A Genuine and Open Invitation to Co-Create the Future

The last days, weeks, and months have been full of emotions and challenges, sometimes more questions than answers, and likely some really deep heartfelt longings.  Saying yes to meaningful conversations and connection, to times of renewal together, to reconciliation— It's a gift and a joy to come together in community with others to move toward hope and restoration.

I recently attended a summit, and at the beginning, Professor David Cooperrider reminded us that cultures are formed in the crucible of crisis. While it can be challenging to imagine how we can bring people together and embrace all of the uncertainty and the suffering being experienced, the scale of all that's happening also invites the best in each of us to step forward.  

Now more than ever, we need to help each other and our communities uncover when they are at their best and what gives them life.   

I have often reflected and prayed on this idea of what gives life under today's current climate.  Today, I meditated on the word compassion.

And the first thing that struck me in the heart was "com" to come together and "passion" to mean "in suffering."  This is truly a time we are being called to great Compassion, when we must come together in our suffering.  I also believe we are being called to a place of divine renewal.  Our coming together is, yes, to hold our suffering in community, and also to hold our dreams. To renew ourselves deep within, and to give our sufferings and longings a tiny seed of hope.  

So, this is the heart behind today’s reflections.  I invite you to that space. To be a safe place for sharing our collective experiences, our hopes, and our present reality while also giving us the space to consider what's possible together.   This is a genuine and open invitation to co-create the future.  

To come together as leaders, willing to learn and discover how we might best make an impact.  To engage in a time of renewal, and to understand that resilience and change is necessary and possible at even our most difficult and dark times. 

I ask you to consider the idea that "even the tiniest seed of hope" across the spectrum of strengths, and in our weaknesses, suffering, and deep longings, can create incredible change.  

If you are hosting a conversation like this, here is a worksheet you’re free to use. You can borrow, update, refresh, or apply it to your context.

As leaders engaging in these types of conversations, you may want to form agreements with those you serve in community. If you’re hosting a time of conversation, leading a mastermind group, leading a team at work, or engaging in any kind of change dialogue, here are some agreements you may want to consider, borrow, apply to your own group, or share with others:

We embody humility:  We are here to learn and grow.  The process of learning and growth is centered on humility and compassion. We will work from a place of curiosity and openness.
 

Taking care of one another:  Coming together in community is powerful. We are stronger together as we commit to change.  We embrace the both/and, the complexity of life and the world.  We are here to hold space for one another & release our need for answers and certainty.  Your story matters. We each have our own perspectives and experiences.  We respect those differences and take care of one another.

Discover what gives life:  We move past the idea of positive and negative and open up to what gives life and deeper meaning.  To summon and surface our better humanity, to dig deep to make a difference.  To realize our infinite capacity for kindness, courage, and respect.  To understand that we live in worlds our conversations create. 
 
Imperfect is OK:  Change is messy.  We will take the risk and jump into the mess.  We embrace the imperfection of it all because we know that mistakes are part of moving important work forward, that discomfort is at the root of growth.  That we are willing to be vulnerable and create a safe zone for the imperfect, the messy, the hard to understand as well as the joy, the hope, and infinite capacity for compassion.

If you want to learn more about leading in times of change through a lens of compassion, contact me here.