Four words sit at the heart of my work. Three are familiar. One — istima — is a word I have shaped for myself, and it holds the others together.
Dignity belongs inherently to every human being — an acknowledgement of the worthiness of life itself. I perceive it as the inherent self-worth.
Stewardship is the responsibility we take for what has been entrusted to us — a person, a relationship, an organisation, an idea, a position of power, a home, or simply a moment in time.
Stewardship is not a dogma, it is a human practice building trust.
Maturity is our growing capacity to understand ourselves and others, take responsibility for our choices, hold perspective and think beyond the immediate moment.
Istima — how we meet life
Istima is not an established concept you will find in a dictionary. It is a word I use for an approach to life that matters deeply to me.
It is the practice of maturing through what life gives us. Not by enduring, performing or pretending, but by meeting experience with curiosity, reflection and responsibility.
A conflict, a mistake, a loss or a grief can become istima — an opportunity to heal, broaden perspective and grow in wisdom. Success can become istima too. The experience itself is not the maturity. What matters is what we learn from it, what responsibility we take, what perspective we gain, and what we choose to do differently afterwards.
Istima is not a method or a doctrine. It is a life view. A way of staying open to what experience can teach us, so that we become more trustworthy with what is in our hands.
Stewardship in my work
My work has taken many forms, but underneath I recognise the same practice.
In Organisational, I work with leaders, people, culture and change.
In Thought, I steward ideas, questions and conversations about being human and the future we are creating.
In Ceremonial, I steward important moments and transitions in human life.
In Residence, I steward homes.
Different rooms. Different work, but the same orientation:
Honour dignity.
Steward what is entrusted.
Cultivate maturity.
And when life challenges us, I see the potential for istima — growth, maturity and a deeper trustworthiness with what is in our hands.
We learn. We adjust. We mature. And we continue.
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— Maria Dolores