Convening the Ultimate Dinner Party

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with Richard Leider and the CPL Essential Conversations Community

By Greta Seitz, with Patricia Neal

 
 

Why a dinner party? What better way to plan a great conversation. Why today? What better day to talk about purpose than on Valentine’s Day, the day of love! Anthony Douglas Williams reminds us, “Our purpose is simple… to love; to love each other, to love all life, and to love our Earth.” But let’s not stop there.

This Monday we began with the beautiful poem titled “The Miracle of Morning” from Amanda Gorman in response to the pandemic in which she writes,

For it’s our grief that gives us our gratitude,
Shows us how to find hope, if we ever lose it.
So ensure that this ache wasn’t endured in vain:
Do not ignore the pain. Give it purpose. Use it.

Giving purpose to pain… such a powerful, yet gentle act of strength. So what is purpose? Richard Leider leads us through this question of not only what is our individual purpose but how do we apply purpose in our daily life. Purpose is personal, it’s the reason you get up in the morning, but remember, it is not a goal, it’s not what you do, but rather who you bring to what you do. As Richard says, “If you have a pulse, you have a purpose.” While Purpose is in all of our DNA, it’s much like a muscle in that it must be exercised. Richard offered a wonderful 2-minute practice that can be completed each day which gives us the space to grow and give.

2-Minute Morning Practice:

  • Wake up and before doing anything else, pause.

  • Take 3 deep breaths

  • Ask yourself, “Where can I make a difference in someone else’s life”

While it may seem daunting to make a difference in someone’s life each day, small actions can have impact and create purpose moments. Understanding our purpose need not be a soul searching experience done alone but rather it thrives in curiosity, the driver of purpose. We are called to be curious about ourself, others, and the world. With this we transition to the power of a good dinner party! Cooking, colleagues and friends, thought-provoking conversation. What better way to explore these topics than in community and conversation? In listening to, speaking with, thinking about, and acting alongside others we gain knowledge, wisdom, and experience that helps inform our purpose.

The ongoing nature of purpose development lends itself to the importance of the Essential Conversations as a place to practice. Just as you invite others to attend a dinner party you are hosting, let us invite one another and ourselves to continue to show up and partake in this weekly practice. Who would you like to invite to the next Essential Conversation? Maybe make it a point to bring someone new to the Essential Conversation each week. Together, let us cultivate a powerful community of impact through diverse perspective and joyful inclusion.

As a way to practice gratitude for the amazing participation and contributions this Valentine’s Day I would like to share some quotes from the conversation to remind us to be the love we hope for and deserve, today and every day!

“You are enough. We are enough.”

“When you choose to be love, you will always have love.”

“Today I will connect with my community of friends to remind them that they are loved and seen. And remind myself that I am loved.”

Join us next week to be a part of the next impactful conversation. Register here:

2/21: [The Hearth]: Planning and Convening Your Ultimate Dinner Party. Together, we’ll create a list of essential questions and the “Handbook for Convening Your Ultimate Dinner Party.”

Save the Date! April 5, 6:00-8:00pm: CPL is convening an “Ultimate Virtual Dinner Party”!

Coming of Age at the end of an Age Program

8 Weeks: February 21 - April 11th (7:00 - 8:30 PM Central Time) on Zoom

Our culture’s perception of aging may seem new and revolutionary compared with earlier generations, but is it really? Do our souls really long for more opportunities to travel, more attractive long-term care facilities, or larger flat-screen TV’s for streaming and video watching? While these may effectively enhance our quality of life, they may not feed our souls.

Coming of Age at The End of An Age is an opportunity for participants to rediscover the joy and power of stepping into conscious elderhood along with other participants on the journey. The series has been designed to deepen our wisdom, assist us in navigating the natural limits of aging, and lovingly give back to our communities the gifts that flow from the journey of awakened aging.