Breathe in…
To live in a more harmonious world by deepening connections amongst men
Breathe out…
These prompts are reminders for me, as much if not more than, they are for anyone reading this.
Between breaths is our vision for MenLiving.
As we move into our 4th month of living during a global pandemic and bear witness to the nationwide and global riots and protests sparked by the brutal death of George Floyd two weeks ago, it seems as if “harmonious” is the last word you’d use for the state of the world right now.
Here at MenLiving, we’ve had several discussions over the last 2 weeks about what this means for us in how we live our lives as well as in how we lead this organization. What we can do. And, what type of environment we want to create out of and into this tumult.
I’ve been thinking a lot lately about our vision. What we hope to create in all that we do and the importance we place on being authentic, honest and open –both with ourselves and with one another.
I’m finding (maybe unsurprisingly) that creating the space for all voices to be heard and perspectives to be shared may be anything BUT harmonious. Like some of the recent discussions we’ve had around challenging topics like racism, police brutality, and power/privilege & difference – these topics often lead to a world of discord, conflict, even chaos.
For one, that’s not all bad.
For two, that doesn’t have to be the end of the story.
If you’ve been paying attention, you’ll have noticed that the looting, burning and violence has evolved into organized, peaceful protests with glimpses, even wide-eyed gazes, at the power and beauty of allowing people’s voices to be heard and their presence to be felt.
Out of chaos, comes calm. Out of conflict, comes understanding. Out of discord, comes harmony.
We hope you’ll join us at one of our upcoming events so we can hear your voice and feel your presence and possibly make the journey from discord to harmony…together.
Beautiful, Frank. As we all witness the world events, I find it heartening to be with the men of the Tribe and being able to UNDERSTAND more about this, particularly from the men of color who have been joining our discussions. As I sit with the ways in which my white privilege has shaped my life, I also feel privileged to be a part of this group. Thank you for your leadership, my brother.