It’s our nature, particularly in medicine, to be so focused on figuring out what the problem is and how to make it better that we fail to recognize how powerful it can be to simply state… 

“I don’t know what’s needed, but it’s not this.” 

My physiology professor in medical school taught that homeostasis, maintaining a range of acceptable physiology by returning to a baseline, was what kept us alive and healthy. But this was subsequently refined as scholars realized that returning to a set point in a constantly fluctuating environment wasn’t enough… nor was it actually happening. Peter Sterling (a Professor of medicine) and Joseph Eyer (an interdisciplinary scholar interested in stress) realized that ”…the way to stay stable through the process of change is by changing, at least to some extent.” They called this new idea “allostasis” (allo = “other”, stasis = “standing still”) 

In other words, the only way to achieve stability that allows us to flourish is to evolve in response to the stresses we experience. 

“Not this” is a powerful catalyst for that evolution. It keeps us from returning to some former baseline, pushing us to move to an entirely different place if we are to maintain our stability.

Maybe, when we talk about “moving the needle” to change ourselves or the culture(s) we live in, we should aspire to start with “Not this” – and then sit with that realization, allowing it to slowly guide us, change us, and heal us so we can heal others and the world.

“If you already know “not this,” begin to explore and dream about what could be the alternative. The alternative story, the alternative you, the alternative future, the alternative healing.” 

Sarah Bessey, Field Notes for the Wilderness

p.s. As promised… I never use AI for writing, but I did use it for the image at the top of this post.

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