What exactly are tipping points? Tipping points demonstrate how a small group of people can influence the majority if they hold a strong attitude or belief and stick with it. A study done by the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute found that only 10% or more of a population that held a steadfast opinion could quickly create a “tipping point” in a society that held a different opinion. Here is the article if you would like to read more: https://arxiv.org/pdf/1102.3931.pdf 

For example, Linda recalls a time about 25 years ago when she helped create a healing center in the Midwestern United States. They had classes of 500 people and taught them healthy eating, and eating a mostly plant-based diet. After having many classes of 500 people, they got to what would have been approximately 10% of the town population. At that point, they started noticing city-wide changes to support healthy eating, and more specifically, they noticed restaurants began serving healthy food options…many years before it was popular to do so! At the time, Linda was surprised it only took about 10% of the population for the tipping point to occur…and it’s interesting to now see the research support that! 

The subject of tipping points have come up for us recently because, well, we think we are either right at the cusp of one, or, in the midst of one when it comes to the coaching industry. We are noticing that more and more people know what coaching means before we introduce them to coaching. They know that coaching is about helping people find their inner knowing, and not about telling them what to do; this is quite different from several years ago when people thought coaching meant working with a sports team!  

In the world at large, we are noticing tipping points as well. For example, counter-protesters in Charlottesville, Virginia, vastly outnumbered the white supremacists at the “Unite the Right 2” rally this year (and created a very different outcome than the previous year). The demonstrators gathered in peace, with respect, and shouted out for equal rights, love over hate, and condemned all forms of racism.

Has all this focus on racism in the United States helped us sort out what’s important for living together on this earth? Here at Wisdom of the Whole, we are remaining steadfast in our beliefs that:

• All parts of the whole are important and need to be respected.
• The well-being of those on this planet and the health of the planet are inextricably interconnected.
• The well-being of people and the healing of gender separation are inextricably interconnected.
• Intention, attention, and intuition are powerful tools for change because of our deep underlying connection with everything.
• Purpose and meaning informs and affects all parts of the whole.
• Situations occurring in far-off lands or with our neighbors affect us and vice versa.
• The world and all its citizens are like family. Human sovereignty would be placed above national sovereignty; however, national sovereignty would be respected and supported as well.
• Rights for all species are the primary concern of society, and the connection among them would be understood.
• People do not have to say, “This is a business decision. It has nothing to do with you personally.” People would see connections and repercussions more clearly.
• We could look at issues from a larger inclusive perspective: I, we, internal, and external.

We hope if enough people hold these steadfast beliefs that we can create a tipping point. Will you join us? What do you think/feel about what’s going on in this world, and how do you think/feel coaching can help? Join the conversation in our new public coaching community here.  

Warm regards,

Wisdom of the Whole Coaching Academy