We cannot live only for ourselves. A thousand fibers connect us with our fellow men. – Herman Melville

Even though I have always felt the need to connect with other people and be part of a community, only last year I understood clearly how powerful a group can be. As I was following an online course called U.lab, based on Theory U and the teachings of Otto Scharmer, I joined a Coaching Circle. In addition to myself, this small group consisted of three other people, who were also attending the same course. We met online every other week. In each session one us presented a problem or a challenge he was facing, while the others acted as coaches, namely they held space and listened carefully in the first part of the meeting, and then gave advises in the second part. At the beginning I joined mainly out of curiosity, without any expectation. At first it felt a little bit awkward to share personal stuff with someone who I had never seen in person and never talked to before. But it did not take me a lot of time before realizing how amazing this experience was turning out to be. When people come together with the willingness to hold space for each other, what emerges is something much bigger than the sum of the personalities involved. A field of presence becomes free to manifest itself through the circle, giving birth to new insights 🙂

Because of the group’s capacity to respond, create, and generate a process together for me, I was able to discover a place in myself that, ever since, is the place I go to when I’m looking for wisdom. That came out of our deep inquiry… one circle phenomenon is our willingness to experiment and create new processes. — Circle of Seven

Of course this does not work with any random group of people 😉 All the participants need to be present and willing to allow the field of presence to manifest itself through them. This experience clearly taught me the immense potential that is hidden in such a group 🙂

Even though we might not witness it at this level of intensity, the power of community is always present in our every day life. It is there each time we connect more or less deeply with other people. It is also largely recognize at different level of our societies. For example it is a fundamental part of every religion, where it is considered to be a sacred moment when people come together to prey. Moreover, the power of community is well known also in therapy. When someone goes through though times, being part of a support group, like AA, is considered to be a very successful tool for recovery. The power of connection built through this process enables the individual to get in touch with a deeper dimension within himself and, eventually, to heal.

We are called to be strong companions and clear mirrors to one another, to seek those who reflect with compassion and a keen eye how we are doing, whether we seem centered or off course … we need the nourishing company of others to create the circle needed for growth, freedom and healing. – Wayne Muller

Whether we look for it online, or among our friends and people who live nearby, finding our own community is a fundamental aspect of our lives 🙂
As we discussed in How Can We Heal the World?, if we want to help bring more light into this world, very likely we will be challenged by the resistance of who is around us and still lives in fear. To be strong enough and not loose our commitment, we need to look for the support of like-minded people, that are on our same path 🙂
The purpose of such a community is not to isolate itself from the rest of the world, but to empower its members in bringing forward the same shared message 🙂

Have you found your own community? Do you feel supported by it and experience deep levels of connection? 🙂

Alone, we can do so little; together, we can do so much. – Helen Keller

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