Hi everyone 👋 Greetings from Arcos de Valdevez in Portugal! Today, our desk is set up in Northern Portugal at the regenerative farm of our community member, @Maria do Céu Bastos. Nadene and myself arrived on Monday evening to spend a few days helping Maria on the farm, cooking together, and exploring how inner development meets the land. Yesterday on our 'Virtual Farm Tour event' we had planned to have a thoughtful conversation about resilience and life skills. And then, life handed us the real thing. Shortly after arriving, wildfires broke out in the hills just northeast of the farm. Yesterday, flames were visible from the house, thick smoke rolled into the valley, and Canadair firefighting planes roared overhead scooping water from the river. When an aerial tower burned down, our internet went completely dark. With emergency bags packed and the cats carrier ready, our conversation turned from abstract concepts to what resilience actually feels like in our bodies: - The More-Than-Human Grief: Waking up in the middle of a smoke-choked night, unable to see, hearing an owl call out in the dark—and feeling the deep ache for the trees, wild animals, and mountain cattle living through this. - The Fiction of Hyper-Independence: For years, society told us to "do it on your own." But when disaster approaches, online followers can’t hold a hose or bring dinner. Last night, it was Maria’s local neighbors who checked in. Real physical community is our truest safety net. - Emotional Resilience in the Disconnect: When Maria didn't immediately reply to phone calls from her family, panic quickly crept in for loved ones trying to reach us. It was a sharp reminder of how reliant our nervous systems have become on instant replies—and how vital it is to cultivate the inner capacity to stay grounded in uncertainty. Yet amidst the smoke, the grounding rhythm of the farm carried on: picking sweet grapes straight off the vine, simmering pasta sauce with garden tomatoes and beans, and gathering quince. Rather than dreaming of escaping to bunkers or private islands, real resilience is about showing up right here—for the land and for each other.

To our blessed Mothers for bringing each of us into this life - Happy Mother’s Day My Mom taught me respect, and generosity.Mine is alive and living in Ottawa, Canada. I’m thankful to technology that facilitates our regular chats… even when we don’t see things the same way, that’s ok. Where does your Mother live? What did she teach you?

Being a part of the Presencing Institute community since it's very beginning, and have used TheoryU in the design of many gatherings that I have hosted and facilitated. I joined the first of five global gatherings yesterday. They hosted a 90-minute session with over 700 participants weaving together stories, music, breakout conversations, and collective reflection to explore the living connections between regenerative agriculture, human health, and new economic possibilities. I'm sharing a few of the images and phrases that stuck with me: Planting new seeds for new ways From extraction to regeneration Agriculture is culture Native bees are almost extinct Fall in love with the problem Both special guests were touched by a calling and curiosity to do something different with their lives. Despite their fear they allowed themselves to feel into it, to take risks because they had a strong belief in the importance of their ideas, and the impact they could have on people and the planet. They decided to experiment with what they were curious about and each took small steps with purpose, being brave enough to take the next step without having the answers. Christa was activated by soil, farming and community. Zuzanna by creating caring farmer communities. Christa went on to say that she surrendered to the process. Special Guests: Christa Barfield, Zuzanna Zielińska

A long essay on addictions — and thinking is one of them! « This really does go all the way down. The addiction to thinking is, at root, an addiction to wanting things to be different from how they are. The fuel is always some version of: this moment isn’t enough. The machinery of mind grabs a thought, hoping it will resolve the tension. Alas, it never does. So it grabs another, and another, and the body is left holding whatever you were trying not to feel. » Thank you @Mary Martin https://open.substack.com/pub/deepfix/p/youre-probably-addicted-to-thinking?utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web All Reflections welcomed dear community ☺️

There are SO many reasons to LOVE the Summit; meeting all the amazing practitioners, listening to the speakers stories of challenges and transformation, watching and listening to the beauty of the performing artists. I took over 40 photos today of insights and want to share 2 that were very thought provoking from one of the morning speakers; Kasper Benjamin Bjorkskov. He's the founder of No Objectives, a non profit research and design agency "on a mission to turn minority insights into majority actions". I share 2 of the slides he discussed around capitalism and why we the people need to step into our agency to create change, because actions shape our values. 🐦 Action is why we created InnerDevelopment@Work! Kirstin Dunlop (CEO of Climate KIC) in conversation with Christiana Figueras (Diplomat and one of the architects of the historic Paris Climate Agreement) spoke of the most difficult decision she took of changing the direction of the company towards holding space for new ways of doing and being to emerge with coalitions and having to sit with the extreme discomfort of the not knowing. Another discussion that I appreciated immensely was between Imam Dr. Muhammad Nurayn Ashafa and Rev. Dr. James Movel Wuye, who went from being mortal enemies to lifelong friends. They shared their story of death and destruction and how they realized that only through forgiveness ( a "new" competency) could they heal themselves and their communities 👉I could easily continue, however prefer to call upon our community members who either watched online, or where present in Stockholm to share what resonated for you. P. S. I was handed a new badge today from the Office of Kindness 🤗