Everywhere.

It happens on every scale. A community, a nation, a people becomes bitterly divided on an issue and the civic conversation deteriorates to become nasty, rhetorically or physically violent and entrenched. Suspicion arises on every side and distrust, camps, territory and accusations fly. Perhaps someone launches a lawsuit, someone else accuses someone of unethical behavior. People who come forward to help are shot down if they can’t be pinned down.

It feels like we are going through that on my little Island at the moment. Yes it is a #firstworldproblem, and in more ways than one, for what we are going through is happening all over the place at the moment.

Groups go through this kind of thing all the time. But this breakdown of the public conversation creates difficult problems and has real costs. When the public conversation is throttled by power or bullying or other non-dialogue behaviors we pay a real price.

So what to do? Well, for one I like Peter Block’s take on things: transform the conversation starting with how you meet and then what you talk about. You cannot have a new conversation in the old format, so let’s get rid of the talking heads and the power points and the raised tables. It’s time to all come to the same level and discuss declarations of possibility that would inspire us all towards some action.

We need to find common purpose together, to open ourselves to each other and to host our own stuff so that we can hear other people and offer advocacy of our positions and ideas that makes us easy to be heard in return. We need to start from a place of renewed trust and good faith, even in people that might take advantage of our naïveté in doing so. We need to do that because restoring quality relationships is the only way to reboot the democratic conversation so that we might engage in some truly beautiful community building, nation building.

So, what declaration of possibility for your community can you make that joule inspire us all? What opinion, attitude or behaviour do you commit to letting go of so that a little more space can be opened? The work of cultivating possibility starts with all of us, and the burden is on skeptics. Transform your doubt into clear and legitimate dissent but keep your hope strong. Find someone across the aisle with whom you can reboot this precious space of democratic engagement, and don’t let the cynics drive you apart. In the end, only they will gain.

Yesterday at the end of our workshop day one of our participants looked out to the bay and saw a stirring in the water. He asked what it could be and I suggested it was a reef appearing at low tide, or a seal chasing herring or the Goldeneyes who have been engaged in their weird breeding behaviour of running on water and diving below the surface.

He said that it didn’t look like any of that, and when I turned around, I saw a small pod of dolphins ripping through Mannion Bay. I have never seen dolphins in the bay before, so we ran down to the beach and watched them move between the boats and back out into the channel. Our whole group was in awe of the scene, moved by what we were seeing, deep in the appreciation of these creatures.

This group has continually talked about how beautiful it is here on Bowen, how friendly people are, how lucky we are to have the forests and the sea and the park right by the village. Some went out to Docs on Friday and were blown away by Rob Bailey and Teun Scheut playing jazz and one of group members even joined in for a version of Nature Boy. They have enjoyed themselves here, and have opened my eyes to the qualities of place that we often take for granted. And we got to witness a surprise that even the most seasoned Islanders were delighted by.

Location:Cardena St,Bowen Island,Canada

I apologized to someone today for an unwise speech act. I did it because these two – my partner and son – among other on my home island matter to me. Because small instinctive it’s can have a long term impact on relationships.

Feels good to apologize and I hope it’s accepted. The sacrifice of pride and ego has its return in a feeling of peace.

A time of renewal of the spirit, for crossing thresholds, sustaining goodness and returning to life. The weather has been glorious over the past couple of days and yesterday Caitlin organized a trip into Vancouver for our little local improv group. We loaded up a friend’s sailboat with food and cheer and set sail for Granville Island where we took in a Theatresports game. Coming home an incredible moon rose behind the Vancouver skyline and as we rounded Point Atkinson an outflow gale got started. We sang songs, told stories, recited poetry and snuggled under fleece blankets, welcoming the wind that indicated a pleasant day to come.

And indeed we have that pleasant day today. Bright sun, birdsong and the smell of soil, the promise of new life sprouting in the garden and in the forest all around us.