A Call to Live Communally

Recent events here in Minnesota have brought community to the forefront of my heart and mind once again. As I witness neighbors protecting each other and sharing food, transportation, and resources, I’m reminded that we are often at our best during times of tragedy. I can’t help but wonder why we often don’t lead with open hearts during the quieter times in life. Why must our backs be against a wall to begin sharing and coming together in a deep way? Why do we go back to living separately when we see how generous, beautiful, and loving we are when we come together?

When we act communally, abundance, compassion, love, and a shared desire for peace drive arise. These are our highest energies as human beings and how we are meant to live both individually and collectively. We are all one. This is a spiritual truth. We suffer when we live from separation. Separation from our true selves, our Creator, from the Earth, plants, animals, and of course each other. Separation underlies all of our social ills. I see this time as an invitation to move from separation to Oneness.

We can build communal thinking and being into our daily lives, opening our hearts in the process. We can practice stillness and sit with how our choices affect others – other people, the Earth, the ecosystem, plants, and animals. We can offer prayers or send loving energy to those we know in need, including ourselves. We can take time to witness the abundance within the natural world and answer the invitation to live abundantly within our own lives. We can buy only what we need from the grocery store, letting go of the temptation to stock up on items for a later time. Invitations to live as one are abundant, if we are open to accepting them.

Communal living is a heart-set more than a mindset. Lead with your communal, abundant heart, and the mind will follow and watch your life bloom for living the way you were meant to live.