Tania de Jong · Tania de Jong AM

Developing Collective Intelligence and Raising Our Consciousness to Solve Wicked Problems in an Increasingly Challenging World

We are living in an increasingly challenging world – division and wars, mental illness and social isolation, climate change, economic stress, fear and uncertainty about the future … and so much more. There appears to be a complete breakdown of our social fabric; that glue which always bound us together has vanished in a sea of technology which threatens to wipe us off the planet.

We urgently need to increase our collective intelligence, raise our consciousness and build our resilience to heal individuals, families, workplaces and entire communities. It is critical to come to terms with the level of trauma in our world and ground ourselves, so that we can start to build bridges of understanding.

I work with a lot of companies and top teams globally to help build and unleash creative potential and develop a true culture of innovation and wellbeing.  Recently, some futurists said that creativity has become the most endangered species of the 21st Century. We have a broadband culture but not the creative, original and critical thought to fill it.

A global cross-sector study of 1,500 CEOs by IBM showed that in an increasingly complex and uncertain global environment the most important leadership attribute is creativity. So how do we develop our own creativity, courage, compassion and commit to changing ourselves and the structures that are no longer serving us?

Steve Jobs said: “Creativity is just about connecting things”. I’d like to suggest that those things might be all the experiences in your life up to this moment. So, the broader and richer your experience is, the more tools you’ll have in your creative toolbox for when you want or need to be creative. I believe that the best thing to unleash your creativity is what I like to call ‘positive human collisions’. That is, connecting with people on a regular basis who are different from you.

We spend most of our lives talking with, dressing like, and endorsing those who are just like us. They have similar education and backgrounds – around them we feel safe and good about ourselves.

However, I believe that our greatest gains as human beings are when we connect to people who are different, who challenge us and the way we think, who take us outside of our comfort zone. And boy, can it feel uncomfortable!

When we connect with ‘others’ outside our usual circles we may experience ‘creative abrasion’. It’s in that moment when we disagree with someone, that creativity and innovation can truly spark.

I find that taking leaders and teams out of their comfort zone increases creative thinking, trust and psychological safety, shared understanding and a stronger community. It also helps us to step into the right side of our brain.

The right hemisphere of our brain is responsible for our intuition, imagination, and all our creative functions. It connects us to a world of possibilities and all that is. The brain is like a battery; the right-side charges it and the left side uses energy and empties it. So, our goal is always to keep our mental battery charged up.

It has been estimated that we spend more than 85% of our time using the left side of our brains, being overwhelmed by facts and figures. We are literally draining our batteries and burning out. It is no wonder that loneliness and social isolation are considered the global epidemic of our era.

We talk more to boxes and screens than we do to one another. We are forgetting how to communicate with clarity and empathy, and machines are learning more quickly than we are. Many jobs are under threat.

In this environment, it becomes fundamentally important to nurture the attributes of human beings that set us apart from machines: love, compassion, empathy, kindness, caring, creativity and determination.

Democracy and capitalism are under stress … our institutions are no longer trusted and cannot keep up with the pace of change. In this rapidly changing world, we urgently need to transform our leadership, develop right-brained skills, resilience, compassion and courage. We need to align business metrics with creativity and wellbeing, find bridges between our worlds and reconnect to the unity and love which underpins all of life.

Engage Tania de Jong AM to help your team and organization step outside their comfort zone, unleash creative potential and wellbeing and outperform your competitors.

Be inspired by Tania’s short 3-minute showreel.

Global Leadership Mission in Bhutan

The GNH Centre Bhutan, in collaboration with our partners from Creative Universe, Mind Medicine Australia and the Hunt Family Foundation, have co-created a Global Leadership Mission to raise consciousness and collective healing.

This week, Tania de Jong, Peter Hunt, and part of their teams have hosted this special program in Bhutan which includes an exploration of the philosophy of Gross National Happiness and wellbeing.

“We were thrilled to have had Tania de Jong perform at our hotel’s first Annual Day celebration. Her incredible talent and captivating presence truly elevated the event, which truly brought the entire room together in celebration. The choice of songs was perfect, resonating with our diverse group and fostering a sense of camaraderie among team members. Thank you Tania for making our event an unforgettable one.” Pemako Punakha, Bhutan

Tania Performing at Como Shambhala in Bali

Tania recently performed at Como Shambhala in Bali.

“We had the absolute pleasure of experiencing an amazingly arranged soprano performance by Ms. Tania de Jong that was simply magical. Set in the middle of our calm, mystical resort at sunset, the atmosphere felt almost dreamlike. The soft, beautiful vocals perfectly matched the serene surroundings, creating a moment that gave us goosebumps. As the sun set, the voice seemed to blend with the warm, golden light, and the presence of such wonderful people made it even more special. It was an unforgettable experience that amazed us with both the talent and the atmosphere.” Como Shambhala, Bali

Tania Performing at Chenot Palace Weggis, Switzerland

Tania recently presented concerts in Weggis, Switzerland. She played to a packed out audience at Chenot Palace.

Ivana Sgheiz, the Chief Executive Officer at Chenot Palace Weggis said: “Tania created a magical short performance for our guests which left them calling out for more. She enchants with her angelic voice, charm and sense of humour. Her presence brought together our guests and staff. It was a truly special moment!”

Tania is pictured with Ivana and Dr George Gaitanos, the Chief Operating and Scientific Officer, Chenot Group.

 

Watch a short excerpt from her performance of Soul Journey:

TANIA PERFORMING IN PROVENCE, FRANCE

Tania recently presented concerts in Provence, France. She played to a packed out ancient Church in Murs.

“What a beautiful moment! Tania de Jong gave a concert on Sunday July 28 in the Romanesque church of Murs-en-Provence. It was a truly beautiful moment! We really enjoyed hearing her beautiful and expressive soprano voice interpreting different spiritual operatic and popular songs. Her presentation was unanimously appreciated by the large audience, who requested multiple encores! Tania also has the unique ability of allowing the public to participate and she creates friendship, fraternal connection and a beautiful ambience. We recommend her warmly and express much gratitude for her help to the Association des amis de l’église de Murs.”

Watch a video of me performing Ave Maria by Schubert at the concert below:

Concert in Murs, France on 28 July 2024

Join Tania de Jong AM for a concert of famous, sacred, and lyrical songs, with excerpts from Carmen, George Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess, Leonard Bernstein’s West Side Story, Ave Maria by Schubert, Panis Angelicus by Franck, songs by Dvorak, Handel, Puccini, Edith Piaf, and more…

Date: Sunday 28 July 2024 at 6pm.

Location: Église de Murs (Saint Loup), 84220 MURS

Bookings: Please call 06 08 05 45 76 to book your ticket.

Sound Healing, Loving Kindness and Connection Workshop with Dan Byrne and Tania de Jong AM

Mind Medicine Australia’s Melbourne event series is an opportunity to come together to connect and create space for your mental health and well-being.

Our November event will be facilitated by Dan Byrne and Tania de Jong AM.

Topic: Sound Healing, Loving Kindness and Connection Workshop

Our community Sound Bath experience has been designed to offer a transformative journey, where you will collectively weave a beautiful tapestry of sound, which bathes those in the centre in kindness and healing energy.

Date: Monday 18th November 2024

Time: Please arrive from 6:45pm for a 7pm start, finish at 9:00pm.

Book your ticket here.

Sound Healing with Tania de Jong AM & Dan Byrne | 26 May 2024

“What a great loving and spirit-filled gathering. Thank you for all that you brought.” Peninsula Hot Springs

Tania de Jong AM and Dan Byrne held a special sound healing ceremony at the Peninsula Hot Springs.

Set in a beautiful Glasshouse at the Peninsula Hot Springs, this Sound Bath experience was designed to offer a transformative journey, where we collectively weaved a beautiful tapestry of sound, which bathed those in the centre in kindness and healing energy.

Sound Healing with Tania de Jong AM & Dan Byrne in the Glasshouse took place on Sunday 26 May 2024 from 3pm to 5:30pm. Guests then joined us for bathing at twilight in the Bath House.

Shroom Boom: The Magic of Mushrooms – Thursday 18 April 6-9:30pm AWST

We are delighted to invite you to attend:

Shroom Boom: The Magic of Mushrooms

Please join us for a delicious welcome drink and divine 3-course dinner from Chefs Joel Camp and Simon Naber of Moore and Moore Cafe. Our superfood menu will focus on mushrooms and other nootropics and our special Shaman and magical diva will create a sacred space raising our collective consciousness.

Be inspired by a mind-opening presentation and interactive conversation with Tania de Jong AM and Peter Hunt AM, the Founders of Mind Medicine Australia. They made global history in 2023 through their successful applications to the TGA which led to the rescheduling of psilocybin and MDMA from Prohibited Substances to Controlled Medicines, making Australia a leader in this rapidly emerging field. We have an increasing mental health crisis in Australia. You will learn how psychedelic-assisted therapies work to treat a range of conditions and how you can be part of the healing revolution!

Reserve your seat here >>

Don’t sit in silence. It’s your voice. Use it!

First Published in The Spectator, 2 October 2023.

We all have a voice, but perhaps the greatest challenge to humanity right now is that our voices are being silenced.

Too often we silence, censor, attack, shame, and humiliate those we do not agree with. We live in a world where we are afraid to utter a word for fear it may offend someone and destroy our lives. We are divided. We are upside down and inside out; yes is no and no is yes, left is right and right is left, man is woman and woman is man, wrong is right and right is wrong.

We live in a democracy where our politicians, police, and public servants are supposed to serve, protect, and consult with us – not dictate to us and take away our freedoms. That is why we pay our taxes. Similarly, our media is supposed to encourage open and transparent dialogue, so why are diverse viewpoints censored and invalidated?

Did you know that in Australia, the Albanese government’s draft of its Misinformation and Disinformation Bill will, if passed, suppress legitimate free speech in Australia, akin to the ‘Ministry of Truth’ in George Orwell’s 1984? Proposed powers for combating misinformation and disinformation are inconsistent with a democracy that thrives by allowing dissenting views to be expressed and discussed freely. What makes this even more deplorable is that content published by the government, professional news outlets, and educational Institutions is to be exempted in the proposed legislation and will not be considered as misinformation!

It’s not the only parliamentary attack on free speech. Queensland’s Parliament is about to vote on the proposed criminal law bill which could see Australians face up to three years in jail for posting anything on social media visible in Queensland that the government deems ‘offensive’. This could include faith-based and political objections to gender confusion, gay marriage, and Indigenous issues. It promises a reality like that in Britain where police spend more time monitoring Facebook posts looking for objectionable statements than walking the beat.

There are other concerning developments emerging to further censor, control, subjugate, and silence us. The recent Nigel Farage debanking scandal rocked Britain and yet, in Australia, banks can lawfully ‘debank’ customers they deem to be engaged in ‘unacceptable account conduct’ which relates not just to their financial activities, but what they say and do.

For instance, the National Australia Bank’s updated terms and conditions say ‘making profane, derogatory, discriminatory or harassing comments’ or ‘making or promoting threatening or abusive language to any person’ could lead the bank to ‘suspend, cancel or deny an account holder’s access or use of the account, card or an electronic banking service’. What is such conduct and who defines it? Could use of the ‘wrong’ pronouns be classified as ‘profane, derogatory, discriminatory or harassing’?

Imagine your financial existence being taken away under these rules. Criticism of a public official arguably could be branded ‘misinformation’ and ‘threatening or abusive language’. How can we ever truly progress if we cannot be honest about the shortcomings of our society?

This is not how a democracy looks. We are in an era more befitting of a dystopian novel, in which creeping authoritarianism assaults our fundamental human and legal rights. If we truly profess to be a diverse, inclusive, and democratic nation, diversity of thought and freedom of speech really matter.

In the spirit of Voltaire: ‘I may not agree with what you have to say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it.’

It is high time we start asking important questions such as:

When have I stayed silent and, in hindsight, wished I had spoken up?
Can I build bridges of understanding, and bring positive change, by speaking up?
What is the worst that could happen if I choose to speak, or ask a question, about something that deeply matters to me?
How do I maintain my presence, listen to my inner voice and speak honestly in uncomfortable circumstances and a world of distractions?
Staying silent allows tyranny, injustice, and atrocities to flourish. Silence keeps dark secrets hidden. Dietrich Bonhoeffer – an exceptional German Protestant minister during the Nazi regime – stated: ‘Silence in the face of evil is itself evil. Not to speak is to speak. Not to act is to act.’

In a democracy, no one’s voice should be silenced or censored.

Don’t sit in silence. Don’t live in fear.

There are many challenges facing human civilisation and our planet. However, if we remain silent and separate then we have only ourselves to blame for the eventual extinction of everything we have created.

Really listen to what your heart is saying. Then raise your God-given voice, speak your truth and help create the world you would like for your children and grandchildren. No one else will do it for you.

‘When I’m hungry, I eat. When I’m thirsty, I drink. Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about the things that matter,’ said Martin Luther King. How right he was. If it is possible to talk, to discuss, to debate without recrimination, the future might be shaped for the better. You have a voice: don’t let it be silenced.

Tania de Jong performing at an event

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