synergy needed now

[Callie McAllie]

I am feeling downright impish this morning. I woke up thinking about synergy, how I cannot tolerate one more minute of this "us vs them" thinking all around us. I want something better, more productive, more positive, more constructive.

"Can't we all just get along?" is not even enough. I want us all to work together. I am a hopeless dreamer, but I feel like this is what has got to happen.

Any thoughts?

[PinkTiger]

1. Yes.

If we do not work together, we will dissolve. I have nearly stopped posting and reading, and just recently come back hoping to salvage this place for myself. I've decided to stick for a little bit, to see what happens. But the feeling that it is OK to post something is no longer there. I don't know if it will ever come back like it was.
I know that I'm having a struggle with acceptance, and I don't think I can take hearing glowing accounts of the opposition. However, I know that I am not alone, and that those who disagree with my choices would feel the same if my candidate of choice is the nominee. We are polarized. How we get around that, I don't know.

[Callie McAllie]

2. Please stick it out

we do not want to lose you!

I agree there seems to be more negativity here than in the past. I hope it will not last.

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

3. Start with the breath

seriously, getting folks breathing together actually works. A real-life example:

About 10 years ago, my husband was invited to an ecology conference. The activists were angry, all wanted to push forth their own agendas, and nothing was getting done. My husband asked the discussion leader to give him the first five minutes the next morning. He led the group (around 100 I believe) in a simple breathing practice. "Take a deep breath, let it out with a sigh. Do it again and vocalize it--Ahhh. Ok, do it again, this time add LA at the end-- Allah. That's Arabic for Unity, people." Changed the whole atmosphere, and the group was able to continue with their meeting with no anger--all were working together.

It does come down to the breath.

[BlueIris]

4. Heh. Thanks. I was just about to get a book on "breathing" this week. nt

[Callie McAllie]

5. I have a meeting like that tomorrow

I'll keep the breathing in mind.