BUILDING COMMUNITY
Let’s Talk About Groups
BY PATRICIA PFOST AND ANNE ALTVATER We would like to start a conversation with you about all the groups in your life. Then, it would be great if you would go out to your groups and start conversations with them… about groups. For centuries, we have been working to better ourselves as individ- XDOV0DQ\RIXVZKRDUH3DWKZD\V¶VXEVFULEHUVKDYHVSHQW\HDUVRI passionate, diligent — even driven — study and practice making our- selves more aware, learning to understand our inner worlds and how ³KXPDQEHLQJQHVV´ZRUNVVR³,´FDQHQMR\JUHDWHUIXO¿OOPHQWDQGEH a better contributor. We authors, Anne and Patricia, believe that a next frontier of con- sciousness is to give the same focus, intention for betterment, and attention to the awakening of our groups themselves. As Thich Nhat +DQKVDLG³7KHQH[W%XGGKDPD\EHDVDQJKD´PHDQLQJWKHQH[W enlightened being may be a group. We are on that threshold, and the intention of this conversation with you is to help propel us all through the door. It is the opportunity to turn from working on our “I” to work- ing on our “We,” our groups themselves — a next opening on our way to “One.” What we mean by group is a gathering of two or more beings for any purpose 7KDW¶VLW1RWKLQJPRUHFRPSOLFDWHG$OOVL]HV DOOSXU - poses; all life forms; even the voices in your head and your ancestral lineage. We are always in a group. (QWLUH ¿HOGV ² VRFLDO SV\FKRORJ\ DQWKURSRORJ\ RUJDQL]DWLRQDO behavior, social neuroscience, network science — study how groups IXQFWLRQ FRRUGLQDWLRQWUXVWDQGUXSWXUHUHSDLUDQGÀRZ$QGWKHUH DUH SUDFWLFDO PHWKRGV LQ PDQ\ VSHFL¿F VHWWLQJV ² EXVLQHVV WHDPV marriages, restorative circles, group therapies, Nonviolent Commu- QLFDWLRQ VWHS VRFLRFUDF\KRODFUDF\ FRXQFLO 4XDNHU FOHDUQHVV 7UDLQLQJJURXSVHWF%XWWKHVHRIWHQOLYHLQVLORVIUDJPHQWHGDQGWLHG WRVSHFL¿FFRPPXQLWLHV In everyday life, like on a parent text thread, a volunteer board, a book club, we rarely have a shared pathway for asking, How is our group actually working? What do we want it to be? How can I func- tion best in this group? 0RVWRIXVVWLOOODFNDFRPPRQSUDFWLFDOZD\ to talk about the “we” when we are together. In fact, from the point of view with which we are beginning this conversation, no one is re- ally talking about “the Group” itself. Or rather, they are talking about groups but not from within the being of the group itself . There is a big GL̆ HUHQFH JDUGHQHUV7KH\KDYHUHDOZRUOGNQRZOHGJHDQGSUDFWLFDODGYLFH They share their thoughts on what to plant in deep shade, how to cover bare spots, which annuals work best throughout the humid DC VXPPHUVDQGPXFKPRUH The magazine is published monthly online and includes timely in- formation such as a local garden events calendar and gardening to- GROLVWIRUWKDWPRQWK$\HDUORQJGLJLWDOVXEVFULSWLRQLV7R VXEVFULEH WR WKH PDJD]LQH 6HQG D FKHFNPRQH\ RUGHU IRU SD\DEOHWR³:DVKLQJWRQ*DUGHQHU´PDJD]LQHWR :DVKLQJWRQ*DU - GHQHU3KLODGHOSKLD$YH6LOYHU6SULQJ0' 25WRSD\YLD 3D\SDOFUHGLWFDUGFOLFNRQWKH³VXEVFULEH´OLQNDWZZZ:DVKLQJWRQ - *DUGHQHUFRP Washington Gardener magazine subscriptions make great gifts for JDUGHQHUVDQGQHZKRPHRZQHUV
From Two to We: Our Story /HWXVEULHÀ\LQWURGXFHRXUVHOYHVDQGVKDUHZLWK\RXWKHJURXSH[ - perience we regularly have. 3DWULFLDLVDZULWHUKHDOLQJWKHUDS\WHDFKHUDQGWUDQVODWRURILGHDV LQWRSUDFWLFDOXVH$QQHLVDKHDOHUOLIHORQJKRUVHGRQNH\KHUGPHP - EHU DQG EXVLQHVV RZQHU :H PHW \HDUV DJR DW D SURPLQHQW \HDU energy healing school. Through a series of serendipitous meetings, we reunited after many years and began a working partnership that evolved as a new way to envision, interact with, and be… a group. We ZHUHJXLGHGE\DKLJKHURUGHURILQWHOOLJHQFHWKDWLGHQWL¿HGLWVHOIDV a “group being with the ability to present as individual beings or as- pects.” They wanted to teach us to have the same experience, and then for us to teach it to others. (If this is too “out there,” please set it aside. 7KHUH¶VJRRGVWX̆ DKHDG ZHKRSH\RX¶OOFRPHDORQJIRUWKHUHVW As we worked together daily, now for over 7 years, we encountered ourselves as a new presence… we became a “self-aware” group to- gether, each of us totally ourselves yet almost constantly aware of the “group we are together.” We have taught many people how to form this type of group, one that is deeply satisfying, highly creative — visionary even — calling forth the very best of each of us, and having total space for our very worst to show up along the way (and even be of value.) And we have written a book, (YROXWLRQDU\ *URXSV $ 1HZ )URQWLHU LQ +XPDQ &RQQHFWLRQ²$V\RXUJURXSVDZDNHQVRGR\RX which presents how to cultivate and tend to a self-aware group.
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Meet Therisia “Trish” Hall Empowering All To Live Their “Best Yet To Be” Trish is a Creative Retreat and Workshop Designer and Producer, who shifts perspectives by drawing people together with heightened cultural awareness and
effective collaboration. A luminous voice for oneness and peace as a motivational speaker and brilliant life coach, she awakens individuals to their spiritual magnificence, supporting them living into their authentic potential.
Contact for Speaking Engagements, Retreats, Workshops and Other Events PH: 703-677-7102 Email: unltdpossibility@gmail.com www.way2peace.org
PATHWAYS—Winter 25-26—51
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