Sitting in circles is an ancient practice.
And circles have been used to celebrate, heal, initiate, and congregate.
From village campfires to inconspicuous rooms sitting high above the streets below.
And from building basements to the more modern patchwork quilt of faces sitting on a Zoom call.
But sitting in a circle is a practice that I had not properly experienced until I was well into my fourth decade on this planet.
And one of the things I have learned in experiencing in Circles of Trust, the approach designed by the Center for Courage & Renewal, is this.
In the moments when I have felt so alone, so isolated, so bruised, so unique in what ails me and so special in all the burdens that I carry, something surprised me.
Something that James Joyce so eloquently described.
That “In the particular is contained the universal”.
The universal struggle.
The universal hurt.
The universal grief.
The universal doubt.
The universal pain.
You see David Whyte says that all sincere paths will end up breaking your heart.
And I agree with that.
And I have experienced universal hope too.
The universal joy of witnessing someone share what makes their (broken) heart still sing.
The universal courage that comes with getting up and trying again.
The universal acts of activism in the face of prolonged and seemingly insurmountable headwinds – just ask any campaigner trying to fix a broken system on behalf of their child.
Because James Joyce was right, in the particular does lie the universal.
And whilst I entered some of these circles feeling like my story was special, and (probably) feeling sorry for myself for hand I was dealt, I quickly learned,
That I wasn’t alone.
I wasn’t alone in my struggle and I wasn’t alone in my joy.
But the biggest gift that witnessing the courage of others treading a similar path gave to me, was that it sparked a seed of courage in me.
A seed that seems to keep on growing, the deeper I connected.
And, folks, if you made it this far, that is probably the most important thing.
#courage
#poetry
#accountant
Photo: Ards Peninsular, Co. Donegal
—This is a continuation of my posts on the 25 most important things I have learned during my Facilitator preparation with the Center for Courage & Renewal. The original post can be found here, and at some point, when I have written all 25 posts, I may bundle them up into one document for ease of reading.
If anything in this post has sparked your curiosity, or you would like to know how Circles of Trust might benefit you or your teams, or you’d just like to connect more deeply, please do get in touch. I would love to hear from you and can be contacted via email to will@thewilljohnsonjourney.com
Finally
*This Friday, November 11th*
I am co-hosting an online circle for men.
It follows the success of last month’s session and we hope will be another opportunity for men to connect and share what is uppermost during these current times.
The session will run from 6.30 pm to 8.30 pm UK time.
Please send an email to will@thewilljohnsonjourney.com if you would like to join us. It’s free of charge and you’d be very welcome.
What is Courage & Renewal – The Will Johnson Journey
Courage & Renewal Approach | Center for Courage & Renewal (couragerenewal.org)
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