💀 TREE 242: The institution must die

One.

‘Ignore me now. I don’t mind. I’ll see you later. When you’re dreaming. I never stop walking.’

Two.

This newsletter is called TREE because it’s about thriving as your true self and growing slowly. In this post I’m using trees as a different metaphor.

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A tree can maintain the form of a tree long after it has died. Wood is hard and strong.

A tree that has fallen over with its roots ripped out of the ground can sustain leaves, flowers and fruit for a while.

Institutions¹ are like trees.

Institutions are formed around ideas, technologies, products, processes and/or strong leaders. These things tend to have a lifespan that is shorter than the lifespan of an institution.

An institution that does not have the ability to renew itself with new ideas, technologies, leaders, etc. will die. Like a tree. What I mean is that it will keep on looking like a living institution for quite a while even though its destiny is to be woodlouse lunch.

For any institution that you are part of, it’s good to know
where it is in its lifespan and
whether or not it can renew itself.
If it can’t, get out well before everyone has noticed that it’s dead. By the time people have noticed, it’s far too late.

Three.

This song is not my theology of death, but I like the realness and the hope and the music. If you only ever listen to music you agree with, you miss out on a lot of thought provocation and good music.

Grow slowly somewhere that’s growing².
Jeff

1. Religious organisations, political parties, businesses, schools, teams, charities, governments, civil services, militaries, governing bodies, etc.

2. In a healthy way