Tag Archives: community

(#416) A Safe Place to Land


I kept hearing about the connections between congregants and neighborhood, congregants and congregants, as well as congregants and their own souls. Consider this. It’s 1993. You are an exuberant minister with a young and growing family.  You walk into a … Continue reading

Posted in acceptance, assumptions, authenticity, Being REMARKABLE, Choice, Civility, collaboration, Communication, core values, vulnerability, wisdom | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

(#414) Come Together: Food, Friends, and Family


The food might have brought us together; the bonding kept us coming back. The word hygge or coziness comes to us from the Danes and it describes the feeling associated with “good drinks, good friends, and conversation” says Dan Buettner. … Continue reading

Posted in authenticity, collaboration, collegiality, Communication, Community, community development, conversation, core values, family, Friendship, social ties | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

(#406) Purpose and Authenticity


Mortality salience often leads you to ask questions about the meaning in your life. In his book, The Blue Zones of Happiness: Lessons from the World’s Happiest People, Dan Buettner builds a case for well-being consisting of three strands: pleasure, … Continue reading

Posted in authenticity, fortitude, generativity, Goals, Gratitude, Integrity, intentionality, Life lessons, Passion, Purpose, resilience | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

(#388) Connectors. Dividers. Adopters. Resistors.


We have to know who “gets it, wants it, and has the capacity for it.” A community has many attributes. For me, it’s hard to conceive of a community without unity. You cannot spell community without unity. A community represents … Continue reading

Posted in amplifying, assumptions, awareness, change management, coaching, collaboration, collegiality, Goals, Haters, influence, resilience, Stress | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

(#383) Creating Direction


While simple dichotomies may be deceptively simplistic, they can provide a starting point for conversation and movement. Each day we have the opportunity to provide light or darkness. We provide direction or obfuscation. With every decision and interaction, we can … Continue reading

Posted in Appropriate Behavior, assumptions, authenticity, awareness, Being REMARKABLE, change, Community, community development, dignity, fortitude, Friendship, generativity, Gratitude, Life lessons, listening, Personal Wellbeing, potential, practicality, respect | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

(#382) We All Live Downstream


Does your community resemble a collection of isolated islands? Maybe you can be the bridge builder for a movement to unite. Hurricane Irma reminded us again of the power of community.  Times of emergency bring people together. Whether by reaching … Continue reading

Posted in collaboration, Communication, Community, community development, resilience | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

(#381) Before and After the Conversation


Conversation presupposes an interaction between two or more people. Synergy can develop with due consideration. Collaboration can result in movement for improvement. Ever notice how what passes for conversation usually is anything but conversation.  Look around and you will observe … Continue reading

Posted in collaboration, Communication, Community, consideration, conversation, Life lessons | Tagged , , , | 5 Comments

(#380) The Sun Rises Each Morning. Sometimes We Cannot Recognize It.


The sun will shine on the thousands of people who helped thousands of others survive the catastrophe. The storm saw strangers not acting as strangers. The loss and devastation due to Hurricane Harvey defies words. The images bring us some … Continue reading

Posted in action, Community, core values, empathy, fortitude, Grit, Integrity, Life lessons, Making a Difference | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

(#379) Accommodations For My Students Made Me A Better Teacher


Being a teacher is more than knowing one’s content and “covering” the material. Effective teachers do what they can to connect with each student and build a community of learners who connect with one another. The Individuals with Educational Disabilities … Continue reading

Posted in accountability, awareness, Being REMARKABLE, Choice, coaching, Community, Discipline, emotional intelligence, faculty development, fortitude, Gratitude, growth, Integrity, intentionality, resilience, teaching and learning | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

(#378) If Something Happens and No One Sees It, Does Anything Happen?


Quietly reaching out and forging a connection and creating change. On a recent visit to Cedar Key, Florida, my wife I stumbled upon a rusted sign nailed to the front of a dilapidated wood bungalow. On this site in 1897 … Continue reading

Posted in amplifying, Appreciation, assumptions, Being REMARKABLE, change, Choice, collaboration, Community, community development, core values, ethics, mindset | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment