✍🏼 Connection
Or, what I believe in
I believe deeper connection makes for a better life - and a better world
I believe in the power of connection
For the individual, connection makes life rich and meaningful. Disconnection is discontent.
For the world, connection is how change happens. People change people, and people change the world.
I believe in the power of depth
The deeper the connection, the greater the impact.
I believe in connection, on every level
First, we must connect with ourselves.
Then, we can connect with others.
I believe we need to create the right conditions to inspire connection, growth, and communal genius
I believe it’s about:
Creating space...
…for leaders who practice authenticity, vulnerability, openness, and love...
...to share our stories,...
...deepen connections with ourselves, others, and the world,...
...and inspire growth and communal genius
Why genius?
By genius, I don’t mean the dictionary definition of “exceptional intellectual or creative power or other natural ability.”
By genius, I do mean the David Whyte interpretation of “those elements that make us more fully ourselves.” More authentic individuality.
"Genius is, by its original definition, something we already possess....It is the conversation of elements that makes a place incarnate, fully itself."
"...human genius lies in the geography of the body and its conversation with the world."
— David Whyte
My values (or, my commitment to fostering connection)
Courage: Be courageous
Love: Lead with love
Safety: Protect shared confidentiality. It creates safe space and honors our people and stories
Commitment: Commit to the journey. Show up consistently, be present, and lean in/engage
Vulnerability: Show up as more of yourself. Choose more over less
Relation: Relate to stories. Share, and choose connection over disconnection
The alchemy of connection (or, thoughts on how connection happens)
Connection has roots in authenticity
Connection with others comes from vulnerability - a mutual sharing of our authentic selves.
Connection with others starts with connection with ourselves - a greater knowledge of our authentic internal selves.
Authenticity starts with self-inquiry and awareness
Authenticity is a greater embodiment of our internal selves, unfiltered.
It’s a greater congruence between internal and external versions of ourselves - who we are and who we are with others.
In order to share more of our authentic selves, we must first know more of our authentic selves.
We can’t share what we don’t know.
We must turn towards our pain
To know more of our authentic selves, we must embody hidden parts.
We must turn towards our pain to uncover and address our underlying wounds.
Emotional wounds are universal, and much like physical wounds, they cause pain - a signal that our wound needs healing
Pain drives us to adopt coping patterns for short-term relief
Our coping patterns keep us trapped. Our wounds remain hidden and unhealed, and our pain ongoing, continuing to harm us over the long-term
Our wounds and coping prohibit presence, authenticity, and connection.
Connection makes like meaningful and fulfilling
To connect, we must embody authenticity
Coping patterns prevent this, as they are an inauthentic response to pain, leaving those wounded parts of ourselves masked
This prohibits presence, keeping us living tied to our past. Our past is only our past once our wounds are healed
For freedom from our wounds and greater connection with ourselves and others, we must uncover and address the sources of our pain.
Not only will we heal our wounds, freeing us from pain, but we will also embody more parts of ourselves, delivering us to greater authenticity and deepening connections to ourselves and others
Courage, love, and safety are the keys
Turning towards our pain is difficult. So is practicing vulnerability and authenticity in service of deeper connection with others.
It requires immense courage, love, and safety.
It’s not easy, but it’s rich, and it’s worth it - for us, and for the world.
We each have to do our own work. But we don’t have to do it alone
The truth is that brokenness, wounds, and pain are universal. They’re the great connector - every single human has this part of their story.
Our stories unite us. When we share our stories, we foster deep connection along the way.
A school of connection (or, what I imagine building)
I imagine a community sharing space, stories, and self for deeper connection to ourselves and others.
A space where we do our own work, and build our tribe along the way.
What do you think?
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