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Jenny Freeman's avatar

Hello, dear Shilpa! My new year started Wickedly too, and I appreciate your piece in many ways. I am thinking about the tension in the weave of belonging and authenticity. Now I am humming "Defying gravity". It feels very apt as we face this heavy time.

Delighted to meet you at Bioneers! Thank you for your beautiful joyfull community building there. Talk about lifeways! I met Eddie, a wonderful story-tellling colleague at one of these.

One of my lifeways is that I also love bringing together groups. The most recent has been a space for activists and healers to gather, as the phony wizard took over. Its called "Resting into Love". Circles create powerful light. We share an appreciation for leading from collective strength. Thank you for you and all you do, which I am just learning about. I have subscribed, and hope to stay in touch.

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Shilpa Jain's avatar

Thanks so much for reading and subscribing, Jenny, and so great to meet you at Bioneers, too! I look forward to hearing more about 'Resting in Love' circles and continuing to learn together. <3

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Uma Mishra's avatar

Well, now I have added Wicked to my list to watch, Shilpa! Thank you for this post. It is such a wonderful reflection to start the year. I hold so much of what you shared here Shilpa, the mutually reinforcing circle of authentic selves and what this allows us to individually and collectively experience.

This distinction and connection between authenticity and attachment is so necessary for us to explore because I find too that my need for attachment in many cases means me abandoning myself...and the impacts of that are not immediately known...

Really looking forward to journeying with you this year in all the ways Shilpa!

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Shilpa Jain's avatar

Looking forward to journeying with you too, Uma! And what you're saying is so powerful -- the impacts of abandoning self for attachment are often unseen and unrecognized, just like abandoning attachment for authentic self has impacts. Something definitely worth further exploration! Thank you!

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Leaf Seligman's avatar

Shilpa, I love your comments about Wicked (I saw it and agree with your impressions) and I love what you write about authenticity and attachment. If belonging asks us to be inauthentic, then it is not belonging being offered. We can welcome folks to join us as long as they "fit in" and that is assimilation not belonging. And I love "lifeways." Thanks for sharing that concept/word. As always, I learn from and with you and what you write. All love and thanks.

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Shilpa Jain's avatar

Thanks so much for that distinction, dear Leaf - between belonging and assimilation. It can be so hard to tell the difference, especially when it feels like belonging is contingent on assimilation. I know I felt that was being pushed upon me in my youth, and certainly as a minority in a white-dominant country. I really appreciate the difference between the two, and the call to see belonging as only present when authenticity is present. Thank you! I learn from and with you too! <3

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