Special Series (Part 3) - The Room We’re In: Unpacking the Systems That Shape Us
PART 3: Breaking the Cycle: Re-imagining Life Beyond the Room
The dominant systems we live in—shaped by colonialism, capitalism, and patriarchy—often leave us feeling trapped, isolated, and exhausted. These systems create cycles of harm that disconnect us from ourselves, each other, and the world around us. Yet, as oppressive as these structures may seem, cracks exist in their foundations. These cracks offer an invitation to re-imagine what life might look like beyond the room.
Breaking free isn’t about perfect solutions or instant fixes. It’s about questioning the stories we’ve been told, unlearning habits that don’t serve us, and embracing relational ways of being that prioritize connection, care, and reciprocity over extraction and control.
Rethinking the Self and Success
One of the first steps to breaking the cycle is to rethink our understanding of the self. The dominant ontology teaches us to see ourselves as isolated individuals, responsible for our successes and failures. This framing keeps us disconnected and reinforces the idea that systemic challenges are personal shortcomings.
Relational approaches, however, offer a different perspective. They remind us that our identities are formed in connection with others—family, community, land—and that true well-being is collective, not individual. Rethinking success means moving away from metrics like productivity and wealth and toward values like care, justice, and mutual support.
Embracing Relationality
Relationality is not just a theory; it’s a practice of weaving connection back into our lives. This means:
Honouring the Land: Recognizing that we are part of the Earth’s ecosystems and embracing practices that prioritize sustainability and reciprocity.
Building Community: Creating spaces for collective care, mutual aid, and shared reflection.
Challenging Systems: Advocating for systemic change while re-imagining how we work, live, and relate to one another.
Relationality invites us to see the world as interconnected, where harm to one part affects the whole and healing is only possible when we repair these relationships.
Imagining Beyond the Room
Breaking the cycle isn’t just about dismantling oppressive systems; it’s about imagining what could exist in their place. This requires creativity, courage, and collaboration. What might education look like if it centred care over competition? How would workplaces change if they valued rest and connection as much as productivity?
These are not hypothetical questions—they are the cracks in the foundation, the openings through which we can glimpse a different way of being. By imagining beyond the room, we take the first steps toward creating it.
An Invitation
What if breaking the cycle of harm wasn’t about escaping, but about transforming the room itself? What if you could reconnect with the relationships that sustain you and find hope in imagining new ways of living, working, and healing?
I invite you to reflect on what relationality means to you and to consider how you might contribute to creating spaces where care, connection, and justice thrive. Together, we can step into a world beyond the room—one woven with reciprocity, hope, and collective possibility.
