Increasing Equity & Decreasing Inequity: VIRTUES
Photo by Donald Giannatti on Unsplash
Rosa Parks reminded us her belief that human beings are of one race, the human race. Community is based on this understanding with roots in our commonalities. When we focus on the good in people & our strengths, this is when we foster hope. Being realistically optimistic acknowledges there are positives and negatives in each situation and with people. The question we are asking today is how can we build a safe place of belonging where everyone is seen as valuable, & necessary, with a significant area to contribute to?
The Pando is a forest of one, a clonal grove, sprouting from a single seed, producing stems to support its root system with the size of 80 American football fields. This ancient oldest living organism survives natural disasters like fires, landslides and floods, sprouting up new stems, while other conifers die. What is the difference? The root system, being one unified organism, sustains the death of older trunks promoting the life of these new stems.
What are the lessons we can learn from clonal groves? Instead of looking at what labels us, our outward appearance, and markers of success that are seen and measurable; let’s look at what lies underneath. Could we choose for our collective lives to take root in basic virtues, binding us as humanity? Come shelter safely with us in the human library to experience the beginning of this movement. This space is created when we intentionally lay aside differences, looking at what lies beneath. Let’s foster a root system of virtues, valued in every culture in their own unique way:
wisdom & knowledge
courage
love & humanity
justice
temperance
spirituality & transcendence
These virtues are able to be learned and developed with intention and support. As we weave together our story as a community, may this be our framework.
We talk a lot about virtues in our Leadership Life Skills Coaching Course. Upgrade today to paid to access full content in archive section.