POET — COACH — GROUP PROCESS FACILITATOR
One of the things that I love about the art of hosting is the mix of teachings, practice (as in developing ones’ craft), experiencing community, application, and just plain fun.
Above, this is Caitlin Frost adding to a teach, the model of which, Two Loops, is taped out on the floor. It’s a teach on living systems being birthed, and eventually dying. It’s a model on working with emergence and how it can scale. It’s a challenge to all of us to be in the dynamic reality of creating and letting go.
The view from the causeway, near Bowen Island Lodge, British Columbia. This is where we started our day, the group of 50 of us, where we watched a Bald Eagle and Chum Salmon. Caitlin Frost shared with us, “these salmon returning to spawn, were born in 2013 — some of have been as far as Japan in their journey.”
Great beginning to big journey here.
One of the things that I appreciate about the day after U.S. elections is the attention and refocusing on a bigger picture. The election is done. No need to compete anymore. No need to strategically mudsling anymore. It’s relieving and refreshing.
I’ve always been particularly attentive to “last” speeches. When it’s time to tuck it all in and you want to say 1,000 things but have the time and opportunity for just four or five.
What I like from Hillary Clinton’s concession speak yesterday was a lot of these important, bigger picture issues.
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Shortly after these remarks, President Barack Obama spoke from The White House, in support of a smooth and peaceful transition. I love his honesty of naming:
Both of these pieces are worth watching, if nothing else. I personally have little left in me for more pundits and calculated spin. It’s time to return to the bigger picture and our support to help move along, no doubt changed, by the process, and perhaps, even a bit more clear and kind and gracious.
I wonder what many people are thinking this morning. I’m thinking mostly about people in the United States. I’m thinking mostly about people paying attention to the US presidential elections. I realize “now what” in this context is not at all limited to just Americans.
It was a shocker. Donald Trump won, again. Few people saw it coming for reals, which I suppose is one of the key themes since he entered the candidacy race 17 months ago in June, 2015. It’s just entertainment. It will pass.
It didn’t.
There will be a lot of sense-making in these next days. A lot of guffawing. A lot of “I told you so.” There is likely to be a lot of confusion. A lot of call for calm.
The pot is definitely stirred.
A part of me wants to claim resiliency. “We are a people who has had to adapt many times.” It’s a noble, rallying call. However, I think we as a people, regardless of orientation and voting preference, have opportunity and necessity to look more deeply. Allow, and invite, ourselves to feel the stirring and to find a centered, clear orientation together that helps evolve us as a people.
In my trolling through a news first thing this morning, one of the comments I liked most was from pal, Chris Corrigan. Chris is a thorough thinker, that seems to happen instantaneously with him. “The president of the United States is not ruler of the free world — stop saying that.” Free world is bigger than that definition allows.
My “now what” is pretty simple. Put my pants on. Do my version of making piece with myself. Do it with others. Be kind — deliberately so with mostly unnoticed acts. Grieve, sure. Feel it, yes. Offer what I can. What is different this morning is that the next President of the United States has been chosen. What isn’t different is the need for clear thought and plain old human goodness. This is a time for us to evolve, that’s what, in the best ways we can, just like it was yesterday and the day before that.