After complaining about traveling too much and wanting to be home and in a place of stillness, I’ve gotten my wish and more. The blizzard of 2010 here in Washington DC continues. Heavy snow that shuts everything down, that creates a blanket of quiet outside and a glow inside.

It is in this space that I ponder the world and my role in it. I notice some shoots of emerging ideas trying to break through. And, I wonder if others, those who find themselves stuck in a snow storm – induced by mother nature or not – can notice, cultivate, and let rise new shoots of ideas and thoughts.

I’m not talking about the same thoughts that occur over and over again, like summer reruns on TV or old thoughts masking as new ones. I’m talking about ideas and thoughts that you are almost afraid of letting take root and grow. It is these thoughts that can scare you because you might have to shift who you are or what you do.

It is precisely these thoughts that need to be nurtured and supported. These are the thoughts that will shape the new tomorrow. The world can no longer sustain the same thoughts that got us to this point in time.  New shoots...

• The game of power and control seems so old and tired, lets try something new.
• What will it take for me (for us) to work for results that matter instead of results that matter just to me?
• Leading without leading...
• Local, small, sustainable, long-term --- not growth at all cost
• Why focus on old economic indicators such as housing-starts and manufacturing.  Aren't there other things that require focus and are more realistic to today?
• Science vs. religion, modernity vs. traditional...where is the integration?

OK, lets see if any of these ideas can break through the snow.