place on foot and allow yourself to follow your intuitions, you get the chance to slowly connect a city or landscape and develop your own mental map.
Spatial awareness is vastly improved when you slow down and take your time to smell the roses, enjoy the landmarks, take in the views and reconnect with nature around you. It becomes enjoyable to find your way, not just reach your destination.
ENDANGERED SKILLS
Taking Breaks
When, where and how are you creating pockets during the day for you to pause and think?
[Taking Breaks] The ability to make room in your day for genuine breaks and mental silence.
CONCOPIAN MENTAL SPACE
With the constant pull of mindless scrolling, we rarely allow our brains to breathe when we are taking a break, never truly allow the mind to settle.
A break can greatly enhance your creativity because when you allow your thoughts, inputs and outputs, to marinate for a while, you tend to get a deeper understanding of things – one you discover when you return to your tasks with a fresh pair of eyes.
From showers to commutes, it is worth carving out time for real breaks, where there are no other distractions and thoughts can flow freely.
ENDANGERED SKILLS
Living Every Day Out Loud
Share a story of a situation where you somehow stuck out from what was expected or considered ‘normal’. How did it make you feel?
Whenever you are in the mood for it allow yourself to be over the top rather than trying to fit in.
Wear colors – especially when it rains. Spice up your meals instead of just filling your tummy. Don’t be afraid to burst out laughing. Dance like nobody is watching and sing like you would in the shower.
Fall into conversations with strangers. Instead of tossing and turning when the full moon is out, go on a nocturnal expedition.
Walk an extra mile to have lunch on your favorite bench. Allow time to take detours rather than always rushing to get to where ever you are going. Play with the children — and the adults – around you. Have fun and make the most of life. Why shouldn’t you?
REENCHANTMENTS
Concentration
When and where are you able to concentrate til best? Do you use any special techniques to stay focused?
[Concentration]
The ability to focus your attention for extended periods of time.
CONCOPIAN FOCUS
In the era of multi-tasking and constant connection, our attention spans are slowly being eroded by constant disruptions and diversions. But concentration remains a crucial component in artistry, writing and trying to solve complex problems. When interrupted – including the times when you interrupt yourself – it takes a while to retrace your train of thoughts and settle back into deeper thinking.
But there are still many ways to carve out pockets for fully concentrating and creating, and by finding new spaces, techniques or openings in time we can create that mental state for ourselves.
ENDANGERED SKILLS
Connecting the Dots
Share a story of a time when you suddenly realized that things you thought were irreconcilably different – thoughts, ideas, people, places – were connected. How did that change the way you view the world?
Marie Hammer 1907 – 2002
As a zoologisk, Hammer traveled the globe extensively. She collected microfauna from the soil and leaf litter and compared species she found in various habitats.
In the Argentinan highlands, she discovered some oribatid mites identical to those see had collected on scandinavian soil. At the time, the theory of continental drifting was new and still heavily ridiculed. But the only explanation for Hammer’s find was that the oribatid mites had lived side by side 200 million years ago when the continents were still connected – and survived the changes in climate and habitat when they drifted apart.
In connecting the tiniest of dots Hammer played a major in connecting continents.
PIVOTAL PEOPLE
Dreaming
Think back on something you dreamed of doing when you were younger. Are there any parts of that dream you can now revive?
The older we get the larger our catalogue of discarded ideas and long-lost dreams grows. But instead of regretting that they never materialized, we can think of them as a treasure chest of things that might still be.
Write down all your ideas, wishes and dreams and save them in a safe place that easily be revisited. They can reconnect you with who you once were and hoped to become, and you may feel inspired to blow some life back into deferred dreams.
It might not be in the form that you expected – but it could be even better. New dreams evolve fromt new skills, life experiences and the people you know now who can help make your dreams come true.
REENCHANTMENTS
Finding Your Path
Share a story about something you did or created that you are proud of – but that didn’t have any immediate pay-off. You nay even have been ridicule for believing in it. Who or what helped you carry it through?
Hans Christian Andersen 1805 – 1875
Andersen is world-famous for his story-telling, and his ability to weave fantasy, moral lessons, melancholy, and poetry together with enchanting writing to explore universal themes and questions.
But the first reviews of his fairy tales were scathing. Chrildre’s books were scarce back then and the few that did exist were supposed to educate, not start the imagination. He almost gave up but his friend – scientist H.C. Ørsted – said: “Your novels may be the most succesful right now, but the fairy tales will secure your eternal fame.”
And sure enough: today his fairy tales place him among the greatest storytellers in the world literature and his birthday is celebrated as International Children’s Books Day.
PIVOTAL PEOPLE
Risk-Taking
When is the last time you did something risky? was it worth it?
Some of the best things in life don’t have a guaranteed outcome and require risk: traveling to faraway places, standing up for your beliefs, putting your heart on the line. When we take risks, we slowly train our bravery muscles, and suddenly things that used to be major hurdles no longer seem so bad. And not all risks pay off, that is the nature of them.
We are taught to fret making mistakes but sometimes they are the key to reenchantment. Getting lost we might find exactly what we are looking for at the end of our detours. Adding a spice to the mixture by accident might enhance the entire dish. Misspelling, we might invent a new word that says it all. Even when we fail, we might realize that the daring in itself was something worth celebrating. Slowly but surely, we explained our personal scope.
REENCHANTMENTS
Variation
When your enthusiasm for an idea or a project wanes and you begin to get frustrated, what strategies do you use to keep moving forward?
No matter how excited you are about a project, your energy and enthusiasm will inevitably waver many times along the way. Great ideas often occur in a flash – but making them come true is a long haul. There will be times when you curse the day you ventured out ion the endeavor.
An easy way to stay excited about what you are doing rather than throwing it overboard, is allowing yourself to move between several tasks that are all closely connected but of varying nature – so that when you get stuck doing one thing you can switch to something else and still feel like you’re making progress. Amazingly, the shift in focus often solves the deadlocks while you’re busy thinking about something else.
REENCHANTMENTS
Daring to lead the way
Share a story of a major change that happened during your lifetime that seemed unthinkable when you were a child. Who or what set that change into motion?
In 1989, Denmark was the first country in the world to allow same-sex couples to register formally as partners. At the time this move was considered quite controversial.
However, soon after, other countries leapfrogged Denmark by legalizing same-sex marriage, at right which Danish law didn’t allow until 2012. Today, more than 30 years after the initial act on registered partnership, more than 30 other countries have followed suit.
This shows the power of daring to lead the way even if it seems controversial, but it also shows the importance of pioneers staying tuned. There are always new goals and even better solutions to strive for.
CIVIC DESIRES
Inverted Eyesight
Share a story about something that frustrates you about the times we are living in. Then look in the opposite direction and look at what might be emerging. What about this brings you hope?
INVERTED EYESIGHT LITERALLY: Initially we see everything upside down without ever noticing. When light enters our eyes, it initially forms images that are inverted or upside down. The brain quickly corrects this so that the perceive the world in an upright orientation.
INVERTED EYESIGHT CONCOPIALLY: The inverted eyesight is a trick used by Concopian thinkers to avoid the lemming effect in our work. The media and basic small talk usually focus on certain questions, trends or new inventions – anf forget to examine the nuances or opposite perspectives. But generally, whenever there is a strong pull in one direction there will be new things emerging in the opposite direction, that foreshadow the near future. These are much more interesting to look at and be inspired by, than the tendencies that cloud the mainstream.
WONDERS OF NATURE
Agreeing to Disagree
Share a story of a situation where you had a great time with someone you disagree strongly with. How did you manage to keep the discussion constructive – and what did you learn from that person?
With a nod back to Norse mythology, Danish democracy builds on the ideal of “Freedom for Loke as well as for Thor” – two gods who are constantly at odds.
We should be able to respectfully contain all differences in perspectives and needs, but this ideal is always challenging. In 2011, the island of Bornholm initiated Folkemødet, a festival of democracy where each year 50,000 citizens, NOGs, parlamentarians, business representatives, and grassroots organizers engage in informal dialogues, discussions and parties.
Now, festivals on more specific issues have mushroomed all over the country.
CIVIC DESIRES
The Beginners Mind
When is the last time you learned something completely new? What did you learn about learning?
We tend to stick to what we know – and if we take up something new we often choose something we believe we will be fairly skilled at to avoid losing face. This is a shame as we miss out on things we might have loved if only we had given ourselves a fair shot.
Without new, strenuous beginnings, we tend to forget how hard those early stages can be. Being a beginner again every once in a while reminds us of our humility and empathy, as it lets us reenchant the world be seeing it through new lenses.
RENCHANTMENTS
Seasons
What is your favorite season and why? How do you find joy in other seasons throughout the year?
LITERALLY: Recurring periods of the year characterized by specific weather conditions, temperatures, variations in the length of daylight and the life cycle of flora and fauna.
CONCOPIALLY: The ability to encompass and fully accept the natural cycle of life. The ever-changing yet always recurring seasons help us understand the “this too shall pass.” Whether it is the blooming excitement of new projects or love affairs that we wish would last forever – or the hard times we hope are about to end. It helps us appreciate all seasons: Without fall and winter the soil and the seeds wouldn’t be ready to bloom in the spring. Without heartache we can’t truly appreciate love when we find it.
WONDERS OF NATURE
Tentacles
What changes when you dare to put out your tentacles more. How does that help you connect with the people around you?
TENTACLES LITERALLY:
Long, flexible sensory organs found in aquatic animals such as jellyfish, squids and sea anemones. Often associated with stinging.
TENTACLES CONCOPIALLY:
Some people put out their tentacles to defend themselves, stinging anyone who dares come close. As Concopians, we use our tentacles to share wha't on our minds. It can feel lonely to tumble with our fears, hopes and grand ideas alone.
Putting out our tentacles by sharing what's really on our minds is the best way to find and connect with kindred spirits, who probably also kept their most important thoughts to themselves until you inspired them to put their tentacles out.
WONDERS OF NATURE