In the past few months, much has happened in the world that is heart-breaking and heavy. We hear from women every day who are struggling to maintain hope, to stay focused on the light, to believe that humanity will ever turn toward love.Many of us feel that the frequency of love is rising in millions of people around the world – and yet humanity seems determined to keep taking one giant step backward after another. We know of thousands, maybe millions of groups and organizations who are working in creative ways to build a better world – and yet all forms of media primarily broadcast stories of fear and suffering. We feel in our bones that there is a better way of being and doing that is waiting to be born from this chaos around us .
In a polarized world, how do we manifest together this elusive “third way”?
How do maintain our optimism and our motivation?
How do we make a way out of no way?
How do maintain our optimism and our motivation?
How do we make a way out of no way?
Krista Tippett offered some encouragement in a recent podcast on her On Being platform. Her guest was Christiana Figeures, a Costa Rican citizen and an internationally recognized leader on climate change. She is co-presenter of the climate podcast, Outrage + Optimism, and co-author of The Future We Choose: The Stubborn Optimist’s Guide to the Climate Crisis. From 2010 to 2016 she was Executive Secretary of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, leading the process that secured the landmark Paris Agreement on Climate Change. She is also a founder of Global Optimism. https://www.globaloptimism.com/
Christiana spoke about a time in her life when she was frozen with fear and grief, unable to find a way forward. It was deep spiritual practice that helped her find healing and once again believe that radical change is possible on this planet. She offers a roadmap of hope, a three-step process for true transformation that is both personal and collective:
1. Change your mindset – Instead of leaning into fear and hopelessness, shift your mindset to one of muscular hope and deep conviction that it is NOT too late.
2. Shift the narrative – Only when you have shifted your mindset can you shift the stories you tell yourself and others to stories that inspire and activate. You also need to have deep discernment about the stories you listen to and where you put your focus.
3. Only then is transformative action possible both individually and collectively.
The podcast reminded us that “Hope is a verb with its sleeves rolled up.”
You can access that entire interview here:
WHAT’S AHEAD FOR WSF?
When our hive of women gathered for our closing circle at the end of the Parliament of the World’s Region’s, we identified several threads of possibility for our work in the year ahead:
Helping other organizations weave young leaders into their core fabric. We have been approached by several people who attended our intergenerational workshops at the Parliament asking for guidance on how to invite young people into their organizations in a way that is meaningful, authentic and sustainable. We welcome the opportunity to share some of our experiences with you.
Seeking contributions for Indigenous ceremony
WSF has been invited to bring an intergenerational group of women for ceremony with Diane Longboat at Soul of the Mother Lodge on the Six Nations reserve in Canada next spring. We already have a group of more than a dozen who have committed to participate with us. We welcome your prayers as we make preparations for that sacred journey.
Our young leaders will need financial support to attend;
Airfare and accommodations will cost about $1,000 per person.
We invite you to join us in making this sacred journey possible for these remarkable young women.
Let’s keep feeding each other, supporting each other and holding space together for the Good.