EXCERPTS From Being Spherical

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"But far and away the most powerful and meaningful feature of THE SPHERE is its ability to show us life in context."

•  Page 11: THE SPHERE depicts our challenges and potentials in context with changes in the speed, obstacles and conditions of life in the New Millennium.
• Page 20: THE SPHERE and the SMT form a whole: The SMT [Spherical Modeling Tool] guides us in the process of seeing THE SPHERE. THE SPHERE provides meaning and context to the applications of the SMT.
• Page 132: But far and away the most powerful and meaningful feature of THE SPHERE is its ability to show us life in context. THE SPHERE provides an effective means and a model to see everything in relationship to everything else. It lets us envision the whole network of our experience--from the connections we easily see all around us to the invisible links that trace back to the beginnings of our species and beyond. 
• Page 141: We are born with the potential and the natural instincts to live dynamic, well-shaped lives. … We want the spheres of our lives to be vigorous and well-integrated. We want our spheres to be harmonious and healthful. We want to link in. We want full engagement in the continuous energy exchange that is life. … Most of us wish to contribute positively to the health and well-being of others. Most of us hope to contribute positively to the shape of the world. That is what Being Spherical is about. It means seeing interrelationships, understanding context and initiating action.
• Page 144-145: In The Box, we are taught to believe that to master the machine of life we must focus on its parts. But, when our heads are down, focusing on the separated details, we fail to see the multinodal, interconnected, interdependent, tensegral and self-organizing reality. When we step back from focusing on the particulars, even for a short time, we see our lives and the world in context. We break through to a deeper awareness and understanding. Clarity is a vital aspect of living a full life and contributing meaningfully to the spherical integrity of others. 
• Page 145: In the 21st century, we are all traveling at 200 miles-per-hour on unfamiliar highways. Our lives continue to move forward at increasing speeds, exposing us to unpredictable obstacles and rapidly changing conditions. If we focus too closely for too long on any one detail, we risk making decisions out of context with the larger reality. We risk being blind-sided. 
• Page 148: Because each node in the SMT is a sphere in its own right, and every sphere is a node in a larger sphere, the SMT allows users to see the shape of any system in context with other linked systems. It gives users the means to compare, contrast and evaluate how changes in the patterns in any one aspect of a system influence the spherical integrity of the total system, as well as the spherical integrity of interconnected systems.
• Page 149: Key benefits and attributes of the SMT include: 

                       - Easy to read, understand and interpret. 

                       - Effective in both a guided and self-directed mode. 

                       - Depiction of both objective and subjective content. 

                       - Visualization of systems in context with other systems.

                       - Communication across cultures and demographics.

• Page 150-151: The Personal Sphere: When we look at THE SPHERE of ourselves, we see the many dynamic aspects of our lives in context. In THE SPHERE and the SMT, each aspect of self appears in context with every other. We see the whole us. It lets us see ourselves in context.
• Page 152: The overriding value of the Personal SMT is the ability to see all aspects of an individual in context.
• Page 153: At the level of sectors or nodes, the model provides specific information about the person, which can be analyzed in context with other aspects of the personal sphere. 
• Page 156: The most urgent and daunting task for organizations in such an environment is seeing their organizations as a whole and in context with other organizations, global economics and social and political trends. Without that vision, companies and institutions of all sizes and types are flying blind, unable to make effective plans and take appropriate actions.
• Page 160-161: If a definitive model of the world were possible, we would see our personal and organizational spheres in context with one another and with all aspects of nature. We would see the importance of every individual sphere on the sphere of life. We would see how every sphere contributes to the global sphere and how the individual energies and shapes of each of us influence the spherical integrity of the entire planet.
• Page 163: As with all SMTs, the purpose of the Global SMT is to increase both the degree and acuity of our awareness. It allows us to see the many aspects of our world in context. It lets us see the whole.
• Page 164: Often, when we focus on individual solutions to individual problems, we fail to act in accord with the bigger picture—the whole sphere. Being Spherical means seeing the context of our behaviors, actions and decisions. THE SPHERE and the SMT allow us to address problems in the appropriate context from a valid perspective, which is key to solving them.
• Page 168: Seeing Anew: We are unique in our capacity to see THE SPHERE. Other creatures have the ability to see and act, but as far as we know, we are the only ones with the ability to see, think and act, understanding the overall context of our actions. We are the only species able to see the big picture.