Living We Space

These are challenging times for many of us. The global challenges of our present time include political, social, environmental, and technological change and events. The way we think about and address these difficulties can lead to isolation, division, and sometimes conflict. It is easy for individuals, families, organizations, political parties, and countries to default to focusing on their own issues and perspectives – their ego-system. This approach threatens the experience and potential of our interconnectedness – our eco-system. There is a demand for us to transcend our ego-systems and live out the benefits of our eco-system. But how? The principles of We Space as taught and practice at Dare to Connect workshops provide some responses we can adopt in the face of these challenges.
 
Here are three ways to practice and experience We Space at three levels – Self, Others, and Nature:

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1.  We Space at Self Level: Look inside yourself for your own multiple, and sometimes contradicting stories, perspectives, and identities.  You may not need to look too far as they arise in many situations. When they do, embrace them. Inquire into them with humility and curiosity. Practice We Space by connecting deeply with yourself and including more of you. Remind yourself of the crucially important place you stand in that long ancestral chain of humanity.
2.  We Space at Others Level: Three key principles of We Space at this level are (1) Assume that the collective wisdom (what we call WEsDOM) is available as a resource that everyone can tap into. Direct your intention towards this possibility; (2) Listen for and to learn from the collective voice. Honor your truth while you privilege the voice of the highest level of collective you can sense; and (3) Look around in your world at the many rich and complex sub-groups you share life with.  Ask yourself, what is obvious and what might I be missing about their experiences?  Explore how you might inquire about how their lives are different from yours?  Assume that there are others around you in need of being seen and touched.
3. 3. We Space at Nature Level: We are ever connected to Nature. And it has the power to bring us peace and deepen our connection with the rest of life in challenging and divisive times. When you can find a few moments just for yourself, here is an exercise you can practice. Go outside. Walk among the trees, on the sand, in the sea, or on the snow. Stand on the bare earth. Press your feet down, reaching deep into the earth. Allow it to hold you. Feel connected with it. Bring your awareness from the soles of your feet up and away from your body, like a spiral. Allow your awareness to spiral out to take in more of nature, still with its center point, you, being firmly grounded and balanced in the earth. Include the trees, the animals, people, and all that expresses life inside your ever-expanding “spiral We Space”. Extend it up to the heavens. Include the birds, the wind, and the clouds. Listen to them. Feel your connection to the earth and the heavens. Breathe deeply. Express gratitude. Now run, dance, jump, walk, roll, hug a tree, or whatever feels right for you. Maintain your connection to the Spiral We Space through your day. 
     
   Through Dare to Connect We-Lab, we stand for the expression of our interconnectedness at these multiple levels. We intentionally build community by openly welcoming our similarities and differences, telling and weaving together our individual and collective stories, recognizing our historical connection and shared wounds that divide us like racism and nationalism, and we go outside to walk and talk with nature. None of these are new practices. However, put together in these times, they are essential for manifesting and magnifying peace and love in our homes, communities, countries, and world.  The spirit of we-ness comes alive during the Dare to Connect WE-Lab and remains available to us as a guide as celebrate and drop into our powerful connection across differences.
4.  We Space at Self Level: Look inside yourself for your own multiple, and sometimes contradicting stories, perspectives, and identities.  You may not need to look too far as they arise in many situations. When they do, embrace them. Inquire into them with humility and curiosity. Practice We Space by connecting deeply with yourself and including more of you. Remind yourself of the crucially important place you stand in that long ancestral chain of humanity.
5.  We Space at Others Level: Three key principles of We Space at this level are (1) Assume that the collective wisdom (what we call WEsDOM) is available as a resource that everyone can tap into. Direct your intention towards this possibility; (2) Listen for and to learn from the collective voice. Honor your truth while you privilege the voice of the highest level of collective you can sense; and (3) Look around in your world at the many rich and complex sub-groups you share life with.  Ask yourself, what is obvious and what might I be missing about their experiences?  Explore how you might inquire about how their lives are different from yours?  Assume that there are others around you in need of being seen and touched.

3. We Space at Nature Level: We are ever connected to Nature. And it has the power to bring us peace and deepen our connection with the rest of life in challenging and divisive times. When you can find a few moments just for yourself, here is an exercise you can practice. Go outside. Walk among the trees, on the sand, in the sea, or on the snow. Stand on the bare earth. Press your feet down, reaching deep into the earth. Allow it to hold you. Feel connected with it. Bring your awareness from the soles of your feet up and away from your body, like a spiral. Allow your awareness to spiral out to take in more of nature, still with its center point, you, being firmly grounded and balanced in the earth. Include the trees, the animals, people, and all that expresses life inside your ever-expanding “spiral We Space”. Extend it up to the heavens. Include the birds, the wind, and the clouds. Listen to them. Feel your connection to the earth and the heavens. Breathe deeply. Express gratitude. Now run, dance, jump, walk, roll, hug a tree, or whatever feels right for you. Maintain your connection to the Spiral We Space through your day. 
 
 
Through Dare to Connect We-Lab, we stand for the expression of our interconnectedness at these multiple levels. We intentionally build community by openly welcoming our similarities and differences, telling and weaving together our individual and collective stories, recognizing our historical connection and shared wounds that divide us like racism and nationalism, and we go outside to walk and talk with nature. None of these are new practices. However, put together in these times, they are essential for manifesting and magnifying peace and love in our homes, communities, countries, and world.  The spirit of we-ness comes alive during the Dare to Connect WE-Lab and remains available to us as a guide as celebrate and drop into our powerful connection across differences.