Moved By Love: I Am Because We Are Posted by Shaalini Srinivasan, Jan 01 2019 Latest issue of 'Moved By Love' newsletter is themed I Am Because We Are. As we welcome the new year, we take a moment to pause and look back at the magic that was created in the last year. This is a special "throwback" newsletter of stories from 2018 that highlight our shared humanity and connected existence explained in one beautiful word, Ubuntu - I am because we are.

Nuggets From James Stark's Call Posted by Aryae Coopersmith, Dec 30 2018 Last Saturday, we had the privilege of hosting Awakin Call with James Stark. James Stark has committed his life to exploring how we might move into greater harmony with who we are and reignite a deep connection with the rest of the natural world. He is the co-director of the Regenerative Design Institute (RDI) at Commonweal and co-founder and co-director of the Ecology of Leadership and the Ecology of Awakening programs, which prepare community leaders for what some are describing as the “Great Turning” of our era: an invitation to face the destructive nature of our modern way of life and urgent need to transition into living in harmony with and support of our Earth home. The Commonweal Garden in Bolinas, California has been developed into a large-scale living permaculture classroom and demonstration center for regenerative design. Jame's non-profit RDI aims to revolutionize the way humans relate to the natural world, ... Read Full Story

What's Love's Business Plan? Posted by Audrey Lin, Dec 30 2018 As we wind down on our final days of 2018, I'm reminded how around this time last year, a crew of volunteers were bustling into action, scheming up surprises for a palpable “Gandhi 3.0” retreat last January. After the gathering, with so many folks brimming with energy to spill forward the goodness, it felt natural to collectively deepen further through a 6-week virtual Laddership Circle, to learn from each other, explore transformation-led design principles, experiment within ourselves and with our communities, and engage labors-of-love that reflect the emergent field of collective wisdom. Last Spring, 18 of us from 9 different countries signed on, and what a journey it was! Below are some of the many highlights. “What’s love’s business plan?” Ana genuinely asked. "What system designs create the conditions for transformation?" We quickly realized there's no one-size-fits-all answer, but it was remarkable to witness how the collective space of the circle supported each ... Read Full Story

Awakin RAK - Nov 2018 Posted by Pooja Zaveri, Dec 30 2018 We had our November session for Awakin Circle on 17 Nov 2018 and it was one where we had lots of ideas and thoughts that we shared. The session began with one hour of sitting in silence. The passage reading was from Relationships Make You Conscious, Not Happy --by Eckhart Tolle (Apr 18, 2016) which focused accept that relationships are here to make you conscious instead of happy. My view was true relationships make us conscious rather than happy because true love arises from beyond the mind and represents the fulfillment of the divine. This was then followed with a lovely home cooked dinner which all of us relished Our next session is on 31 December 2018 as we bid goodbye to the Year 2018 which as full of gratitude and love and we look forward to Year 2019 which will be filled with lots of compassion, gratitude and love for all.

Awakin RAK - Oct 2018 Posted by Pooja Zaveri, Dec 30 2018 Our Awakin Circle , RAK session for the month of October began with the one hour of session of silence which was very welcoming and this time around we had many more people joining in . The passage reading was from Intentions And Effects - by Gary Zukav (Oct 15, 2018) which focused on being aware about one’s own self even though you are free to create what you want. There were many exchanges of ideas, thoughts and lots of experiences that we shared. This was followed with a lovely home cooked dinner . Until next time, be compassionate!!

Who Are Our Neighbors? Posted by Anuj Pandey, Dec 27 2018 [At yesterday's Awakin Circle in Santa Clara, the passage, "Who Is My Neighbor?" prompted so many touching reflections! Below are a couple of them, from Jyoti and Aryae.] Jyoti: I've got so many stories on this one. One of my aunts passed away earlier this week, and she had lived in the same gated community in Pune for over 50 years. Her husband was a doctor and made house calls during the day. So they knew everybody in the neighborhood. To this day, like until the week before she passed away, she would sit in her room facing the outside and socialize with the people who went past. She would check in to see how they were doing, and what was going on, and offer whatever help she could. We lived in a different town in Delhi, she was in Pune. But her generosity and connections went past these borders. Her friends ... Read Full Story

Mommy, Why Do We Exist? Posted by Daniela Gunther, Dec 27 2018 "Mommy, why do we exist?" Last week, I was driving with my 7-year-old daughter, and this question came out of her mouth. Dumbfounded by such a loaded inquiry from a young child, I felt it was important enough to stop the car, pull over, and be present with her. I didn't want to feed her any of my pre-existing beliefs. I wanted to hear her thoughts and give her the space to let me know where that question came from. With the car parked, I got out of the driver's seat and sat in the backseat next to my daughter. "Well, what do you think? Why do you think we exist?" I asked. "I think we are here to help each other," she replied. "That's a great observation. Why do you think that?" "Well, there's a new boy in my class. Usually I'm shy with new people, so I don't talk to them. But with this new boy, ... Read Full Story

Educators On Listening Posted by Parag Shah, Dec 26 2018 Last few weeks, it's been a joy to learn from our Educators Laddership Circle, with over a dozen of us spread out across Vietnam, Philippines, India, US, and Romania! Below are some quotes from our first week, where many dove deep into the practice of deep listening: "Am I really listening? Or am I listening for what I want to hear?" "There's a feeling of being so calm when you're really listening." "My husband and I tried a listening activity -- for 10 mins, one of us listened without interruption while the other spoke. Then we switched. It was a beautiful way to connect heart to heart." "In our social emotional learning program, it became very obvious that children, no matter how small (even as young as 2), are very capable of telling you what you need." "Listening is not always asking to start a conversation: how are you? But really being mindful as well." "The center ... Read Full Story

Wisdom Of Circles. A Conversation With John Malloy Posted by Joserra G., Dec 26 2018 As part of our Community Anchors mobious and dynamic process we have engaged in different conversations during last months! Labour of Love Values, Holding Space, Nurturing Ripples, Laddering Journeys, Engagement Spectrum… All of it and so much more! Few weeks ago we had the joy of spiraling up together in the wisdom of circles, in an amazing conversation with our inspired elder John Malloy. This was the first time we had a guest speaker in last month’s calls and it was truly delightful, deep and natural! Here you have some of the main insights and reflections from John and others. John dives into the wisdom of circles, the role of anchors and facilitators, the nature of human groups, different types of leadership… Almost everything John says gives for a ton of reflection. He is someone who says a lot even when he is silent; understanding, compassion, deep listening… we hope this ... Read Full Story

KindSpring Weekly: Spotlight On Kindness: Our Hearts To Posted by Ameeta Martin, Dec 25 2018 Latest issue of 'KindSpring Weekly' newsletter is themed Spotlight On Kindness: Our Hearts To Give. One of my favorite Christmas stories is Little Drummer Boy who, unlike the rich kings visiting baby Jesus, felt he had no gifts to give. But he gave the richest gift of all - playing the drum with all his heart. Let's each strive to give our gift that's fit even for a King throughout the year: our hearts and presence. The KindSpring Team wishes you a very happy holiday and New Year. - Ameeta

Inspiring Link Posted by Somik Raha, Dec 25 2018 For some Christmas cheer, here is an article on the Stanford Police Department drawn from my dissertation research.   The Good Samaritan and the Police Department that Insourced Compassion Jesus echoed the teaching of his scriptures, “Love your neighbor as yourself.” After a little silence, a listener asked, “Who should be my neighbor?” Jesus responded with the following story. A Jew…

Mindful Families Retreat: Day 2 Posted by Suchitra Shenoy, Dec 25 2018 [Follow-up on Day 1 Reflections] Did you ever have a day that featured a camel, deep introspective discussion on technology and food, cow dung, garba dancing, an inspiring session from an amazing family, candle-light, silence, goats, and puppets? Impossible, right? But all this and more were a part of the second day of the Mindful Families Retreat – I kid you not. In the morning, the posse of children (who now move around as one, single entity), left with some parents and the Bhaiya-Didi gang to the village of Lilapur. (If you can see the silent hand of Jayesh-bhai and others at work in this, the answer is ‘yes’). The parents who stayed behind had a Parenting Circle that was vigorous and inspiring. We talked about the challenges of technology and food. Both issues are contentious, there’s a ton of information about them out there, and most people tend to have deeply held views ... Read Full Story

Nuggets From Reverend Eric Elnes's Call Posted by Preeta Bansal, Dec 23 2018 Last Saturday, we had the privilege of hosting Awakin Call with Reverend Eric Elnes. Dr. Eric Elnes is a minister, biblical scholar, author, speaker and media host. Since 2008, he has been the Senior Minister of Countryside Community Church (UCC) in Omaha, Nebraska. Countryside recently became the Christian partner in Omaha’s heralded Tri-Faith Initiative – in which a synagogue, a mosque, and a church are co-locating to a 37-acre campus to learn what it is like for the three Abrahamic faiths to live in relationship with each other. The shared physical commons is the only undertaking of its kind in the world. Elnes often preaches about the need for inclusivity, the foundation of the Tri-Faith Initiative. “Religion does us a disservice when it seeks to remove uncertainty from life,” he says. “Life is messy and no amount of doctrine or dogma changes this. Faith built upon certainty is a house of ... Read Full Story

Mindful Families Retreat: Day 1 (Reporting Live!) Posted by Suchitra Shenoy, Dec 23 2018 A baby takes nine months, from conception to birth. How many months of gestation does it take for a Families Retreat? You could say it started when the early ServiceSpace volunteers first became parents. You could date it to when the Cubs newsletter came out (remember that?:) It could be when the original Awakin Circle Mehta household started the original Awakin Kids gathering, or when it started being held regularly in west India, or Parenting Circles in South India. Or it could be when the first conversations about this retreat started…two years ago. Whichever way you count it, one thing is clear…the kids are here and they aren’t leaving anytime soon! :) Where Does It Come From? The families are gathered from diverse cities: Ahmedabad, Baroda, Coimbatore, Hyderabad, London and Surat. Their experiences of their own childhoods and what they have learnt from their children equally so. “Satya and Ahimsa, are two words that my ... Read Full Story

Consistently And Steadily You Can Go A Long Way...just Posted by Joao Perre, Dec 21 2018 We often hear that we can learn much from nature. What exactly can we learn? Let me tell you a story, related with movement, change and awe. Already for many years, I try to look at the sunrise and sunset everyday. This unique “hobby” of mine is probably one of the longest ongoing “dialogues” of my life. Every morning and every evening something remarkable happens. unfortunately we are often too busy to notice. In this phenomena, change occurs in a very discrete pace, consistently and steadily. You either gain or lose, depending where you are, around 2 minutes of light, every day. For us, living in the Northern Hemisphere, the December solstice marks the longest night and shortest day of the year. Meanwhile, the Southern Hemisphere has its longest day and shortest night. Try to imagine how our planet moves, gaining momentum in a perpetual movement, cycle after cycle and year after year. One minute in the morning ... Read Full Story

A Minute's Pause Ripples Posted by Jyoti , Dec 20 2018 In giving, we get back. As I teach, I learn from my students. In adopting the practice of a minute's pause before class, I have learned how it ripples forward as students send back their reflections. In reading the following one from one of them, I learned, how I can add a minute's pause to getting out of my car, to set my agenda for the day, and get more done. "I have learned so much from this class that I can take back to my work and personal life. I really enjoyed the silent reflection in the beginning so that you can focus on what it is you want to accomplish. I take that to work with me. Before I even get out of my car, I take a moment to self-reflect on what it is that I need to work on and accomplish for the day. It seems to ... Read Full Story

KindSpring Weekly: Spotlight On Kindness: Do Not Lose Posted by Ameeta Martin, Dec 18 2018 Latest issue of 'KindSpring Weekly' newsletter is themed Spotlight On Kindness: Do Not Lose Heart. The holiday season can trigger varied and shifting emotional responses. For some, the public joyfulness of the season exceeds their private reality of loneliness and isolation, leading to suffering and despair. As Dr. Pinkola reminds us below, "struggling souls catch light from other souls who are fully lit and willing to show it." Let's help others by shining brightly this holiday season.- Ameeta

Nuggets From Miki Kashtan's Call Posted by Alyssa Martin, Dec 16 2018 Last Saturday, we had the privilege of hosting Awakin Call with Miki Kashtan. Miki Kashtan is a self-described “practical visionary pursuing a world that works for all, exploring the application of the principles and tools of Nonviolent Communication (NVC) to social transformation.” In 2002, she co-founded Bay Area Nonviolent Communication, offering training, mediation, and facilitation for skills and consciousness of Nonviolent Communication. One of the central areas of learning and application for Miki is exploring the shift from the paradigm of exchange and accumulation to the paradigm of a full gift economy, especially looking at how we can restore our relationship with the abundance of nature and increase the interdependent flow of energy and resources. Miki describes encountering feminism in the mid-1980’s as a huge personal awakening, leading her to embrace nonviolent communication. Miki has developed Convergent Facilitation, a methodology for helping us recover our collaborative capability. We'll post the transcript of ... Read Full Story

OOOM's Top 100 Of 2018 -- Four From SSp Community! Posted by Christine Lendorfer, Dec 16 2018 I just bought the magazine OOOM -- and they have just published their 100 most inspiring people of 2018! And I saw Nipun's mention on the cover, next to Lady Gaga's photo! How fantastic! Among the hundred are Nipun, Masami Saionji, Sister Lucy, and Otto Scharmer! CONGRATULATIONS!!!! How fantastic! There are Nobel Prize winners, politicians, artists, scientists, everyday heroes, actors and actresses, architects, reporters --- you name it, so many different categories of important inspirational people in the world -- how hard the ranking must have been! When Nipun visited Vienna two months ago, by stroke of serendipity, I was at one of his lunch meetings with Georg and Christina Kindel. They casually asked Nipun for names of inspiring people from our ecosystem, but then they named him as well! Talk about a ripple. :) The article about Nipun is really amazing! The journalist, Gabriella, was also at our lunch and she mentioned how she had left the building but then got mysteriously pulled in for the closing keynote at BOKU -- and that's how she was introduced to ServiceSpace! See below for the German article (and we'll try to do a translation soon).

Laddership News: Laddership News: Peace And Goodwill Posted by Jane Murray, Dec 16 2018 This month's 'Laddership Newsletter' was just posted online. Peace and goodwill are words that appear very often at this time of year, and really they are states of consciousness rather than of being. This month's stories point to what creates those states - the small acts of kindness, generosity, compassion and love that foster the relationships that lead to a consciousness of peace and goodwill to all.