The Increasing Importance of Holistic Perspective

Wholesome Holism

A holistic perspective is one that is characterised by the belief that the parts of something are interconnected and can be explained only by reference to the whole. A person with this perspective understands balance and often votes to take a step back and look at the bigger picture when strategizing; understanding how one system relates to the other (long term), in the hope their actions are creating a better future. 

The word Holistic is often ‘snuffed’ out by people as Illegitimate wishy-washy bullsh*t; but interestingly this term is becoming increasingly present (and normalised) amongst organisations with a visionary approach. 

What people don’t realise is that ultimately a holistic approach is the most wholesome, logical yet simple approach of them all. It’s one that strips back hundreds if not thousands of years of complex, institutional, best self interest endeavours and reveals human truth; that which we all have in common. It is the balance that we all hope for and the things that matter to us most. Our physical, emotional, mental, social, spiritual, and financial needs.  All factored in, none neglected or pushed to the side in favour of someone else's. Holism encompasses equality and sustainability. It respects our consciousness and provides a perfect foundation for ethical growth. 

Thought:

Every year the healthcare system prescribes an increasing percentage of us with antidepressants and anxiolytics (anxiety medication) for mental health issues. They prescribe medication for cardiovascular diseases, respiratory issues and diabetes. It has become standard practice to ‘treat’ illnesses by masking the symptoms and altering our natural chemistry, rather than acknowledging the increasing toxicity of our foods, drinks and that which we inhale, we voluntarily numb ourselves to the increasingly threatening environment we are trying to live in leaving us with no other option but to dissociate. 

But why are we being numbed to the environment when the environment could simply be improved? 

A holistic approach is a preventative approach.

But why would ‘they’ encourage preventative healthcare when it has the potential to turn off their profit tap? The UK’s health care industry is worth 17.3 billion pounds. Strangely some of the top shareholders of the Covid-19 Jabs; Pfizer, Moderna and Astrazeneca are those same shareholders who profit from Coke, Unilever, Nestle, Kelloggs. Again, these are the same shareholders who own and control a significant portion of Sky, CNN and Fox. It is up to us to take control of our own lives and create means to a better future. (More hints on how this could be achieved in Blog Post: Citizen > Consumer).

Cultural Creatives

In a book called ‘The Cultural Creatives’ written by sociologist Paul H. Ray and psychologists Sherry Ruth Anderson, approximately 90 million individuals are acknowledged in Europe as those working to change the world. 

The term ‘cultural creative’ is used to describe those who since about 1985 have developed beyond the standard paradigm of modernists or progressives versus traditionalists or conservatives. This collective includes many writers, artists, musicians, psychotherapists, alternative health care providers and other professionals. They combine a serious focus on their spirituality with a strong passion for social activism. From what I can understand, it seems cultural creatives are often those that work to integrate holism into society.

Their characteristics and other values can be found below:

Are you a cultural creative?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Cultural_Creatives

The Power of Holism

If found, ‘perfect balance’ has the power to sustain the health and wellbeing of everything and everyone. It offers us time to relax, enabling us to spend time with those we love, allowing us to enjoy our hobbies and get creative. Simultaneously, adequate balance will support us financially, allow us to make the most of the skills we have, pave pathways for learning and progression, make room for creative expression and give us the tools we need to cope with change, boosting our confidence, benefitting our relationships and developing our sense of fulfilment. 

“It’s not the strongest species that survive, nor the most intelligent, but the most responsive to change.” -Charles Darwin

Balance helps us understand reciprocity. It increases our gratitude and builds our capacity to respect and our scope for understanding one another. With increased health and wellbeing, dissociation will be reduced, increasing conscious choices and conscious community participation.

Balance is the goal. 

So what are we balancing?

Source: Resident Wellness Program — yale.edu.

Many of you will be familiar with the combination ‘mind, body & spirit’. An old concept, with a somewhat religious connotation, used to represent balance. Strangely, the diagram shown above seems to be just that of an elaborated version, and according to Wikipedia.. It is that which constitutes a best case ‘new era’.... (FYI - I do not consider myself a religious person).

Corporate Holism

Many challenges within business are a consequence of misalignment. Taking a holistic approach helps us understand the root causes of the misalignment, ensuring the proposed solution is one that targets the root, rather than targeting the response (which almost always leads to further challenges down the line).

It is no assumption that our thoughts create our habits, identity and reality which is why good health and wellbeing are vital when supporting and sustaining workforce efficiency, strong morale, a healthy team dynamic and a common vision. Holism can increase staff engagement, enhance innovation, optimise resource allocation, increase customer experience, improve resilience and enable long term success. With an individual spending an average of 80,000 hours at work over their lifetime it is important staff members are preserved and treated as humans and not just workforce.  A holistic approach happily adopts corporate social responsibility, promotes responsible practices that benefit not only the company but also the broader community and the planet.

PS. Imagine the staff you would have if everyone wanted to work for you?

After all this talk of balance, I struggle to comprehend the repeated cycle of voting in one political party at a time; when all possess different motives that alone create an unbalanced and unsustainable system, but together could bring good balance.

3 way coalition?