The Storykeeper’s Journey – Why I Speak Now

For years, I remained silent. Not literally. I led board meetings, presented visions of the future, published trend blogs, and guided stakeholders in urban environments on real estate, innovation, PropTech, and ESG. But beneath the PowerPoint presentations and progress reports, a deeper voice resonated. Not louder, but more genuine. One that didn't shout for attention. One that whispered about cycles, cities as living entities, memories – ancestral, cellular, planetary – future potential, and stories too often concealed by our pursuit of efficiency. I didn't realise it then, but I was on a journey. A journey that took me far from skylines to temples of silence, forests of oblivion, and corners of the self I'd never dared to explore. A trip to the in-between (間 - ma). The unknown. In mythic language, this is called The Call.

The Silence Behind the Noise

Sustainability has been the main framework since the 1970s. It has achieved key goals: reducing damage, increasing awareness, and setting measurable targets. But "less bad" is no longer enough. Regeneration demands something bolder. It involves creating conditions that support life so they are healthier, more vital, and more resilient than before. In a regenerative city, clean air and water are not rare resources but natural outcomes of thoughtful design and development. Urban economies are not based on extractive activities but flourish through reciprocity. Public spaces promote connectedness, not just (cost) efficiency. The journey toward such a future requires courage, imagination, and a willingness to explore the unknown — to view cities not as machines to be optimised (with technology) but as natural living systems to be nurtured.

From Keynote Speaker to Storykeeper

In the Hero's Journey, there is a moment of Return, not with treasure or conquest, but with a gift of insight. This is that moment for me. I return not as the keynote speaker I once was, nor as a hero, but as something quieter. Something sharper. A Storykeeper. Not a speaker who entertains, but a keeper of signals. A weaver of fragments. As a Storykeeper, I don't just tell stories; I stimulate inner (r)evolutions and hold the fire of memory and renewal. My stories blend familiar territory with visions of regenerative urban futures, translate complexity into clarity, and inspire the courage to act differently. In a world obsessed with what is to come, I speak of what is eternal: the patterns of life that, once remembered, can transform how we live, lead, and belong.

Why Now?

Because the old stories are crumbling. Because boardrooms whisper about things they don’t yet have words for. People are burning out not from work, but from the absence of meaning. Cities cry out, not for more digital innovation, but for deep reconnection. Planet Earth isn’t asking us to save it; it’s asking us to remember and create conditions for life to thrive. And somewhere, just beyond the limits of our current models, a new movement is taking root. A movement grounded not in dominance, transactions, or linear growth, but in coherence, reciprocity, and life itself. This is not a call for frantic urgency, but for aligned emergence. The perfect storm is here, interconnected challenges converging with unprecedented possibilities. Capital is poised to flow differently. We live in a change of era and the world is ready for regeneration.

What I Now Speak Into

So yes, I'm speaking now. I'm not speaking to kill time or feed algorithms, but to activate, provoke, and remind. Whether at a conference, corporate event, or board meeting, I'm speaking to:

•      Reawaken our inner compass in a world obsessed with external validation;

•      Dismantle the myths that keep our cities, organisations, and ourselves small;

•      Offer regenerative urban perspectives to navigate complexity with clarity and courage.

This isn't a performance. It's a pulse.

A Seed for What’s to Come

Something new is emerging. It moves like mycelium, almost invisible yet vibrant. It connects not through force, but through resonance. It doesn't manifest with logos, launch events, or press conferences. It begins in the earth, in silence, in shared breath. You might not see it yet. But if you've read this far, you've already sensed it. A future approach to connectedness emerges through stories, stewardship, and profound system change. And I'm not the only one speaking about this. If you're listening, it's time for us to have a conversation.

Author:

Menno Lammers