{"id":66,"date":"2019-08-20T04:15:00","date_gmt":"2019-08-20T04:15:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pollinatorthereskonrad.wordpress.com\/?p=66"},"modified":"2019-08-20T04:15:00","modified_gmt":"2019-08-20T04:15:00","slug":"you-are-a-source-of-inspiration-for-me","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.thereskonrad.org\/?p=66","title":{"rendered":"Blog post #9: The power of community"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

In L\u00fcneburg I had the chance to live for the first time in something one can call a community. People around shared and\/or similar values gathered in a space. In this case to live consciously together<\/em>. The location was a house. The space of community, however, is interpersonal<\/em>. It\u00b4s a sense of belonging. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u00b4s a feeling of connection<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thanks to the Social dimension of Gaia Education\u2019s Design for Sustainability course <\/a> I met, among many other great people (!), Dominic Barter<\/em>, known for restorative circles<\/a>, \u201ca community process for supporting those in conflict<\/a>\u201d. A sentence from our live call that sticked to me is: \u201cConflict occurs where there is dis<\/em>connection\u201d. Not only are we sometimes disconnected from each other \u2013 sometimes we are also disconnected from ourselves. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

A dear person reminded me of something writer Paolo Coehlo<\/em> stated:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

„… The great aim of every human being is to understand the meaning of total love. Love is not to be found in someone else, but in ourselves; we simply awaken it. But in order to do that, we need the other person. The universe only makes sense when we have someone to share our feelings with.“ <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

There lies power in community. To move things. And maybe first of all, to move things internally<\/em>. I am currently enjoying Ken Robinson<\/a>\u00b4s book \u201cThe Element. How finding your passion changes everything\u201d which is written as hilariously as he speaks in his TEDtalk Do schools kill creativity?<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

He talks about \u201ctribes\u201d, writing <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhen tribes gather in the same place, the opportunities for mutual inspiration can become intense. In all domains, there have been powerful groupings of people who have driven innovation through their influence on each other and the impetus they\u00b4ve created as a group\u201d<\/em> (p. 121).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Reading this I knew exactly where I have first found \u201cmy tribe\u201d: Doing my Master in Environmental Studies and Sustainability Science<\/a> <\/strong>at Lund University. No matter what crazy ideas were aired \u2013 ideas were nurtured. In being critiqued, discussed, expanded, explored, \u2026 and ultimately dared to be realized<\/em>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

 \u201cFinding you tribe can have transformative effects on your sense of identity and purpose. This is because of three powerful tribal dynamics: validation, inspiration, and what we\u00b4ll call here the \u2018alchemy of synergy\u201d<\/em> (p.114)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Having found my tribe, my community, has already allowed me several times to turn what others might call craziness<\/em> into reality. And maybe like that new paths are created. Because I believe, whoever said this first,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

„If you always do what you always did, you will always get what you always got.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I, as an individual, am having the chance to grow thanks to the power of community<\/em>. And only as awakened individuals will we be able to look ahead together, identifying new ways forward together, worthwhile being walked, together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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