Last month, I left you with a question:
What would you do in your neighborhood if two or more folks joined in?
I have a list, with organizing field trips for friends and neighbors near the top!
Another thing I'd do I can capture in one word: sing.
Just thinking about singing in community soothes my soul.
And your soul—your true Self…your infinite, kind, free and unafraid Self—is where I'd like you to seek answers.
But I didn't word the question to encourage that, so let me offer some tweaks:
What would you do to soothe—or thrill!—your soul if two or more neighbors joined you?
What would you do to feel more alive—whether for a day or over time—with two or more neighbor co-conspirators?
Village making is about prosperity making…
Spreading health and well-being…
Feeling more alive…
And true prosperity—vitality…aliveness—requires connecting with our true capital “S” Selves. Or, being capital “S” Selfish means living in alignment with our souls, which requires getting out of our heads and into our hearts.
“Don't ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive, and go do it. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.”
That quotation by theologian Howard Thurman changed the course of my life, and plays a big role in helping me make the kinds of contributions I desire.
And while I think that the Bible contains distortions and mistranslations, Jesus essentially said that aliveness is the point too:
"I came that they might have life, and might have it abundantly.”
If you're wondering why I'm talking about spiritual stuff,
this post will explain (whether it resonates is your call). But the basic idea is that to live prosperous lives, we must address the root cause of our problems, not fix symptoms.
Once you have an idea of what you'd do to feel more alive if two or more neighbors joined you, the next step is inviting folks to explore it.
This is about having a conversation, not making a commitment.
In talking, you may decide on another plan. If you don't know potentially interested neighbors to talk to, you might find people using a social networking site like Nextdoor (with your eyes open about their
partnerships with police).
Or you could try my favorite invitation tool: a flyer.
A humble flyer in the mailroom of the building where I lived enticed over 100 of my neighbors to sign up for my emails about neighborhood-y stuff. If you don't live in a building, look for a community cork board in your grocery store.
I like simple flyers that ask a question. For example, …
“Would you like join an informal a cappella singing group?”
Do you live in the X neighborhood?
If you answered “yes” to both, please send an email to [neighbor123]@gmail.com for information.
Thanks!
Then send information. You can say thanks for your interest—I'll schedule an in-person conversation at X place once I gather a few more people.
(Doodle in an online tool to make scheduling easier.)
The next step after exploring and deciding on an idea is determining what you'll need to do whatever it is you want to do.
To sing together, my neighbors and I will need a room and a pitch pipe.
I think that's enough for now.
I'd love to hear if this is helpful and what you're thinking about doing.
You've got this.
