Spatial Connections
Everything is connected.
In my last piece, I asked broad questions about the challenges of our times, and proposed that by understanding the systems behind each, we would then be able to not only solve them but build them back into a better, more holistic world.
In reflection, it’s not enough to analyze these systems as silos—solving one piece of the puzzle won’t change the shape of the whole thing. In a seamless world, where everything is connected, the ties that pull societies, governments, religions, and people into one ever-evolving human-centric ecosystem, lives and breathes as we too, live and breathe.
In short, to solve for *x*, we first need to understand *a* through *z*. Plotting, mapping, and interrogating the way we interact with each other, the way we interact within these systems, and the forces that guard and provide — both for and against us. It’s no easy task to map out the way we live our lives, but as I swim deeper into the world of systems innovation, it’s dawned on me that we need to map *for* our lives. The only possible way to see through the glimmer and haze into the future is to carefully walk back through the past, gleaning and learning and searching for the why’s, the how’s, and the who’s.
The Akan people of Ghana have a traditional Adinkra symbol named Sankofa. Sankofa is often depicted as a bird with its head turned backward but feet facing forwards, carrying a precious egg in its mouth. The word Sankofa translates in Twi to “go back and get it.” Originally taken from the proverb, "Se wo were fi na wosan kofa a yenkyiri," the meaning, "It is not taboo to go back for what you forgot (or left behind),” encourages us to take deep stock and reflection on the lives we once lived.
Stories and myths from all around the world echo the same sentiment: we must look back to go forward, if only to learn how to avoid the pitfalls of the future ahead.
While I don’t have any answers yet—in fact, I think I have more questions than I started with (Where to start? How far back do we map? How do we know who the principal players in this global ecosystem are?)—I’m beginning to think that’s okay. As someone used to jumping to solutions before fully understanding the question, learning to be comfortable in the dark wild of the unknown will take some time.
Perhaps this is the point. When everything is connected, no single thread tells the whole story. Instead, it’s about weaving a tapestry of understanding, one that honors the past, acknowledges the present, and dares to imagine a future where our systems don’t just serve us—they reflect the best of us. The work ahead might feel infinite, but maybe infinity is where possibility thrives.
