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Practice: 

Commit to a specific 15-minute window of time each week (for example, Saturday morning at 10:00). Spend the first 5 to 10 minutes sitting outside, undistracted and quiet. Notice what is going on around you and attend to what is beautiful to you. Spend the last few minutes noting these in a journal. End the writing with a sentence about gratitude, such as: "I am grateful for [this beauty]." Fill in the brackets with something very specific from your time outside. Share this with somebody within 24 hours. 

Last week I was part of an impromptu community effort.

Walking with my dog, I came across a dying coyote pup lying in the hot sun in a neighborhood greenbelt. He was furless, gaunt, bloodied. I wondered what his story had been: how he had come to wander into that urban community and what tragedy had led to his condition. A small band of concerned citizens gathered together. Without any real organizing principle, we each began to take charge of a piece of the situation. A few people kept track of the coyote's whereabouts. Two young children and their mother guided the way to the neighbor's yard in which the coyote was hiding. A couple others made calls until they reached authorities who would pick up the animal. Still two more sat quiet vigil with the pup and offered a bowl of water. Several neighbors compared stories and speculations about the small animal; shed a tear about his condition; offered hope and hugs once the coyote was taken to a shelter. 

None of us had a fanciful fairy tale ending in mind for the pup, but we did co-create a story that wove together the wild hearts of us all. Broadening our definition of "community" to include a dying coyote, we worked together for a common purpose with the wild animal at the center. Our community was made richer when we stretched beyond sameness or proximity, when we reached beyond ourselves and our familiars. 

Spotlight:  How is this work structured?

At TEALarbor stories, we work in a variety of settings (i.e., classrooms, private homes, remote online contexts, out in nature) and on various schedules. The client's needs, goals and personal calendar largely determine how the work together is structured. While there are numerous ways to facilitate one-on-one meetings between mentor and client, most people co-create a consistent, ongoing structure such as regularly scheduled meeting times over a period of months. One such format works like this:

1. Context-Setting. The mentor and client schedule a complimentary session focused on understanding the client's goals and the specific ways in which the mentor will guide the client.
2. Accountability. The mentor and client sign an agreement outlining the details of working together.
3. Guidance. Once a week for 1 to 2 hours, the client and mentor meet (in person or via Skype).
4. Progress. The client works on the project in between meetings with a specific intention for each week.
5. Support. The mentor asks the client for regular or periodic progress reports via email or phone.

The example above represents a bare bones approach, with a minimum of contact hours between mentor and client. To learn how TEALarbor stories can be tailored to your needs, please send an email to: tealarborstories@gmail.com.