O: OPEN SYSTEM

The universe itself is a fractal: it is a massive SYSTEM, but it exists in multitudes of smaller systems, and cannot be understood without a large measure of “systems thinking.” Whether the discipline is physics, biology, sociology or even economics, there are always systems in play, reminding us that the movement and meaning of the whole far exceeds the definitions of the individual parts. Systems are never alone, however. They perform their interactive business in a broader environment and most always interact with that environment, exchanging energy and matter. It is the relationship with the environment that determines whether a system is OPEN, CLOSED or ISOLATED. A closed system cannot exchange matter with its environment, only energy; while an open system is free to exchange both. An isolated system is locked up, with no matter or energy coming or going to the environment around. (But truly isolated systems are hard to find and harder to create!) The analogy to people is obvious, for certainly each of us is our own system. Our environment consists of our circumstances and relationships—both of which we constantly signal-process to form conclusions according to our own inner filters (our acquired knowledge and experience). We need boundaries to remain separate from our environment and maintain our integrity as separate entities. But we also need the exchange of matter and energy with others because, no matter how much we like to think we are, we are actually not so self-sustaining. When environmental input overwhelms us, or when direct attacks from the environment occur, the result is PAIN, and we (intentionally or subconsciously) CLOSE down in an effort to keep out some of the offending material. And sometimes, the “burn” we receive is so thorough that we go as far as ISOLATION. Remaining a truly OPEN SYSTEM, able to take in life in full measure, becomes the challenge as we are dealt a few blows. Everything I see in the universe tells me that openness is the way, however. (And remember, your integrity stays in tact—it is selective flowing openness that never violates your own will, personhood or uniqueness.) In fact, it is important to note here that the exchange between the system (you) and the environment (the world) is two-way--bilateral! When we talk about openness, we immediately think about our environment acting on us, changing us, flavoring us, but in fact, that relationship is one of equilibrium where we are as well, influencing the world! How many people want to change their world, but aren’t really ready to OPEN themselves? I want to change the world—I always have. I have a drive to lift it out of its doldrums and inject it with a quantity I call “intense, authentic optimism”. I actually believe that this is a positive journey we are on, even when it is rough and tumble. I believe a spirituality that doesn’t manifest as optimism does not yet know its God! But my battle toward that goal is just like yours. I must choose to remain open! It is harder than it sounds. When you have been surprised by hurtful attacks of matter and energy from the environment (“hurting people hurt people”), staying open becomes counter-intuitive as a response! Sometimes, it takes a wash of an environment beyond the local one to re-open. Sometimes it takes a dose of input from the great beyond! There is a video on YouTube that went viral in the geekosphere (which might be a few million less that the normal definition of viral). It is called “Mobius Transformations Revealed” and, with a beautiful colored ball, it demonstrated four simple mathematical transformations a geometric object can undergo: Rotation (the object turns); Dilation (it enlarges, or correspondingly shrinks), Translation (it changes location) or finally, INVERSION—in which the object literally “inside-outs” itself (and is beautiful—like a flower opening)! The profundity of the video for me lies in the fact that WE, little dancing systems of humanity, so often do only the first three motions, but seldom get around to the fourth—the one that requires real opening. When our environment offends our neatly packaged system, we quite readily spin around a bit in a flurry of anger, enlarge or shrink ourselves with puffed up pride or deflated self-abasement, or even (and this is a big one) change locations to find a safe space--or so we think! But so seldom do we actually respond by unzipping ourselves and actually inverting so that our hearts are beautifully, and nakedly, exposed to the coordinate plane! What a concept: when you get hurt or challenged, go ahead and use the occasion to “inside-out” yourself! Staying open isn’t easy, but it is worth it. We need to regularly check our openness quotient in life. If you find you have become isolated, the first place to begin to reopen is not with crowds of people but with a Person. There is only one place of complete safety and openness and it is, in fact, far more SAFE than our attempts at isolation. I didn’t learn to be an open system because I live a life that is full of wonderful people—I learned it because I discovered a wonderful Father. He Himself is not closed or isolated but rather the most OPEN system imaginable, though religious fear-mongers have not told that tale! My discovery of Him is what makes me and keeps me open in gloriously healthy and flexible ways! I daresay it keeps me young! I long for the exchange of matter and energy that I am appointed to have with my environment for, at the end of the day, I know that no isolated system ever really changed the world!