Communities are made of people. And thriving communities have people with rhythms of Stillness, Reflection, Connection, and Giving.
Stillness
Irrespective of any religious or non-religious attitudes, meditative practices are beneficial for everyone.
A quiet space in our homes, or neighbourhood public spaces encourages us to practice.
Reflection
Increasing self-awareness through personal reflection is arguably the key to creating a diverse community by deconstructing our inherent biases, prejudices and negative habits and patterns of thought.
Proximity buys time that we can spend being, rather than doing.
Connection
Food is an anchor for fostering connection with each other.
Our kitchen tables, breakfast bars, bump spaces and front-yard BBQs bring us together.
Giving
Giving is good for us. For all of us. Maimonides postulated a hierarchy of charity. He theorised that the highest level of giving is where the gift ultimately enables the recipient to become self-sufficient, no longer in need of charity.
Hospitality is a simple gift that requires nothing of the recipient other than their presence, and can be given regardless of the financial position of the giver. Indeed, some of the most significant spaces of hospitality can be found in the homes of those with the lease significant wealth.