Tag Archives: overcoming isolation
What if we all enjoyed meaningful social connections?
Watch Resilience Circle facilitator Lisa Cook’s excellent TEDx Talk! Lisa talks about the increasing problem of American loneliness and isolation, including her own personal story. Around 6:40 into the video, she talks about how Circles can help folks create community.
For Real Change, Have Conversations: The Art of the “One-to-One”
By Thomas Atwood and Sarah Byrnes No matter who wins the debate or ultimately the election, we know our nation and our communities will continue to face complex economic, ecological, political, and social challenges. Our challenges are compounded by a culture of isolation and disconnection. The skills we need to build connection and empathy may […]
How to Have a “One-to-One” Conversation
Labor and community organizers have been using a practice called the “one-to-one” conversation for generations as a way to build networks, enhance relationships, and enlist people in their work. A one-to-one can be defined as a structured conversation where you authentically share your story with another person and listen to theirs. Based on your commonalities, […]
Did You Know that We’re Hard-Wired for Community?
We’ve known all along that Resilience Circles are a great way to have fun and build community resilience. Now, it turns out they’re good for your brain, too. Mainstream culture tells us that deep down, the human person is self-interested, greedy, and out for himself. We’re told that the best way to build a society […]
The “Successful” Small Group – What the Heck Does That Mean?
I once heard from a Resilience Circle facilitator in Michigan that his group “hadn’t really worked out.” “What do you mean?” I asked. “Well, all we did was start a community vegetable garden.” What? I was flabbergasted. I tried to assure him that in my mind, at least, his group was a huge success. After […]
On The Issues Magazine: Resilience Circles are Consciousness-Raising Groups for Tough Economic Times
by Sarah Byrnes Originally published in On The Issues Magazine, October 20, 2011 Here in the U.S., our economic system is just not working for most Americans. The official unemployment rate is 9.1 percent, costs are rising, savings are diminishing, foreclosures are continuing. Even worse, the future is likely to bring even more challenges. We’re […]
American Dream House Meetings
The path to the American Dream begins with real conversations among concerned friends and neighbors, like those we have at Resilience Circles. Read more to find or host your own House Meeting!
Building Resilience: The New Economy in the Shell of the Old
On a Thursday night around 6 p.m., people gathered for the fourth meeting of my Resilience Circle. The meeting started with a potluck…
Real Change: Join the Club
By Alan Preston Via Real Change Do you lie awake at night wondering if your job is secure? Are you one of the growing number of Americans who are officially unemployed, underemployed or anxiously employed? Do you worry about your children’s future and wonder what their lives will be like in the face of economic […]
Turning to One Another, by Meg Wheatley
There is no power greater than a community discovering what it cares about. Ask: “What’s possible?” not “What’s wrong?” Keep asking. Notice what you care about. Assume that many others share your dreams. Be brave enough to start a conversation that matters. Talk to people you know. Talk to people you don’t know. Talk to […]
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