Art credit: Marc Chagall

I have been busy of late working away on my BOOK writing! “It’s about time you got back to that,” I can hear a few of you saying.

In going through some notes today I came upon something I wrote a few years ago that I would love your feedback on. I called it “The Twelve Core Insights Of The Sparking Community” or “This We Believe” …

1. That so much more is possible and our lives can be even juicier as we aim to make more possible for ourselves and others.
2. That we can experience lives full of delight and meaning while connecting with people everywhere we go and making a positive difference every day.
3. That the dualism of “taking care of ourselves” vs. “selfless service” is a false dichotomy, that the former approach is a missed opportunity for connection and that the latter is a failed model for social change and a vision of a life not worth living.
4. That it is both necessary and possible to change the world.
5. That in order to change the world we must change the way we work for change.
6. That we each have a spark, that is essentially a combination of our energy, happiness and possibility.
7. That to be able to work effectively for change over time we need to feed our own spark and live lives that are filled with: flow, ease, fun, balance, connection and creativity as well lives that are other-regarding, effective and impactful.
8. That we can grow our spark both through pleasure and through making a positive difference in the lives of others but that growing our own spark is always a means towards the end of us being able to use our spark to make more possible with and for others.
9. That we “spark it forward” and help others grow their spark not because we feel a sense of obligation to do so but because we understand that this is a crucial part of living a good, satisfying life. A sparking life is just juicier.
10. That there are some essential skills we can learn –if not master– to help us become more adept at growing our own spark and sparking others.
11. That there are both tools and practices that can help us cultivate these skills.
12. That we will be most likely to be able to cultivate these skills and succeed with the tools and practices over time if we stay connected with and support each other through a community of practice.

What are some things YOU believe in the world of sparking?