Now that I don’t expect my work to change the world, maybe it’ll be fun again. I could bring some delight, even whimsy, to my projects. And remind myself of the privilege to be of service to each individual client, to meet their unique needs, period.

In light of that this morning, I wondered what my manifesto would be, but that sounds like a change-the-world sort of word. “Statement of principles” is far too ponderous and dry. So I came up with a set of conditions by which I will practice as an architect:

• To play on the frontiers of intuition and reason, of delight and practicality.
• To experience collaborating with a diverse team of people, to be fascinated by their differing perspectives and expertise.
• For the privilege of creating something new that not only serves a practical purpose, it also uplifts and inspires people.
• To work on projects that are grounded in a sense of place and time.
• To use skills and experience gained over a lifetime –as an architect, a collaborator and a mentor.
• To bring a big-picture perspective to individual projects as well as interpersonal relationships and processes.
• To practice applying values of the emerging new story: interconnection, creativity, purpose, humility and compassion.

That’s it. Nothing too theoretical or arcane, I hope. What this means is that I will once again find myself working in a firm, with lots of interesting colleagues and challenging projects. This post will serve to remind me to see each situation as an opportunity to innovate, learn about myself and others, and practice Interbeing.