Can you believe we are well into the second decade of the 21st century? Wasn't Y2K just a couple of years ago?
It's been well over two years since I published the last issue of Spirit in the Smokies, Magazine of New Paradigm Living and I'm finally figuring out what is next for me. Now that I know, it seems so obvious.
Living collaboratively is so important to me - ever since I was 9 years old and noticed that my mother wasn't the only mother who felt stuck at home with kids and depressed.
Seeds of Community, Age 9
That day, it occurred to me that perhaps she wasn't the only such mother and so I went around the neighborhood and into my friend’s homes, this time to notice their mothers. To my amazement, they all looked duty-bound and bored, if not depressed.
I went back to our front yard, stood and looked up and down the block and said to myself, "Geeze! If everyone collaborated, this could be fun and easy. Life is meant to be fun and easy!" Thus my mantra for life began, always chanting in the background, "How can we make this more fun and easy?"
Living Collaboratively
Living in community has many blessings. The cost of living is less, the footprint on the Earth smaller, you have lots of people around with whom to have great conversations or do things with, and you have support during life's challenges. That's only if it's set up to run with ease and grace.
Thus, I have NOT been interested in most of the "intentional communities" and ecovillages I've seen. Either the people were working harder by living a rural, farmer's life or had tremendous conflict in decision making - or both. What's the point?
Dynamic Governance, Key
In the last decade, I've become aware of a fabulous governance structure called Dynamic Governance (DG) or Sociocracy. It comes from the Netherlands where it has been instituted within businesses and various groups of people, has shown itself to generate great harmony in the decision-making and the general functioning of a group. Hallelujah!
While it's been applied to many businesses and organizations, it is just now starting to show up in the Home Owner's Associations within land-based communities. This is where my heart and calling is.
Catalyst for Community
So, after years of learning about the various aspects of community, teaching various relevant people processes as a psychologist to groups and those interested in living in community, I now am emerging as a community catalyst and consultant.
You see why this path is so obvious for me? I've been doing it already for years, while doing other things. It's what has been my real path all along. Like water to a fish, it was invisible to me though it permeated my life.
I am putting together a presentation for a couple of conferences I have been invited to speak at in March (19th & 20, in Chapel Hill and Myrtle Beach, NC respectively), writing a quarterly e-newsletter for 2nd Journey (see: secondjourney.org), and creating training programs for people interested in learning DG and living in what I see as “collaborative community.”
New Ecovillage Forming
As fate (read, my creative efforts) would have it, there is a wonderful ecovillage project that is forming right here in Asheville, and I am part of the team to help make this a unique, wonderful model of a community - sustainable on all levels, including relationship, and multigenerational.
As a consultant, I am heading up the community readiness training programs that include DG. It's just in the beginning stages so if interested, just let me know (I expect there to be a waiting list for it at some point). Other groups have asked for my training also. So many doors have opened and I am grateful!
So this all is really good news, and rather than feeling bad for not doing the consulting sooner, I consider it all about timing.
Several business organizations and two communities are now functioning harmoniously with DG, boomers are calling out for community like never before, and people everywhere are interested in sustainability - especially when that includes people living together harmoniously with fun and ease.
So that's my news. That's what I'm up to and I welcome you to come out and play in collaborative community with me, if so inspired.
Collaboratively yours,
Gayatri
