This Japanese concept, which translates as “a reason for being,” can help us uncover our own sense of purpose and direction. If you’re willing, try sitting in silence in a place that deeply inspires you to calm and clear your mind. Then, draw the four intersecting circles depicted above on a piece of paper and ask yourself: “What do I love?” “What am I good at?” “What does the world need?” and “What can I be paid for?” Allow yourself plenty of time to consider each question in turn and write down your responses before reflecting on how they might all be connected.

When interacting with other organizations, terms like “partnership” and “collaboration” aren’t specific enough. The Collaboration Spectrum, developed by the Tamarack Institute, offers us a more precise language for thinking and communicating about how we might choose to work with others. Except for Competition, they’re all arranged from the lowest level of involvement (on the left) to the highest (on the right). While we may understandably long for authentic Collaboration, Communication, Cooperation, and Coordination are often more practical.

To advance equity and justice through the Great Transition, those who have benefited the most from Industrial Ascent need to dramatically reduce consumption while helping others raise their standard of living. Even an era of dwindling resources, it remains a moral imperative to ensure that everyone has at least their basic needs met. Renegade economist Kate Raworth points to the possibility of bringing everyone into a “safe and just space for humanity” between our “Ecological Ceiling” and a non-negotiable “Social Foundation.”