A summer repost from Sept. 4, 2014
I want to love the world. I really, truly do. But it’s hard, you know? There is so much division, exclusion, judgement…
Where do we begin doing the work of welcoming that honors our interconnectedness and the understanding that our collective strength is enriched by the marvelous diversity of our voices and experiences?
Welcome is not passive. True welcome embodies a profound commitment to inclusivity and compassion; acknowledging and celebrating our shared humanity while embracing our differences. It requires actively dismantling the barriers – physical, social, psychological – that serve to exclude or marginalize other people. True welcome is about creating an environment where everyone feels valued, respected, and heard. Everyone.
So what about the barriers that serve to prevent you from accepting your self? Have you created an environment where you feel valued? Maybe that’s where the work begins…
This month as we explore the many facets of what Welcome truly means, I invite you to spend some time thinking about what it would mean to truly welcome your whole self. Not just the parts that succeed, but also the parts that fail. What does it take to create an expansive acceptance that welcomes all of who you are, shadows included? What does it feel like to celebrate your humanness?
“Do not judge yourself harshly. Without mercy for ourselves we cannot love the world.”
~ Gautama Buddha
~ Christiana
