The world has gone mad
The pervasive narrative across many channels and people is that the world has gone mad. Finding ways to mitigate the negative effects of this storyline is crucial.
People say that the world has gone mad. More war, more bombing, more outcries. More revelations about horrific powerful men (because it is mostly men) doing horrific things to innocent people (mostly women and children).
The question is: has the world really gone mad or has the madness been revealed in a way that cannot be denied, covered up or sweet-talked away?
In truth the world has always been a little mad when humans were involved. Have humans, have power struggles. Power struggles looked like war, violence, domination and destruction. Madness. Has there ever been a time in history when this was not the case?
Persistently rehashing the sorry story about this “madness” just energises it. All that happens is the pervasive status quo of awfulness gets solidified and stuck in our collective consciousness. No wonder so many of us are depressed and anxious.
Music and movement
If some madness somewhere in the world is the norm, how do we inoculate ourselves from feeding the frenzy? It is important that we do. We are energy beings and the relentless negative feed that burps at us through our screens, via radio (if you still listen to radio) or, let’s really get retro, via newspapers, is really not good for our state of mind or wellbeing.
As a rule, we rarely listen to the radio or watch the news in any format. Recently we had the (mis)fortune of taking a Bolt home from depositing Chantal’s still wheezing Kia back at the garage. The driver had his radio station on KayaFM. We are not a typical demographic that that station seeks.
The news came on. A court case. A murderer. An attempt to get out of jail. Or at least the high security prison he was in. Being stopped in his tracks.
“Why is that news?” asked Chantal.
Matthew shrugged.
The rest of the news was banal and inane. A waste of air-space. A waste of brain-space.
The music was an eclectic mix that included Hip Hop and R & B, most of which clanged in our ears. When “September” by Earth, Wind and Fire came on it got Chantal singing along.
“Now this is much better,” she said, moving and clapping in her seat.
Music, good, uplifting music, is a way to defend against the onslaught of negativity. Moving to it, dancing up a delicious storm helps too.
Like minded individuals
Some may say that we are simply burying our heads in the musical sand. We don’t believe so. It’s not only music that helps. We had the pleasure of being invited to a gathering over the weekend where we met a group of super interesting, like minded individuals.
It was inspiring to hear what each person was interested in, and what they individually and collectively were doing to make the world a better place. Not once over the two days we were together did anyone bemoan the state of the nation or the world.
Everyone was very aware of the issues. Rather than talking about the problems, they spoke about the small and not so small things they were doing to address them. We love solutions-driven people. It’s so refreshing to have not just one individual amongst many but everybody in a group talking about things that can be done.
For us, finding a group of forward thinking people that do not perpetuate the same old narrative of negativity is another way to mitigate the external madness.
Regenerative thinking
A very useful way that the members of this light offering group had of seeing the world differently was to reframe problems as opportunities. These were not unrealistic “pollyanna” perspectives but real life views of doing things another way.
A burst water pipe and a constant leak had resulted in a soggy waterlogged piece of property. The water was of dubious quality and it was initially seen as a smelly eyesore, in need of clearing up and away.
However, with some consideration and reflection on what the environment was asking for, it was instead turned into a tiny wetland. Dragonflies zipped and hovered over grass splattered ponds and hadedas looked on from the rooftop ready to make a meal of the earthworm rich ground around it.
This is a small but ingenious example of regenerative thinking and application. This is what we need more of. In all areas of our city, country and continent. It does not take cleverness or clout. It does take care, consideration and curiosity, and a willingness to get one’s hands dirty.
The madness was stopped in its tracks and transformed into a lucid light-filled space. This is something we can all do. It just takes the wherewithal to stop and listen. To lean in and observe. To allow for the possibility of something different, creative and remarkable to reveal itself to us.
Until next time.
Yours in feeling,
Chantal & Matthew
Seven Wins. Then This
South Africa went into the T20 World Cup semi-final unbeaten in seven matches. They’d thrashed India by 76 runs. Then, in the semi-final, they were 12 for 2 after two overs. Head coach Shukri Conrad called it a walloping, not a choke. He’s right about one thing: choking tells you what happened. It tells you nothing about why. Here’s my take.
Credits for this issue — Images: 5th Place
Written by
Chantal Dawtrey
Supporting women, especially in midlife and beyond, to navigate life transitions · Emotional fitness coach
Chantal supports women, especially in midlife and beyond, to navigate life transitions. She designs and delivers data informed digital programmes that build organisational emotional fitness. She helps people move beyond habitual patterns into greater awareness, agency, and well being.
With over 15 years of coaching experience and more than two decades in facilitation and human development, Chantal partners with individuals, teams, and organizations to build emotional resilience, enhance self-awareness, and develop sustainable well-being strategies.
Her primary focus as a coach is supporting women, especially those in their 50’s and beyond, to navigate profound life transitions with clarity, steadiness and self-reconnection. Finding answers to questions about identity, purpose, belonging and desire to an emergence, a reclamation and a return to self.
If you're going through a transition and would like support, let's talk.
Matthew Green
Reducing the Certainty Deficit in high-performing people and teams · Emotional fitness coach
Matthew works with athletes, performance teams, and anyone who wants to reduce the Certainty Deficit in their situation or context.
The Certainty Deficit is the space between what you can do and what your body will let you do when it counts. It is context-specific and situational. A person or athlete can have zero deficit in one situation and a significant one in another.
The body holds beliefs that keep the Certainty Deficit in place. These beliefs run deeper than self-talk and faster than any conscious strategy. When they shift, the ceiling shifts, and new possibilities arise.
Matthew is also an emotional fitness coach who supports individuals to live and lead from a place of inner clarity and stability. The work is somatic-first, practical, and grounded.
If you're seeing a pattern that current approaches haven't shifted, let's talk.
My origin story: Why elite athletes underperform when it counts
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