I read some of Emergence, by Steven Johnson (2001), a book about the self-organising ability of life. I immediately recognised the connections with the work Karaj is doing.
Later in the day, Ishwar told me of a serendipitous conversation he had with a retired prison officer about the value and therapeutic benefit of physical work. The network is strengthening and that links to emergence too. Somehow, by adhering to simple rules, the system moves itself onto a more complex level which is wholly inaccessible to the individual alone. As Karaj often says, ‘I don’t know how it works, but it does’.
In the evening I made two calls. Firstly to George about the WSG on Wednesday. He seemed to think Harriet is coming too, but she had said she is not going to be present. I considered saying something but took the wise decision to stay out of it. I am doing this more and more. Getting involved often causes more problems than it solves.
My second call was to Ed. He desperately wants to leave work but has his family to consider. I listened with interest. I need to see that the illusion of happiness is just that, an illusion. It was a lovely chat which owed more to my relaxed state than anything else. My competence is slowly coming through.
Summary: a quiet yet productive day. Worked well in the morning and the evening, and rested in between. Feeling more capable these days, and more relaxed.