I’m participating in a few online message threads. One of these is in relation to The Circle Way. More specifically about the principle, “reliance on wholeness.” Inspired by what others had contributed, I found myself offering these words below. Wanted to share them here, for inspiration and invitation.
I continue to learn that there are times when I feel we are “interrupting” patterns. E.g., “…leadership is knowing…” In such murkiness, oooh, circle, yes.
And then there are times when we are cultivating (reclaiming) a way of being together. E.g., “…from fixing the unknowing to building relationship with unknowing” (which I would suggest must include relationship with self and unknowing)… Oooh, again, circle can hold us.
The Zen art above was given to me a couple of years ago by a dear friend. “Only don’t know.” The energy of “unknowing” feels like a spa to me.
Connecting this to “reliance on wholeness,” I “rely” on air, food, water. Yup, that’s true. My body relies on air, food, water. I also “rely” on people. Yup, that’s true too. But with added complexity and nuances. I “rely” on mystery. Yup, because that is food and air and water for my soul. My soul relies on mystery. Less so because it’s cute or titillating. More so because the nature of reality seems so much more vast than what we humans tend to calcify our way to.
Back to circle. I feel that circle gives us a way to encounter more of the mystery, more of the vastness, and more of the unknowing. I’m immensely glad for a simple format that can invite “better meetings” and “more wholeness.” Be that the wholeness that is me as an in-progress person, or, we as a group momentarily entangled to a composite being. Where individualism is true, kind of, but is a minor narrative. Where “…we do..,” and “…flow…” become more accurate narratives.
