In our practice of thrivability, we can find helpful guidance from a core set of “life’s universal design principles” – fertile conditions that are present in any thriving living system. 

At first glance, this set of principles may seem so simple that it’s not clear why we should point them out. But they’re Copernican in their significance. These patterns serve as a blueprint and practical guide to the transition from a mechanistic, reductionist worldview to an ecological paradigm. They bring together people and planet into a single narrative, not in conflict with each other or even in awkward balance and trade-off, but in natural alignment. They give us permission to do what really needs to be done, making it sensible to do what our hearts often know to be the right thing in our own lives, in our organizations, and in our communities. And they help us accomplish our objectives more effectively, as we work with the true nature of the systems we're serving.

As thrivability practitioners, these are the principles we have to work with in seeking to steward any living organization or community.