Co-Creating a Community of Well-Being (The Echo World, October 2017)
I have explored and danced with the concept of community for nearly two decades. During this time I have participated in various forms and degrees of community; facilitated conversations; and studied and researched social permaculture, conflict in intentional communities, and Native American/First Nations and restorative justice.
One approach to community is isolationism…we only let in those who agree with us, or we throw out or persecute those who are different. You may have noticed…this doesn’t work very well. Either those in our community find other things to disagree about or people come “from away” to poke us. We are also generally interdependent with many others people and communities throughout our world.
So what can we do when we find ourselves as part of a community of people with seemingly diverse—even conflictual—intentions, with varying degrees of skills, interest and willingness to function as a community in its greatest sense? Are we doomed to continued strife and violence, incremental change with occasional major steps forward or back?
What if there is a different possibility? What if those of us who choose can both expand our skillset and transform our lives? We cannot change ourselves without changing our community – be that our families, neighborhood or world. However, when we choose to co-create, we can’t say what it will look like? Are you ready? Are you willing?
Here are some tools to start with:
1. Follow your own knowing. If you find yourself feeling heavy or contracted, what you’re
thinking, listening to or experiencing probably isn’t true for you; if you’re feeling light and
expansive, it probably is true for you…even if it’s not for anyone else.
2. Live your own well-being and authentic happiness. When we are authentically happy, we are more creative and collaborative. Living our best, most joyful life is the best way to inspire
others to do the same. Gratitude is one of the surest ways to increase our happiness.
3. After the 9/11/01 attacks Oriah Mountain Dreamer shared her guidance…to soften our
separation by practicing moving from they to some of us…and in times when we are feeling
really brave to sit with part of me. I have observed that we often judge what we fear might exist (or be judged by others) in ourselves. It is our unwillingness to examine what we fear that holds us hostage and leads us to judge, fear, and separate from others. It is ourselves, most of all, that we hold hostage by the walls of separation we build.
4. Stay in the question. Questions create possibilities; judgments and conclusions shut down
possibilities. A helpful question in any situation: How does it get any better than this?™
This is a very short invitation to a world-changing topic. Play with the tools. If you would like to learn more or you’re ready to join me in creating more for our world, please visit my website
www.SpiritSongPAndS.com and/or email me at aurorawalksgently@gmail.com.