POET — COACH — GROUP PROCESS FACILITATOR
It’s a four-minute film from Nic Askew that started my Tuesday morning (which feels a lot like a Monday morning given the Labor Day weekend). I was perusing my email inbox. And making list of today’s todo’s.
“Start from stillness. In stillness, one becomes aware.”
“Point gently to what is simple.”
“We belong to each other.”
There is much to be excited about in the simplicity that he offers. There is much to be simple about in the excitement that he offers.
Good morning.
Join Us — Bring Your Wonder Please
Shades of Life next gathers September 10th, 8:00 – 9:15 am Mountain Time (7:00 PT, 10:00 ET, 4:00 CET). Our focus will be Shifting Narratives, Changing Lives. It’s a bit of recognition of dominant narratives and what to do with those when they start limiting choices. Registration is required. No fee to participate — just your desire to be together in exploring this topic. Expect a simple beginning of context. Some interaction together. Some listening. Some learning. Some joy. Here’s a short video invitation.
What’s The Background For This?
A year ago, Kathy Jourdain, Jerry Nagel, and I began recording our shared monthly zoom calls. We explored needed friendship and colleagueship. We explored topics that ranged from facilitation essentials to deep matters of personal well-being. We called those calls Shades of Life. These were topics important from both our shared and from our different interests and perspectives — our shades of life. Fun. Fruitful. Check them out here.
Well, now we are evolving and expanding those conversations. Our next experiment is to invite more people to jump in. For lightly but deliberately held space to learn, to play, and to be curious about topics of real need and timely relevance. Kathy, Jerry, and I know the importance of well-held, yet simple formats. To help people respond to the needs of the day, and to respond to the needs of the longer arc of heart. We offer that.
In friendship and colleagueship.
Anticipation.
A deep bow to a colleague / friend Rijon Erickson. He’s the one on the left above. A good chunk of Rijon’s work is combining music with group facilitation and group intelligence. Rijon invited me to a recent live-stream conversation on The Music of Mischief. And then he took chunks of our free-flowing conversation and made them to video clips.
One of those clips is here — on the importance of containers in group facilitation. And on the importance of containers so as to take on difficult conversations. It’s 2.5 minutes. I got to share some of my most grounding beliefs about containers.
Enjoy a listen.
How good it is to follow curiosity. Personally. And in community. How good it is to stay simple. How good it is to have a few guides in the form of potent questions.
Lisa Hess and I co-hosted a Flow Game last week. Above are questions drawn randomly from The Flow Game’s six decks — North, West, South, East, Heaven, Earth.
What joy to gain insight through such simple format.
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Gifts of Circle is 30 short essays divided into 4 sections: 1) Circle's Bigger Purpose, 2) Circle's Practice, 3) Circle's First Requirements, and 4) Circle's Possibility for Men. From the Introduction: "Circle is what I turn to in the most comprehensive stories I know -- the stories of human beings trying to be kind and aware together, trying to make a difference in varied causes for which we need to go well together. Circle is also what I turn to in the most immediate needs that live right in front of me and in front of most of us -- sharing dreams and difficulties, exploring conflicts and coherences. Circle is what I turn to. Circle is what turns us to each other."
Question Cards is an accompanying tool to Gifts of Circle. Each card (34) offers a quote from the corresponding chapter in the book, followed by sample questions to grow your Circle hosting skills and to create connection, courage, and compassionate action among groups you host in Circle.
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In My Nature is a collection of 10 poems. From A Note of Beginning: "This collection of poems arises from the many conversations I've been having about nature. Nature as guide. Nature as wild. Nature as organized. I remain a human being that so appreciates a curious nature in people. That so appreciates questions that pick fruit from inner being, that gather insights and intuitions to a basket, and then brings the to table to be enjoyed and shared over the next week."
This set of Note Cards (8 cards + envelopes) quotes a few favorite passages from poems in In My Nature. I offer them as inspiration. And leave room for you to write personal notes.
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Most Mornings is a collection of 37 poems. I loved writing them. From the introduction: "This collection of poems comes from some of my sense-making that so often happens in the morning, nurtured by overnight sleep. The poems sample practices. They sample learnings. They sample insights and discoveries. They sample dilemmas and concerns."
This set of Note Cards (8 cards + envelopes) quotes a few favorite passages from poems in Most Mornings. I offer them as inspiration. And leave room for you to write personal notes.
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