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Regeneration: Wintering, Language, Complexity, and Serendipity

Writer's picture: MennoMenno

Updated: Feb 8

Wintering invites stillness, pausing, reflecting, and deepening connection. Travel becomes a journey of regeneration, shedding the old, integrating experiences, and making space for renewal. It reminds us that growth also requires rest and letting go. As I prepare for my next phase, during my reflections over the past weeks, three topics have stood out: 1) language, 2) complexity, and 3) serendipity.

 

My regeneration tour as a living process

I have been travelling for five months, covering thousands of kilometres and visiting many places, especially Portugal. In the meantime, I have explored the area around A Rua (Spain) and the cities of Helsinki, Oslo, and Riyadh. Currently, I am in the Netherlands preparing for the next phase and continuing my tour to Valencia and Japan (tips and connections are welcome). At the moment, I am interested in the development of tiny houses, eco-lodges, prefab houses, and DIY (tips and connections are welcome).

 

Travelling is often associated with physical places like the one mentioned above. My journey for regeneration is more than merely visiting tangible destinations. It is a vibrant process. My Tour for Regeneration encompasses internal and physical dimensions, an ongoing dance between self-exploration and my connection with the built environment. I perceive myself and the city as living entities, continuously evolving. My essence unfolds in interaction with my surroundings, discovering and expressing my potential. I am nestled in a web of relationships and fields of influence. Junctions – both within and in physical locations like the city – present opportunities for evolution. Through conscious attention and interaction, I foster regeneration within myself and the world around me as a dynamic, ongoing process of becoming.


At the time of writing, it is slightly cold in winter in the Netherlands. Embracing wintering is an essential rhythm in our lives – one we must weave into our projects, daily routines, organisations, and leadership. It invites us to cherish and rediscover rest, reflection, restoration, silence, presence, and integration. It deepens our relationship with endings and teaches us to hold space for what arises when we pause – just as nature does in winter. In the past few weeks, I have been returning to my roots, reflecting on the past year's events, reading, working through my backlog of emails, and starting two courses: "Regenerative Leadership” and “Thinking Like Gaia - Cards for Life." Three topics caught my attention and raised questions.

 

1.    Language

Over the past year, I have regularly been on stage to give keynote presentations. In these presentations, I indicated that I speak many languages, such as Dutch, English, Real Estate, Technology, Sustainability, and Innovation. I understand a unique combination of the Big Four Strategy Consultancy firms, but that is another topic. I also indicated that I am learning the language of Regeneration and would like to learn some Japanese for my tour in Japan in 2025.

 

In recent months, I have noticed that companies, especially consultancy firms, are trying to jump on the regenerative movement. Some agencies have hired an intern (as real estate companies did years ago during the rise of the PropTech movement) who can conduct market research into regeneration. The agencies then include the word regeneration in their communication and communicate with words such as net-positive, scale, transformation, circular, green growth, ESG, and human-centric. These words mainly appear in the Sustainability and Restoration dictionary, and they limit us. Or they use the words regenerative buildings or regenerative construction. When you dive further, it turns out to be about buildings that produce more energy than they use and the use of natural materials (biomimicry, circular, timber construction, etc.).

 

Restoration

Aims to return ecosystems to a previous state, potentially reversing damage.

May not address underlying human behaviours causing degradation; ecosystems might decline again.

Regeneration

Encourages co-evolution of human and natural systems, promoting long-term resilience.

Requires significant shifts in human systems and community engagement, which can be challenging to implement.

 

If we continue to speak the language of degeneration (staying within the law) and sustainability (adding no additional harm), we will get what we have, right? For me, regeneration*1 is creating conditions that are conducive to life. Regeneration is not the same as creating positive impact or doing less harm. If we want to use a life-affirming approach, we must start speaking the language of life, the language of nature (we are nature), with each other. We must consciously choose our words because words are the sparks where evolution begins. Different words mean different actions, which results in a different life. Which languages do you speak? And how conscious are you to build a new world?

 

2.    Complexity

When I started the PropTech movement in the Netherlands in 2016, a frequently heard comment was, “We are so busy if it immediately yields money, then I am prepared to look at it”. In the meantime, the built environment is no longer just about bricks and mortar and money. Many social issues influence the real estate sector and the built environment, as shown in the Great Acceleration, Human and Planetary boundaries. It is not surprising that we currently live on a stressed planet. In addition, we are part of a stressed system with (unfortunately) many stressed people. Stressed people are in survival mode and have little to no room for creativity, so innovation is lacking.

 

In recent months, real estate leaders have talked about cautious recovery in 2025, further professionalisation and transparency of processes, much more needs to be built, and successful transactions together. Well-known economic topics for organisations are constructed like a ‘well-oiled’ machine based on the divide & control paradigm, while the current system is artificially maintained. Seasoned real estate leaders no longer have all the answers, especially those who have climbed the classic corporate ladder. This observation reminds me of the quote from American Philosopher Eric Hoffer:


"𝘐𝘯 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘯𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘸𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘪𝘯𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘭𝘥, 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘣𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘢𝘶𝘵𝘪𝘧𝘶𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘦𝘲𝘶𝘪𝘱𝘱𝘦𝘥 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘭𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵𝘯𝘰 𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘳 𝘦𝘹𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘴".


Many leaders in the built environment remain unaware of the expanding global regenerative movement. They are distracted by the failing systems they were raised in, the transitional phase towards ‘sustainability’, and the shift between eras. Moreover, an industrially conditioned mindset complicates increasing complexity, resulting in an increasing complexity gap. Most leaders state they are unequipped (Capitalizing on Complexity – insights from the Global Executive Officer Study | IBM) and do not allocate time to unlearn. How can leaders navigate towards a regenerative urban future? How can we ensure that capital is directed towards the potential of our future – this emerging system? Leaders who dare to be vulnerable and seek assistance can reshape their organisations for a prosperous future.

 

3.   Serendipity

Well-meaning comments often provoke reflection. Why are you selling your house? Why not rent it out? Visit Indonesia or Thailand, where the sun shines. What's your travel plan? Where are you headed in the next few months? Do you regret selling your house and ending PropTech for Good? Did the last few months meet your expectations? Though asked with good intentions, these questions reveal a more profound truth: we are conditioned to plan, predict, and measure. Whether in business or travel, we seek fulfilment—through growth, impact, or inner peace. But when we meticulously script our journeys, we risk missing the magic we set out to find. We often follow a linear mindset: checking off experiences, solving past problems, and chasing the “quickest route from A to B.” But what if we shift to a regenerative perspective, seeing travel as a living system in harmony with nature and our inner elements?

 

·      Flow like water – adapt to uncertainty.

·      Ignite passion like fire – welcome transformation.

·      Seek meaning like air – explore curiosity.

·      Ground yourself like earth – be present.

·      Connect to the spirit – uncover a deeper purpose.

 

The most meaningful moments arise when we surrender to the unplanned. A wrong turn, a missed road exit, an unexpected invitation—these “detours” often become the highlights of our stories. Loosening expectations and embracing intuition allows life to unfold in ways we never imagined. Could you let go of rigid plans? Release the need for certainty. Trust the journey. Sometimes, the best destination isn't on any itinerary. Where will you go next time you travel, and what would you like to experience?

 

To be continued

As I continue my Tour for Regeneration, I am carrying the lessons of wintering: slowing down, reflecting, and embracing uncertainty. Language shapes our reality, complexity demands a shift in mindset, and serendipity encourages us to trust the journey. True regeneration is an unfolding process within us, our communities, and the world we create together.

 

With warm regards,

Menno Lammers


1 The Latin word for regeneration is “regeneratio.” It comes from the verb “regenerare,” which means “to regenerate, renew, or be reborn.” This word is often used in spiritual, biological, and philosophical contexts to indicate renewal or rebirth.

 

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