We see it among a group of people all the time: one person is shy, one person loves to be the center of attention. One person is intellectual, another is more emotional. We see the nerdy, geeky types, and we see the athletically proficient.
But what we don't always see, or admit, is that we have all these types of characters within us, and, depending on many factors of our life thus far, some of them get more outplay than others.
And, even more problematic, some parts of us are more reliable than others - when we say we are going to go to the gym every day at 6am, that aspect of us is completely serious. But another part of us might think that is a terrible idea, and makes its opposition known when the alarm goes off.
So the artist, the caregiver, the friend, the parent, these are all part of the collective instrumentation of a human life and its possibilities. The question then becomes, who is the conductor? Is someone in charge of all of this, or do we just let the loudest voice win out?
Join us in the discovery of the human orchestra in this 4-part series.
Where it threw me had to do with being able to really recognize it, and recognizing these lives inside that are slow, that are fast, the adventurer, and the homebody. I just went on this whole path of trying to find these very opposing influences in me. And do I then identify with any one of them, or do I simply recognize that they are there? And who gets to decide in the moment?
Kyriaki Nikandrou
I am seeking to be in conversation with others in search for keys, for tools of understanding and application and for the real questions, the ones that become portals to contemplative journeys, leading to uncharted territories that feel like home.
I believe we are on a trajectory of multiple and unpredictable changes; it is up to each one of us to rise to the challenge of our times. Now, more than ever before, is the time to be true to ourselves and fulfill our potential.
Patrick Summers
Early on I used to enjoy sitting in certain churches after the service had ended and sensing what felt like fine, special atmospheres. Something was around I could feel but couldn’t see. The same with walks in nature and wilderness. The serenity and sense of healing felt connected to something deeper and finer in the earth.
I also began to sense what might be called the special places within, the inner lives and capabilities that can help us perceive and connect to finer sources of light and healing and knowledge all around us. Across the planet and into the universe; we’re all connected.
So many journeys of discovery. Shall we proceed?
Aud Wilken
It has always moved me deeply that the human can process such a myriad of life, so many things, and in so many ways.
To be in charge of the sensitive machinery that can feel, think, listen, absorb, know, and create. To come to know Life more intimately. To offer response - perhaps with music or poetry - to what is being felt and witnessed. How to best tune oneself to accurately translate and be with all of this without shrinking it? To offer it one’s best, with great trust in the senses and by practicing often - alone, and with others - to give voice to Life as it moves in and through and between us all.
Many small offerings, so more beauty, more truth and more goodness can land and grow.
Aviv Shahar
Aviv is the Founder of Aviv Consulting, helping leaders unleash strategic innovation, and is the author of Create New Futures: How Leaders Produce Breakthroughs and Transform the World Through Conversation.
Mona Martin
I have always been attracted by the mysteries of what I did not know, what’s been lost, what’s been hidden.
It drove me to set my feet on a path to find out how things work, what caused them, how are they connected…
How did they happen, what does it mean for the human being, how did we get to where we are today - and where exactly are we today?
…… a delightful pathway of discovery that does not end.
Bernie Doyle
I’ve traveled to over 40 different countries across 6 continents and I feel like I am just beginning to understand about human life.
The world is a big place and life has so many expressions, it is amazing to believe that I am part of such an amazing experiment. I love the fact that human beings exist and that we collectively have a universe of evolution before us.
Don Giuliano
I am a perennial student of the University of Living. As long as I can remember, I’ve been in awe and fascinated by the nature of things, their relationship to other things, and to their causes. I’ve wondered - and still do, as it is a work in progress - and am in the pursuit of, the discovery of the part I play in this Great Mystery.
Rita Lampen
Growing up in the Finnish countryside, immersed in the ever-varied life of the seasons and the elements, was a fortuitous beginning of deep intimacy with the planet that hosts and supports us, and a rich interactive affair of being human in this big picture within an even bigger picture. I recall the awe and wonder looking up at the stars as a small child, feeling an inexplicable longing for home beyond the tangible family home.
Visual art, movement and music have been recurring cyclic themes in my life over the years, on a journey of living in several countries practicing a variety of occupations in aspects of arts, crafts and well-being.
Life can be an ever-moving adventure of "shedding skins" that have become outdated and constrictive, and growing new ones that are – hopefully – refining to be more resilient, fluid yet strong, better serving the purpose of this ongoing journey of discovery.
So – what next….?
