Finding our tribe

I have a thing for children’s books with great messages (see earlier post on The Heart and The Bottle). Last week I got a new one that I would love to share with you. Hug Me, by Simona Ciraolo.

Felipe is a cactus. Growing up, he sensed that he did not belong. He could not find his tribe, and had given up completely on ever finding it. His spines, once being what made him special and unique, prevented him from getting close to others. He felt lonely. But one day, he found a friend that saw him for his true beauty. I read the book for my 12-year old daughter and her friends, as I was curious about their take on it. At first they started to joke around. “Yeah, that book is about one reject finding another reject.” But then my daughter said, “Oh, this is about finding your tribe, like the girls in Avicii’s music video Wake Me Up.” It made me smile, they are kids of their time. As human beings we are hardwired for connection, love and belonging. We want to belong and our tribe are people with whom we have common interests and values, where we show genuine appreciation and care for each other. Sir Ken Robinson, author, speaker and expert on education, creativity and innovation, says that our tribe is essential in helping us to find our element. Members of a tribe kick ideas around with each other, validate each other. Tribe members drive one another to explore the real extent of their talents. Furthermore, Robinson believes that when a group of people with common interests come together, a synergy is established, which allows us to create something much greater than any of us could have created individually. At different stages of my life, I have felt the need to find new tribe members, as most of us do. It can be hard, and it takes time. But our tribe is out there, we just have to keep searching. Look for people who lift you up, help you grow, inspire you and celebrate with you. Within our tribe, we can truly be ourselves. These are people that love us, not despite our imperfections, but because of them. Our tribe becomes our spiritual home.

The hunger to belong is not merely a desire to be attached to something, it is rather sensing that great transformation and discovery become possible when belonging is sheltered and true. John O'Donohue

Lots of love, Monica

Thank you to all of you that came out to the Courage and Compassion event last week. I am so happy that Patti shared her stories with us about her marathon swims and how she deals with physical as well as mental challenges . Truly inspiring! The day after the event, Patti flew to New Zealand to conquer Cook's Strait, the challenging swim between the north and south islands of New Zealand. Her date was set to Sun, Jan 31, but due to strong winds, she has been in a holding pattern, waiting for Mother Nature to cooperate. The latest news is that she will start her swim today, Tuesday, Feb 2 at 3pm PST. You can follow her swim HERE via SPOT tracker.