Sun Catcher - 3/13/07

Isn't that an evocative picture? I saw in on an Australian's blog that I was reading yesterday. I just love getting these little glimpses into other people's lives. I'm not sure if its voyeurism or curiosity; perhaps both. I am reminded of how much we are all alike in so many ways.

One of the things I volunteered to do when I was working was to be a facilitator for "Diversity Dialogs". The concept of diversity dialogs was that a group of people would meet weekly for 6 months and discuss articles that were assigned reading. We would discuss topics like religion, ethnicity, sexuality, etc. The role of the facilitator was to create a safe environment for people to discuss their experiences, or opinions on the topics we discussed. Creating the environment was done with setting ground rules, managing the flow of the conversation by asking questions that opened further discussion as opposed to questions that allowed for yes and no answers, and also ensuring that no one voice or opinion dominated the discussion. This was all done with the goal of people being more respectful of others in the workplace; to help people bridge that gap in understanding others who don't look or act the same as they do. It was very rewarding work, and a lot harder than it looked like it would be. Some people are very resistant to expressing their opinions or talking about themselves in a work setting. I remember one participant who always said that when we discussed religion, he would not be there. So after one session I asked him why. He said, "Because I have very strange religious beliefs and I just don't want to get into it." I said, "You just think they're strange because you haven't heard mine yet." We both laughed and he said he'd think about it. So several months later we're in that discussion on religion and he showed up and said he was a Druid. People started asking all sorts of questions so I felt compelled to jump in and divert the conversation into other areas, but he said "No, it was fine he'd be willing to answer questions." His willingness to share his experience at such a deep level really opened up everyone in the room and gave them all permission to share their stories as well. I was so proud that I had created that space that made him feel safe enough to be there.

I was just trying to figure out why that picture brought this story today. I think its about holding the light and directing it to shine where you want people to look. Its about holding your power and knowing that we all make a difference in the world. Never underestimate the impact that you make on others. No life is insignificant.

p.s. It occurs to me that perhaps I should have let you know what the ground rules were for the dialogs: 1) Always be respectful; 2) what is said in the dialog doe not leave the room; 3) Be honest and open...those sorts of things.