DreamsThis article is written by Kate Griffiths in response to Playful Genie Muse’s Inspire and Connect Festival over on CreaTEAvity.  It is also inspired by some of the heartfelt comments shared by members of Ab Fab, an alternative networking group that meets in Leighton Buzzard.  The focus is that dreaming gives us hope and as we share our dreams with others they become alive and we find the connections we need to make them real.

If you don’t yet know Playful Genie Muse then take the time to do so.  She is an inspiration to many.  She is a cancer survivor who is a model to anyone who has a life-threatening condition.  Her capacity for joy in life is virtually unequalled and she has a big heart.  Just before Christmas three years ago, my husband ended up in hospital for about 10 days in a critical condition.  Callie, who I hardly knew at that point, offered to write my blog over that difficult period to give me the space to focus on my children and my partner.

What I love about Callie’s festival is that underlying it is the intention of bringing prosperity and abundance to the whole community who engage in it.  It is based on the principle that we can have a much greater impact when we work with others which is something that I commented on in the recent article I wrote for the 3rdimagazine.  The challenge that she gives us is to consider what our skills and passions are; how we are going to use them to bring abundance and prosperity to our lives and that of others; and then to be explicit around what we need to accomplish our dreams.

My passion is conversations.  We all have around 27 interactions a day but how many of those are sparkling and fulfilling.  To that end I run frequent connection through conversation events to which I invite change makers.  There is an amazing energy around these events and I love doing them.  However I realised recently that I wanted to play a bigger game.  It took me a while to figure out what that was and then I came up with my bold, hairy audacious dream.  Inspired by the film Crossroads, I feel that my role is to help spread the word about the current transition we are in.  Some call it a crisis.  Did you know that in Chinese the word crisis is made up of two characters: one means danger, the other means opportunity.  Looking at it from the Chinese interpretation, I think crisis is a good description.  To get the critical mass of 10% that is needed to get to the tipping point that will enable the new paradigm to emerge fully, there is a great need to increase awareness.

I have a burning desire to be part of the change and show people it is possible to live abundantly with less and one of the first steps is to severe the attachment to seeing constant growth in GDP terms as a good thing.  There are some great examples of what new paradigm businesses could look like.   Through the 7 Graces Project we are starting to show what that could look like by offering a way to market your products and services without making potential consumers ill in the way that traditional forms of marketing often does.

As I began to realise that my role is to facilitate conversations amongst people who are creating really new thinking, opportunities have started to flow in.  At the moment I am exploring a range of different approaches on how to create a more just economic system.  My dream is to bring some of the key people in this arena together for a conversation that I will facilitate.  This will be filmed so that the insights that they share and co-create together can be shared with a much wider audience.  It is all about showing people how to let go of the fears that they have that keep them slaves to the current paradigm.

My role is to be a facilitator of world changing conversations so that I can get the word out further.  I will bring people together for these conversations.  What I need is people that are good with video filming and editing to care of that part of the project.  Also as I get busier, I need a Virtual Assistant (VA) that is good at building systems and SEO particularly who can help me build my business systematically.  Ideally I would like to find a way of working that is on a reciprocal arrangement.

I have already taken the first step towards my dream.  I am planning to host a screening of Velcrow Ripper’s forthcoming film Occupy Love here in North Hertfordshire.

Occupy Love explores the growing realization that the dominant system of power is failing to provide us with health, happiness or meaning.   The old paradigm that concentrates wealth, founded on the greed of the few, is causing economic and ecological collapse. The resulting crisis has become the catalyst for a profound awakening:  millions of people are deciding that enough is enough – the time has come to create a new world, a world that works for all life

I am starting with a private screening in my home for some of my tribe on 17 April.  Then I would like to screen it for a wider audience in this area.  The money raised will be split between Occupy Love and this project and probably the venue where the film is screened.  My idea is to either do it in the local school or a venue which we supports the development of community.

If you are inspired by any of what I have said and want to get involved in any way then do leave a comment or get in touch by the contact page.  Callie if you have thoughts or ideas that can help I look forward to hearing them as I certainly see your rolodex mind in action 😉

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Kate Griffiths is a qualified coach, speaker, community leader and writer, who is fascinated by the power of conversation. She teaches business owners, leaders and teams how to communicate effectively to build stronger relationships and thereby improve the possibilities for innovation and collaboration.

Kate is also the Community Relations Director of the 7 Graces Project, a thriving community and emerging social enterprise.  The aim of the 7 Graces Project will be to provide an educational alternative and business incubator for a new generation of ethical, community-focused businesses.

The photo was sourced through creative commons and is part of this collection

 

Monday’s Musing: Big dreams need collaboration to become alive
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11 thoughts on “Monday’s Musing: Big dreams need collaboration to become alive

  • April 10, 2013 at 9:10 pm
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    Great stuff, Kate! Especially like your bold, hairy statement “I have a burning desire to be part of the change and show people it is possible to live abundantly with less.” Yes, yes and YES!

    • April 10, 2013 at 9:15 pm
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      Thanks Lynn. Feel that I am doing that with the choices I have made re: having an allotment etc. Next step is about showing others what the options are so that we can get to that critical mass of 10%. It is thrilling and scary as I test out how much of a tribe I have.

    • April 12, 2013 at 5:22 pm
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      Less TRULY is more … I’m learning that, slowly but surely!

  • April 12, 2013 at 5:29 pm
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    Hi Kate, this is such a wonderful sharing – thank you so much for celebrating the spirit of Inspire & Connect Festival 2013 so beautifully in your article.

    I know that you truly are someone who walks her talk : you are so deeply committed to your path and I feel blessed to have felt the warmth and support of being part of your Tribe.

    Conversations is SO your “thing” and it makes me heart sing to see how perfectly life is unfolding as you continue to vocalise your visions and dreams out loud.

    So, right now, two ways in which your beautiful bold vision could receive support are:
    (1) from people/a person with strong video filming and editing (how much kind of time do you envisage needing over the next 3 months, say?)
    (2) from a Virtual Assistant (VA) that is good at building systems and SEO – especially supporting you with building your business systematically

    (preferably, support would be via a way of working that is on a reciprocal basis, at least for the beginning of the relationship)

    *yayyy* I am SO excited for you … I love VA’s (somewhat biased, as I used to be a VA!) and know how valuable VAs are to our business, our visions, our dreams – especially VAs who resonate with our actions and visions!

    • April 12, 2013 at 8:25 pm
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      Thanks for putting such a quality comment up here Callie. I have loved having the opportunity to talk about you, a woman whose energy is so life giving.

      With the videoing I think I need 2 cameras for a conversation so that they can get round the group. No idea with the editing. Need to follow up a contact that Francesca gave me.

      Having been a VA you may know some good ones. In the early stages it will be about finding someone who can work a package.

      Thanks for the ringing endorsement my lovely and I do hope you get a large response to your fab festival. Connection, as you know, is so my thing!

      • April 16, 2013 at 2:12 pm
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        So very happy to hear that you are making such sound progress re: cameras and editing, it’s music to my ears! I am so looking forward to your talk next Tuesday!!

        Re: VAs – as you know, I was doing the VA-stuff way before it caught on here in the UK so surprisingly, I don’t know of ANY VAs at the moment (unsurprisingly, I dropped a lot of contacts whilst going through treatment) but yes, I’ll keep my ears and eyes open. I am more than happy to help you discover the best q’s to ask (and find out) when it comes to choosing a new VA 🙂

  • April 25, 2013 at 10:12 am
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    Kate, I may be able to help with the video production and editing. Please call me to discuss how we could work together.

    I am still a bit new with social media, so I am unsure how to leave contact details in what is a public forum, so instead, I will suggest you get my details from Nikki Pepper or Chris Ogle. Sorry if this is a little awkward.

    • April 25, 2013 at 1:10 pm
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      Bless you Austin 😉 are you on twitter? I am @wholeself. If we connect there or FB then we can private message each other.

    • April 25, 2013 at 6:10 pm
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      oh Austin! This is wonderful – I am so glad you have connected with Kate!

  • June 10, 2013 at 12:39 pm
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    Hallooo, dearest Kate

    I wanted to let you know that your wonderful sharings are now collated into an eBook to celebrate our Inspire & Connect Festival back in April 2013! http://createavity.com/2013/06/10/inspire/

    With blessings & gratitude, Playfull Genie x

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