The Great Reimagining of 2022, Part 2
/By Greta Seitz
In continuation of the last week’s Great Reimagining of 2022 Part 1 (outlined in the image below), as we explore what it means to reimagine leadership as a community and as individuals Part 2 discussions centered around convening in organization and systems as well as the environment. After reflecting on last week’s discussions we were brought forth into a new discussion with a poem from the heart, mind and pen of Minx Boren in which she writes,
The winds can shift
on a dime
in an instant what was
mine or yours or ours
can turn to ash or trash.
Fires can break out
hurricanes can blow
discontent can fume
anger can grow
all beyond containment
and band-aids of restraint.
How to pack our bags
for emergency flight
from whatever plight
when disaster can strike
day or night?
What to include?
What is precious enough
to merit saving when
imminent danger is raging
all around – floods and formidable furies
mud slides and noxious toxic CO2 laden
air we cannot repair?
So many misalignments
with the earth and with each other
have left us with no safe
place to take refuge
except…except…
In the arms of the dear and determined
communities to which we belong
that hold us strong
that catch us when we fall
and respond when we call
and offer beds and blankets
and coffee and opened coffers
when we need them most
desperately.
In the end we are
like it or not
each other’s keepers
and not one of us is wise
enough or savvy enough
or sturdy enough
alone.
©2022 Minx Boren.
Graphic by Rebecca Moss
Graphic by Rebecca Moss
Inspired by these words, we reflect on what we bring with us in our “Ready Bag”. Responses ranged from physical- photos, boots, crayons, a beloved stuffed animal, a pet- to much broader keepsakes, such as music, hope, compassion, color, connections, love, etc. In a world of uncertainty, what do we hold most dear to us and how does that influence what we bring with us into this new year?
During this week’s Wisdom Circles, groups explored what are your hopes and dreams for yourself and for your community? With a new year comes new opportunity for reflection and action. Maybe 2022 brings about necessary changes to promote more authentic living and leading or maybe it involves slowing down to sit in gratitude and celebrate the simplicity. Regardless, we are reminded that “no man is an island” and it is through community in which we come together with our individual triumphs and tribulations to be heard, supported, and challenged. The hand drawn graphic below from Rebecca Moss beautifully illustrates just some of the key themes emerging from the the discussion.
Commitment to action - greater awareness of the opportunities to embody leadership in my own family. Our group reflected on how our identifies and place in the world are shaped by our families and the neighborhoods in which we were raised. In turn, how I embody and practice leadership in my own family and communities will be the blueprint for my daughter.
As we progress further into this new year of opportunity, let us stay committed to the call to be our most courageous, authentic, and human self in whatever form that may take. As we pursue our individual journeys of leadership, may we model convening in all we do.
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From Dream to Living Legacy: 3 voices living the dream, Part I
