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THE ART OF SHOWING UP
Are you here right now? In a recent column in Psychology Today's Enlightened Living blog, psychotherapist, teacher and writer Michael J. Formica noted: "Contrary to popular belief, human beings cannot multitask. That's one of the reasons that the NTSB reports that texting while driving is the functional equivalent of driving with a blood alcohol level three times the legal limit. You just can't effectively attend to two things at once -- even the superficially automatic ones." "So, how do we stay present?," his article continues. "The first thing to recognize is that, try as we might, we really can only do one thing at a time, so we ought to do that thing wholeheartedly. Most of our time is spent in the past or the future, rather than the present moment. What we end up doing is passing through that moment on the way to somewhere else and, in doing so, we miss the moment. That's how life ends up passing us by -- we do it to ourselves."
In other words, as Mark Twain once noted, "80% of life is showing up."
One simply cannot create lasting societal change by staying home, overwhelming ourselves with multiple tasks that in reality leave us sitting out of the game. The participants of Occupy Wall Street know that, as do last year's Tea Party marchers. We've created InCommons as a platform -- sometimes virtual, sometimes real-world -- for individuals to show up to openly and thoughtfully discuss, share and trade ideas, and hopefully find solutions. And if there's ever been a moment in which you desire to become more actively engaged, InCommons is supporting two ideal events for you to be present -- one that will make you smile and one that stills your mind.
The Theater of Public Policy Each Thursday through Nov. 17, InCommons is hosting "The Theater of Public Policy," weekly gatherings at HUGE Theater in Uptown Minneapolis that explores, dissects and re-imagines issues of the day through improv theater. Called T2P2 for short, each show features an in-depth conversation with a leading policy maker or thinker on a specific topic. The ideas, anecdotes, problems and memes that arise provide the inspiration for the T2P2 cast to craft long-form improvisational comedy theater. Visit InCommons.org/T2P2 for a full schedule.
The Journey of Presencing "Presencing" is a journey that connects us more deeply both to what wants to emerge in the world and to our emerging, higher self. An international network is emerging to apply the Presencing approach in organizational and social change. Join us Monday, Oct. 24 at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum in Chaska for the first-ever Minnesota Presencing Forum -- which will feature local speakers and engagements as well as live streaming from the Presencing Global Forum in Boston. The event is at capacity, with a waiting list available. Learn more here. Whatever your cause, whatever your passion, we hope you can join, show up, be present and create change. |
