Community

Hello Loves,

I live in a small town 80km east of Vancouver.

I have called this community my home for over thirteen years now. I decided that I wanted to deepen my connection to my community by finding more people in alignment with who I am today, and what interests me.

I pulled out paper and a pen and began to write a list of ideas I wanted to explore.

1. Artist Salon – use my home as a gathering place for intellectuals and creatives to discuss and exchange ideas – writers, painters, life coaches, photographers, potters, homesteaders, meditators, inventors, storytellers, innovators, and philosophers.
2. Non-Fiction Book Club – take turns picking a work of non-fiction to read over the month, then meet up for snacks, good company, and discussions.
3. Mastermind Group – create a goal and design a plan to achieve it with a close circle of women. Mastermind groups help you be successful by brainstorming creative ideas, helping with problem-solving , and holding you accountable. The group requires both confidentiality and a serious commitment. The end result is success!
4. Cold Water Plunge – meet women out in nature through the seasons to practice the Wim Hof Method of soaking in cold water for the incredible health benefits for your body and mind.
5. Volunteer – create a writing workshop for women’s domestic violence shelters to help shift the paradigm from Victim to Victor. How can we rewrite our story for healing?

From this list I first picked volunteering. I created Write From Your Heart workshop. I asked myself what did I need when I was a victim of intimate partner violence? The answer I received was that what I needed was a voice. I wrote up a plan for a four session writing class, made it into a two page hand-out, and went to my local women’s shelter. My wish is to create an on-going workshop through the women’s shelters in my town, province, and country. Step by step I want to create a healing community that is wide-spread.

Next on my list I chose the cold water plunge. Water and nature are two of my favorite elements on this planet. They keep me grounded and happy. I thought up a name – The Cold Water Collective – and designed a logo and signed up for an Instagram account. I also made posters and tacked them up anywhere I thought I would entice like-minded people from my community. We now meet once a week on Sundays and enter the freezing cold water often scared and unsure, but leave feeling invigorated and full of clarity.

These are my ways to expand my circle. And expand my consciousness.