“One's performance is often heightened by the brilliance and generosity of other actors.” ~ Cyril Cusack
Last week's post was all about the wisdom that lies within kindness; understanding that kindness begins within ourselves. The 16th week of this year brings us yet another opportunity to take an active role in our own journey. This time we're chatting about brilliance and what it looks like in action.
"The world is so BIG, and I am so small!"
Well of course it is. But that doesn’t stop change and progress from happening, and it continues to occur in some brilliant and inspiring ways. For the last 7 years or so, I have been invited to attend a collaborative meeting in the Kansas City area that seeks to connect people and organizations who are serving the greater good. For the last 7 years or so, my hectic work schedule has not afforded me the opportunity to connect with this group. That is, until today.
Often in service professions we’ll identify a need that, if met, will help those we serve continue to flourish and blossom. This newly identified need may or may not be a service we provide, but that certainly doesn’t stop us from attempting to fill the void. Instead of creating it ourselves, the group I sat in on today seeks to connect services to each other for collaborative efforts that have an even greater impact on the community they serve, and they've been at this for 16 years.
A snippet of history on this group from today's agenda:
“Established in 2002, Community Together grew out of the 12-year experience for the Coalition for Community Collaboration. Community together is a quarterly multidisciplinary gathering of children, youth and family-serving professionals and paraprofessionals throughout the bi-state metro area of Kansas City. The purpose is to share experience and expertise, programs and services, opportunities for collaboration, and issues of public policy that are critical to the nonprofit sector.”
Pockets of Collaboration
This brilliant idea unfortunately might be a well-kept secret in Kansas City. The truth is that communities grow in strength with the help of compassionate leadership; that is leaders who behave towards another with affection, generosity, and true concern. Any avenue that seeks to connect compassionate leaders to each other, helps to foster the type of transformations that lead to sustained growth.
There are pockets of collaboration all across the nation. The rallying point is determined by the outcome that is sought. For Community Together, it is connecting, “all who work to positively impact the lives of children, families, and our greater community.” Other groups may have a more narrowed focus. But, the general thought of establishing and leaning on relationships to help the world around us is as old as time itself. We have a tendency to forget about it from time to time.
Sometimes when you’re in amongst the trees it’s hard to see the forest.
The best part about this meeting was watching the lightbulbs of connection engage. There were small moments and larger moments alike that could serve as the impetus for a collaborative effort that positively impacts our citizens. So while the world truly is a vast land, groups like this generously help connect our individual charge to others so that we can turn our ripples into waves. These are invaluable resources.
Brilliant, right?
So where have you seen brilliance in action? Let's connect our ever-growing networks...
Be brilliant. #Go52
C. L. Fails