Sustainable Tarpon Springs - Tapestry of Life

If we were all to ask ourselves if our lives are rich, fulfilling, and complete - I think it would motivate us to continue to move in the direction of our dreams rather than to stall or believe we’ve reached ‘vision actualization’.  Perhaps, we need to challenge ourselves to break free from conventional social norms in order to discover and achieve our highest expectations.  It is nearly impossible to do this in isolation.  There is certainly a balance - because ‘alone time’ is the ultimate space to ask those personal questions, yet we are not meant to live alone forever.  We are reflected, challenged, expanded, and inspired by others.  We are part of a Whole; not an island unto ourselves.

This is the reason some of us consider the option of becoming part of a more deliberate, more intentional group of people opening our lives to one another.  We realize, even if we are creative, productive, and motivated within this world, without a variety of intimate and honest relationships with others, we are missing deeper connections.  Do you ever wonder why we are obsessed with Facebook, our iphones, and texting one another?  We seem to deeply yearn for a group of people who know, understand, and accept us, so if we aren’t finding it in the particular situation we are in, we reach out for our ‘friends’.

Social networks are only meaningful and fulfilling if we are connected to those we have some history and real experiences with.  Yes, those connections can be a fun way to meet people who are on the same page, but we likely will not build the same trusting bonds we are able to do with people we meet face to face.  Humans all have an actual electro-magnetic energy field that emanates from our hearts and is stronger, and broader than the energy field produced by our brains.  We instinctively respond to the input and output all the time, feeling attracted or repelled by others in a very real response to this information.  Being with those with whom we ‘resonate’ is akin to ‘energy healing’, raising our good peptides and lowering our blood pressure!

One of the members of our newly established intentional community, Growing Together, sent us this wonderful description from the book Yoga From the Inside Out:  “Each member of the Kula (which means, 'community' or 'family' in Sanskrit - it is where one chooses to place his or her heart) might be seen as a thread, that when woven together becomes a tapestry. Thread alone has very little function. It can even be lost or broken quite easily. The value of thread is found in its functioning together with other threads. Thread can be used to mend and it can be used to attach things together. When thread is woven into cloth the cloth becomes infinitely more useful than a handful of single threads. It is the same for us within a Sangha or community -- we have the opportunity to be woven into a beautiful cloth. As we bring our individual expression and skills to the group, the group become stronger and more functional for service. We, in turn, have function, purpose, strength and stability when bonded in such a way. This bonding creates a continuity of support even when we are not physically surrounded by the ones with whom we practice. This support becomes an internal sanctuary that backs up and gives us strength to live in the world with the values of the spiritual practitioner."

I have always loved the image of us as part of the Larger Tapestry of Life, and this gives it a more intimate dimension!  We are ALL woven into the Fabric of Human History, but choosing to do so with full consciousness, openness, and willingness to accept feedback from those we love and trust leads us to fulfillment we could never achieve on our own.  Perhaps this is the essential beginning of absolute sustainability - realizing we are part of a beautiful tapestry, connected to past generations, reaching out to future generations, establishing thriving Earth Communities all woven together as a whole.  Let our Tapestry begin in Tarpon Springs with each of us who are willing!