August’s Clean Planet Day event gave me insight into the powerful creators we are. What do I mean by that?
Leading up to August’s event, I remember having the feeling that no one was going to show up. What I discovered underneath that feeling was that I was never really engaged with the event and didn’t feel much like doing it. I showed up at our community park as planned when I said I would, but my mind was elsewhere… focused on everything I needed to do for school. Really, there was no opening for participation. In the personal growth and development work we do with Landmark, we learn that we are a “clearing” for how people show up around us. We can be a clearing for fun and play, or a clearing for collaboration. We can also be a clearing for any way of being, desired or undesired.
After this event, I could see that I was actually the clearing for no one to show up. So really it was no surprise that I was at our GRI space (our park) by myself, as Amy had a previous commitment to attend to.This is what I mean when I say that we are powerful creators. Even though I did show up, and actually cleaned eight bags of the Morning Glory weed this time, my attitude was more about getting it done than on the opportunity to share the experience with others.
The lesson out of this experience led to a conversation about leadership on our weekly Clean Planet leadership call. I was able to see the pitfall in following through and showing up when really, I didn’t want to be there. Though I did honor my word, my attitude wasn’t where it could have been to be a clearing for participation.
We don’t look at this as a failure, because the teaching here is to be authentic in what I say yes to, as well as to be in communication with our leadership team, instead of ignoring the feeling I had leading up to Clean Planet Day and showing up to the park just to check a box.
This month gave me the gift of understanding the power of commitment – so that when I say yes to something, it’s because I really am for it.
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