I’ve been trying to reflect on the first two months of my new role this week. (Things are going great!). But the point I want to make is that reflection was difficult to do in the context of our world today, and this week in particular. A world that, for me, feels like it’s coming apart at the seams more dangerously than ever. Global dynamics like climate change and geopolitical conflict seem insurmountable. National issues from the rapid rise of populism, the decline in social capital, and the breakdown of institutions are all like a car crash we just can't stop watching.
If you’re not more than a little concerned right now - you should be. And if it doesn't feel like these issues are impacting your life today I guarantee there are people in your world who are feeling it. Sorry to be a little preachy. I get it, these systemic challenges often feel way too big to know what to do individually. That’s disempowering and it’s often easiest to accept defeat and numb ourselves with all the ways we’re able to distract ourselves.
But I came back to and found solace in the message I shared at Towerside’s annual meeting last month - place is the unit of change in the world around us. I believe the way we impact those problems is right out of our front door. Those are sometimes the easiest things to overlook but all of these big issues play out in our neighborhoods and communities, and those are ‘things’ that we can shape every day. But it takes collective impact, each of us showing up a little bit. Just a little. We have the means to make big changes by the way we create the world right around us. By all means, we need to protest, donate, volunteer, vote, etc. But it can also be as simple as joining a club, showing up to a neighborhood meeting, or smiling at someone who doesn't look or act like you on the sidewalk or at the gym. Sunday’s NYT interview with Robert Putnam helped me define that as ‘bridging social capital’ and it's a must-read IMO. We need those small connections to build bridges, and those are the ‘places’ where change is going to happen.
https://lnkd.in/gywg8fmv
There are so many other great resources and writings on all of this, from theoretical to practical, that I’ve been immersing myself in too. Along with messages like Robert Putnam's, these are the inspiration and motivation keeping me focused on place as the unit of change in my world. I’d love to start building a more intentional community of others interested in cultivating this. Who's in?