Walking in my beloved forest, I often find myself overcome by reverence, awe and wonder. How is it possible that the multitude of different trees and ferns, mosses and shrubs, fungi and bacteria all grow in such wild profusion together, each doing its own thing, but together co-creating a magnificent, harmonious whole?

And what lesson can we, as humans learn from this?

I’ve always thought that, in order to co-create with other humans, a high level of trust is required. But the breathtaking co-creation that is the forest has nothing whatsoever to do with trust. Does the fern trust that the tree will grow and provide shade? Do the fungi trust that a tree will fall and rot so as to provide them with sustenance? Do the dung beetles trust that the deer, baboon and other animals will provide the droppings it requires for food and for laying its eggs? I doubt it.

I believe that each living entity in the forest simply expresses itself fully in every moment and that somehow, magically, a beautiful co-creation ensues. Is there some intelligence guiding and directing this expression? Well, I like to think so, and I have given this intelligence a name and a personality. She is the Green Lady. But, from the perspective of each individual plant and animal, bacteria, fungi and insect... well each is simply being itself, as completely as it possibly can in every moment.

But can we humans learn to co-create as harmoniously as the Green Lady does?

When I was working in the corporate world, I decided that I wanted to find a way of co-creating with my suppliers, distributors, agents, sales team and customers. But the problem is that, in order to be successful in the business world, we have to persuade, incentivise, coerce, force, manipulate or otherwise convince others to do what we want them to do. The person with the most power and/or rank will “win” and others will do what that person wants or, alternatively, leave the game. This is what makes us successful in the ego-driven world and it is very difficult to find and implement an alternative way of being that actually works.

I believe the problem is that we aren't actually expressing our most authentic selves into the world. We are living our lives according to the dictates and the priorities of society. We are motivated and driven by fear alone. We haven't looked inside of ourselves and found that special gift which we are each uniquely suited to offering to the world. And we haven't yet found a way of expressing that unique gift. Until we do, everything we attempt to do will feel like pushing water uphill. Life will be a difficult struggle instead of an effortless joy. And we will constantly find ourselves in fierce competition, instead of being able to co-create harmoniously with others.

The trick to finding my gift is, of course, to go to my heart. I will never find it in the ego-mind. In the heart-centered way of being I can simply look within myself for that which my highest self most desires to express at any given moment. I will be motivated by love, not fear. In so doing, I will attract to myself those people and situations which allow me to maximally express my deepest passion. Now, I don’t have to convince or manipulate anyone to do anything they don’t want to do. If I speak of my passion, I will naturally attract to myself those who share this passion and wish to co-create with me. Those who do not share my passion will disqualify themselves from my life and from my vision. Those wishing to co-create with me will do so because it is their deepest heart’s desire to do so. It is precisely because they too are expressing their most authentic self in this moment that we can co-create so beautifully together. I have no need to supervise, check up or in any way try to control what another is doing. I only have to be true to my own inner voice.

I can also release my ego attachment to the outcome because it is not about outcome but rather about the process of each co-creator expressing herself in each and every moment.

Such co-creation is not necessarily for the long term. There is the possibility of co-creating for a while and then moving on to the next chapter, which is co-created with someone else, or even to create on your own for a while. It is organic, fluid and ever-evolving.

Is this all just a beautiful utopian dream or is it possible that we humans could be able to co-create in this way in future? I don't know. But, what I do know for sure is that if I wish to live in such a world, then I need to start by changing myself. Once I do so, the mirror that is the world will reflect a different reality back at me. So, I need to start by seeking to express my most authentic self at all times. To speak with love and passion of that which I believe, and of that which I am. And then to see if I don't start to meet co-creators who share that vision. Co-creators who will help me in creating a brave and beautiful new reality.

And that, when I get right down to it, is what my book, The Green Lady, is really all about. It's my vision for a beautiful, heart-centred, soul-connected, meaningful new reality. The reality that I wish to inhabit.

Perhaps when you have read The Green Lady you will decide that you'd like to co-create this new reality with me?

And so the journey continues...