into the great wide open

“Into the great wide open
Under them skies of blue
Out in the great wide open
A rebel without a clue” ~Tom Petty

Most folks assume that reckless, foolish behavior is something we grow out of – something that subsides with maturity. In many ways it is probably true. I am finding, however, a new kind of recklessness as I near the half century mark. The recklessness of youth assumes success; that our endeavors cannot fail. When we are young we are invincible. So, really, it is not reckless at all.

Real recklessness – true foolishness – fully accepts the possibility, hell, probability of failure… and acts anyway. The reckless spirit I am discovering peers over the edge, knows it is too high for survival, and jumps!

Butch Cassidy: Alright. I'll jump first.

Sundance Kid: No.

Butch Cassidy: Then you jump first.

Sundance Kid: No, I said.

Butch Cassidy: What's the matter with you?

Sundance Kid: I can't swim.

Butch Cassidy: Are you crazy? The fall will probably kill you.

Sundance Kid: Oh, shit...

This week the tribe I lead peered over the edge and jumped. We shook off the last bit of safety and stepped into the great wide open. And we jumped together. None of us are certain where we will land or even if we will survive. We only know that to stay, to stand still, is worse than the risk of the rocks below. We jump because, for all our doubt – all our questions, we believe in a “dangerous love” that calls us into a wild adventure; a call that leads us over the edge and into a new story. And we carry the old story with us…

Who we are and where we are going is the cliffhanger of our old story. It ended with a bunch of scared and tired outlaws trying to decide between the river gorge ahead and the posse at our backs. The new story finds us in mid-air, terrified and exhilarated, as we speed toward the rushing currents below. And at least one of us has never felt more alive…  

tribes III

A tribe is defined as a connected group on a mission. Many of us find our tribe when we find a place or a group that feels like home... a place that fits. We long for acceptance and the ties that bind - ties that are often missing from our natural families.

But what if our search for home - our search to fit in and be accepted - turns toxic in that it corrupts the mission

What if the mission becomes comfort?

What if the mission becomes convenience?

What if we begin to bristle at the idea that a tribe requires anything of us at all?

In our efforts to make a "home" for our tribe, have we given up the core of the word's definition? Have we put aside the "mission" that defines us.

Why does your tribe exist? What is the mission? What are you building or tearing down? How are you changing your neighborhoods, your cities, the world? And... if your mission is to make sure that all are comfortable, that no one feels the pressure of expectations... are you a tribe at all?

tribes: 2

i need community. i thrive on relationship and interaction with others. i hate being alone. unfortunately, i am also not very good at relationships.

i am easily wounded. easily hurt. easily discouraged. and to make matters worse, i tend to be drawn to people who sense my weakness and proceed to push my buttons. did i mention that i also tend to be paranoid?

so... how do you lead a tribe with such a huge basket of snakes to carry?

my only hope, i think, is honesty. to say out loud "this is me... this is who i am." to live as transparently as possible and to trust that those who remain are cool with following, or at least walking beside such a mess as i.

no apologies. no masks. no hiding. i am a mess and i have no idea where i am going. wanna come with?

tribes

thinking a lot about tribes lately. larger tribes and tribes within tribes. tribes and how we lead them.

"What people are afraid of isn’t failure. It’s blame. Criticism." ~ seth godin (Tribes)

i'll be writing more soon about some of the tribes i inhabit and how the above quote may be the heart of all related frustration. stay tuned...