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Incubator of compassionate action.
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As we were looking at Pod engagement in the last year, a number stood out: 41 thousand. That's the number of hours that volunteers contributed. For every hour that a podmate puts in to harvest the fruits, another volunteer matches that to quietly till the soil. Together, it yields a field of emergence with unending moments of transformation. And when it all happens without a price tag, priceless gratitude circulates. Thank you for 2021.
To kick off 2022, we wanted to inform you of a couple upcoming Pods:
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Jan 2nd, NEW STORY POD: What's a new story you want to step into? For 21-days, you get a unique prompt everyday to share a story from your life, with kin from 24 countries doing the same. First week explores roots, second week dives into the present, and final week looks over the horizon. To top it off, some renowned guest speakers -- author Charles Eisenstein, keeper of indigenous folk-tales Wakanyi Hoffman, and story-teller Brian Conroy. Join here.
Jan 8th, PRACTICE POD: Around New Years, we often say, "I set this resolution for myself". But what if re-orient that from me to we? Specificially, (a) make a service resolution: might we arrive at self-improvement by serving others? (b) practice in community: might we go farther together? (c) cultivate deep ties: might we rise from me-to-me transactions to we-to-we web of relations to beyond-we noble friendships? Explore our first year-long Pod.
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Thank you for your heart of service.
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Last summer, among our interns was Alakh. When the 13-year-old discovered that his mentor, Brian Conroy, was a story-teller, he recorded his short stories. Check out the collection of 26 stories: Light That Never Dies!
Just last week, we finished a powerful Gandhi Pod. Below was the final reflection of a podmate from Canada:
When I turned 40, a dear friend who was 12 years my senior, asked me what I knew for certain. I told him that I'd have to get back to him on that. Three months later, we were sitting together again and I brought his question back up and he smiled.
"So what do you know for certain?" he asked again.
My answer: "We're all in this together, alone, doing the best we can with what we have at any given point in time."
He smiled a knowing smile.
In 17 years since that question, I've remembered and forgotten my answer more times than I care to remember or than I could count.
I've forgotten that I am in this life and on this planet with everyone else and yet I have focused on the alone part, because I believed that illusion more powerfully than the "we're all in this together" aspect. That has allowed me to shrink and stay "safe" -- or so I thought.
This week and my participation in this Gandhi Pod has been one of the most blessed experiences in my life! I didn't know what to expect other than "an experience" and I came in with an open heart and mind.
Over this last week I have been humbled by the delta that I've found between where I am today and where I want to be. I've gotten -- and lived -- smaller over the years, shrinking into the shadows, not wanting to bother anyone or be an inconvenience.
I believed that an automatic conflict must take place to go "against the grain". I don't hold that as a truth anymore. Love is the way, for others and myself.
In my Pod Profile, I wrote that we're all in this together. As I write the same line today, I'm blown away by how that simple statement was actually a foreshadowing of my rebirth into the now.
I'm not certain exactly what my future looks like right now -- but I do know that it is LOVE.
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ServiceSpace is a unique incubator of volunteer-run projects that nurture a culture of generosity. We believe that small acts of service can nurture a profound inner transformation that sustains external impact. To get involved, you can subscribe to our newsletters or create an account and complete our 3-step process to volunteer.
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