Holistic Community

I seek a community of like-minded individuals who clearly support each other in the pursuit of open-ended personal, social, and political growth.

This holistic community of ten or so like-minded individuals might merely gather once a month to check-in with each other and bolster spirits. By sharing meals, having fun together, developing close friendships, reporting on their efforts, listening to each other, acknowledging mistakes and resolving to avoid them in the future, and exploring how to improve the world politically, socially, and culturally, members of a holistic community could attract new members with contagious happiness, while becoming more fully human.

Ideally, such a community would be connected to other similar communities, with members convening occasionally to compare notes and reach out to potential new members.

Being clear, explicit, and intentional enhances effectiveness. Articulating and agreeing on written goals deepens commitment. When I circulated an online survey about community, the only respondents who said they did not seek a deeper sense of community were those who already belonged to a community with a written statement of purpose.

Given the frantic pace of modern life, setting aside special time for providing mutual support is important. This support might simply consist of each member reporting on their efforts with regard to personal, social, and political development.

A monthly ritual could help remind members of their commitments. Articulating one’s thoughts and feelings can be valuable. Being heard by close friends enriches the experience.  Following these formal meetings, members of a holistic community would naturally enhance their friendships informally.

Simple structures, or formats, can enable all participants to better draw on their spontaneous intelligence and innate compassion, without relying on facilitators who’ve been through extensive training.

“Open-ended” growth is key. The more we have a set destination, the less we are open to unexpected opportunities. Trying to know or control the future is counterproductive, whether it concerns personal, social, or political growth.

Each individual needs to define her or his own personal development objectives. Each community needs to be open to the community’s unpredictable collective wisdom. Political projects need to be open to surprising allies and unforeseen compromises.

By “political” I mean realistic efforts to improve public policy. If one talks about politics without focusing on achievable goals, one is engaged in cultural work, not political action. That’s fine for those who are so inclined. But my interest also concerns making a positive difference with short-term reforms.

The personal has political ramifications. And the personal involves power dynamics in relationships. But the personal is not political, because politics concerns public policy.

Political action is distinct. So I seek a community whose members regularly engage in political action, whether collectively or individually, and support each other in this work.

A commitment to growing a holistic community implies a desire to foster holistic community throughout society.  Each of us can live as we would like others to live, while accepting that others do the same by making their own decisions.

We can aim to transform American into a compassionate community dedicated to the common good of all humanity. A series of incremental reforms can lead to fundamental transformation.

Transforming America is probably not achievable in the short term. But we can move in that direction. And who knows? Almost anything is possible. These days, sudden changes frequently surprise us.

When I articulate these thoughts to others, in person or in writing, I rarely receive critical feedback. When people respond, their comments are generally positive. For example, feedback on “Transform America: A Declaration for Action,” as reflected in the Comments section, has been supportive.

But silence has been the primary response. And even among those of us who seem to agree, we don’t practice what we preach. An undercurrent of fear seems to prevail. I have yet to find a holistic community of the sort described here that I can join and my efforts to initiate one have not borne fruit.

In our hyper-specialized world, few people seem inclined toward this holistic approach. Most political activists aren’t interested in providing mutual support for personal development or growing communities that meet unmet personal needs. And most people who focus on personal or spiritual growth, including those who foster alternative communities, aren’t interested in political action.

Some political organizations conduct “leadership development” programs to help members develop specific skills. Others conduct training to address specific issues, such as fear when faced with violence. But these methods (which can be valuable) tend to be top-down. The organization predetermines the agenda and experts provide the training. I’m more interested in peer support.

So I’ve decided to stop initiating new efforts, Instead, I’ll support specific actions from time to time, discuss my concerns when opportunities emerge, be available to respond to any invitations that I receive, read, write, travel, and keep my eyes and ears open for a holistic project to join.

Regardless, I trust the universe will take care of herself.