Selfrespect

11/17/2015

Thisdaymarksthefirstofficialmeeting!

Thediscussion'sfocuswasselfrespect,althoughwetouchedonanumberofrelatedideasalong
theway.Amongthemwere'childlikeness,'thepresenceandcapacitytoseethesacrednatureof
simplemoments,simplephenomena.Wediscussedwhatitmeansto'give
you
backtoyourself,'
toembraceone'sflaws,tobetransparent,andtoacquiremoreaccurateportraitsofourpersonal
heroes.

Hereareafewreadingsthatwereofferedbeforelaunchingintoconversation:

FromtheBhagavadGita
Now you shall hear how a person may becomeperfect, if they devotethemselvesto thework whichis
naturaltothemApersons own natural duty,evenifitseems imperfectlydone,isbetterthanworknot
naturally their own, even if this is well performed. When a person acts according to the laws of their
nature, they cannotbe sinning. Therefore,no person should giveup theirnaturalwork,eventhoughthey
doitimperfectly.Forallactionisinvolvedinimperfection,likefireinsmoke.

FromHermannHesse's
Demian
...whileamongmyfriendsIwasthoughtofasadevilmaycareleaderandadevilishlysmartandwitty
fellow,deepdownIwasfulloffearandanxiety.Irememberevennowthattearssprangtomyeyeswhen
IsawchildrenplayinginthestreetoneSundayafternoonasIemergedfromapub,[happyastheywere]
withtheirfreshlycombedhairandSundayclothes.AndwhileIoftenamusedandshockedmyfriends
withoutrageouscynicismatbeerstainedtables,inmyinmostheartIwasinaweofeverythingIscoffed
atandlayinwardlyweepingonmykneesbeforemysoul,mypast,mymotherandGod.

FromSirThomasBrowne
Menthatlookuponmyoutside,perusingonlymyconditionandFortunes,doerrinmyAltitudeThe
earthisapointnotonlyinrespectoftheHeavensaboveus,butofthatheavenlyandcelestialpartwithin
us:thatmassofFleshthatcircumscribesme,limitsnotmymind:thatsurfacethattellstheHeavensithas
anend,cannotpersuademethatIhaveany:Itakemycircletoabovethreehundredandsixtyalthough
thenumberoftheArkdoesmeasuremybody,itdoesnotcomprehendmymind:whileIstudytofind

howIamaMicrocosm,orlittleWorld,Ifindmyselfsomethingmorethanthegreat.Thereissurelya
pieceofDivinityinus,somethingthatwasbeforetheElements,andowesnohomagetotheSun.Nature
tellsmeIamtheImageofGod,aswellasScripture:hethatdoesnotunderstandthismuch,hasnothad
hisintroductionorfirstlesson,andisyettobegintheAlphabetofhumankind.

FromWaltWhitman
Isaynoonehaseveryetbeenhalfdevoutenough,
Nonehaseveryetadoredorworshipdhalfenough,
Nonehasbeguntothinkhowdivinehehimselfis,andhowcertainthefutureis.

Courage

11/25/2015

Today'stopicwas'courage.'Wediscussedthefactthatcouragerequiresaparticularfearor
obstacletoovercome,inorderforittobegenuine.Wecontemplatedtherelationofcourageto
love,thenatureandstructureofrelationships,aswellashowtofindone'sown'voice'inaworld
ofcompetingvoices.

Herearethesplendidreadingsshared.

FriedrichNietzscheTwilightoftheIdols(ExpeditionsofanUntimelyMan,17)
"Themostspiritualhumanbeings,assumingtheyarethemostcourageous,alsobyexperienceby
farthemostpainfultragedies:butitispreciselyforthisreasonthattheyhonourlife,becauseit
bringsagainstthemitsmostformidableweapons."

SenecaOnProvidence(IV)
"WhyisitthatGodafflictsthebestmenwithillhealth,orsorrow,orsomeothermisfortune?For
thesamereasonthatinthearmythebravestmenareassignedtothehazardoustasksitisthe
pickedsoldierthatageneralsendstosurprisetheenemybyanightattack,ortoscouttheroad,
ortodislodgeagarrison.Notamanofthesewillsayashegoes,'Mycommanderhasdoneme
anillturn,'butinstead,'Hehaspaidmeacompliment.'Inlikemanner,allthosewhoarecalled
tosufferwhatwouldmakecowardsandpoltroonsweepmaysay,'Godhasdeemedusworthy
instrumentsofhispurposetodiscoverhowmuchhumannaturecanendure.'"

MarcusAureliusMeditations(2.6)

"Wrong,wrongthouartdoingtothyself,Omysoulandalltoosoonthoushalthavenomore
timetodothyselfright.Humanshavebutonelifealreadythineisnearingitsclose,yetthoustill
hastnoeyetothineownhonour,butartstakingthyhappinessonthesoulsofothers."

EpictetusDiscourses(3.15)/Handbook(29)
"'IwanttowinanOlympicvictory.'Well,considerwhatcomesbeforeandwhatfollowsafter,
andonlythen,ifthereisanyadvantageforyouinit,actuallysettowork.Youmustacceptthe
discipline,submittoadiet,abstainfromeatingcakes,trainunderorders,atafixedtime,inheat
orcold,andyoumustn'tdrinkcoldwaterorwinejustasyouwishinshort,youmustgive
yourselfuptoyourtrainerasyouwouldtoadoctor,andthen,whenthetimecomesforthe
contest,youmustsetaboutdigging,andsometimesdislocateyourwrist,orsprainyourankle,
andswallowquantitiesofsand,andgetwhippedandthensometimesgetdefeatedevenafterall
ofthat!Whenyou'vereflectedaboutthesethings,goonthen,tobecomeanathleteifyoustill
wanttootherwiserecognizethatyou'rebehavingaschildrendo,whoplayatbeingathletesat
onemoment,andthenatbeinggladiators,andthenblowatrumpet,andthenactoutscenesthat
theyhaveadmired.Foryourownpartlikewise,you'resometimesanathlete,sometimesa
gladiator,thenaphilosopher,thenanorator,butnothingatallwholeheartedlyno,inthe
mannerofanape,youimitateeverythingthatyousee,andonethingafteranotherisalways
catchingyourfancy,butitceasestoamuseyouassoonasyougrowaccustomedtoit.Foryou've
neverembarkedonanythingafterdueconsideration,norafterhavingsubjectedittoaproper
examinationandtesteditout,butalwaysatrandomandinahalfheartedfashion."

Balance1

12/3/2015

Whatdoesitmeantoliveinbalance?Whatdoesitmeantoliveinbalancewithothers?Whatis
requiredtokeepacommunityandthosewhobelongtoithealthy?

TaoTeChing
Fillyourbowltothebrim
anditwillspill.
Keepsharpeningyourknife
anditwillblunt.
Chaseaftermoneyandsecurity
andyourheartwillneverunclench.
Careaboutpeople'sapproval
andyouwillbetheirprisoner.

Doyourwork,thenstepback.
Theonlypathtoserenity.

MilanKundera
"AlllanguagesthatderivefromLatinformtheword'compassion'bycombiningtheprefix
meaning'with'(com)andtherootmeaning'suffering'(LateLatin,
passio
).Inotherlanguages,
Czech,Polish,German,andSwedish,forinstancethiswordistranslatedbyanounformedof
anequivalentprefixcombinedwiththewordthatmeans'feeling.'

InlanguagesthatderivefromLatin,'compassion'means:wecannotlookoncoollyasothers
sufferor,wesympathizewiththosewhosuffer.Anotherwordwithapproximatelythesame
meaning,'pity,'connotesacertaincondescensiontowardsthesufferer.'Totakepityonawoman,'
meansthatwearebetteroffthanshe,thatwestooptoherlevel,lowerourselves.

Thatiswhytheword'compassion'generallyinspiressuspicionitdesignateswhatisconsidered
aninferior,secondratesentimentthathaslittletodowithlove.Tolovesomeoneoutof
compassionmeansnotreallytolove."

HumanExcellence

12/8/2015

Atthefourthmeetingwediscussedperfectionandhumanexcellence.Isitbetterto'beyourself'
ortoavoidgettingstuckinasingleidentity?Oraretheseoneandthesame?Ifyouweretomeet
theperfectperson,whatwouldyouexpecthim/hertobelike?

Aristotle'sPolitics(1253a31)
Forman,whenperfected,isthebestofanimals,but,whenseparatedfromlawandjustice,heis
theworstofallsincearmedinjusticeisthemoredangerous,andheisequippedatbirthwith
arms,meanttobeusedbyintelligenceandexcellence,whichhemayusefortheworstends.That
iswhy,ifhehasnotexcellence,heisthemostunholyandthemostsavageofanimals,andthe
mostfulloflustandgluttony.

Plato'sApology(29e)
GoodSir,youareanAthenian,acitizenofthegreatestcitywiththegreatestreputationforboth
wisdomandpowerareyounotashamedofyoureagernesstopossessasmuchwealth,reputation
andhonorsaspossible,whileyoudonotcarefornorgivethoughttowisdomortruth,orthebest
possiblestateofyoursoul?Then,ifoneofyoudisputesthisandsayshedoescare,Ishallnotlet
himgoatonceorleavehim,butIshallquestionhim,examinehimandtesthim,andifIdonot
thinkhehasattainedthegoodnessthathesayshehas,Ishallreproachhimbecauseheattaches

littleimportancetoinferiorthings...Besurethatthisiswhatthegodordersmetodo,andIthink
thereisnogreaterblessingforthecitythanmyservicetothegod.ForIgoarounddoingnothing
butpersuadingbothyoungandoldamongyounottocareforyourbodyoryourwealthin
preferencetoorasstronglyasforthebestpossiblestateofyoursoul,asIsaytoyou:Wealth
doesnotbringaboutexcellence,butexcellencemakeswealthandeverythingelsegoodformen,
bothindividuallyandcollectively.

Euryphamus
Formanisnotselfperfect,butimperfect.Andhebecomesperfect,partlyfromhimself,and
partlyfromanexternalcause.Heislikewiseperfect,eitheraccordingtonature,oraccordingto
life.Andheisperfectindeedeitheraccordingtonature,oraccordingtolife.Andheisperfect
indeedaccordingtonature,ifhebecomesagoodman.Forthevirtueofeachthingisthesummit
andperfectionofthenatureofthatthing.Thusthevirtueoftheeyesisthesummitandperfection
ofthenatureoftheeyesandthisisalsotrueofthevirtueoftheears.Thustoo,thevirtueofman
isthesummitandperfectionofthenatureofman.Butmanisperfectaccordingtolife,whenhe
becomeshappy.

Jesus(Matthew5:48)
You,therefore,mustbeperfect,asyourheavenlyFatherisperfect.

NewsletterDec.14,2015

12/15/2015

Balance2

12/15/2015

ThelastBasecampmeetingof2015,weagainengagedwiththesubjectofbalance.Therewas
greatemphasisontheemotionswediscussedwhatitmeanstoapproachlifeviathemiddle

road,andhowitmayappearasanextrememodeoflivingtothoseonoppositeendsofthe
spectrum.Istalkofa'balancedlife'themostadequatewaytodiscusshowtoliverightly?
Maimonides
Oneshouldseetheworld,andseehimselfasa
scalewithanequalbalanceofgoodandevil.
Whenhedoesonegooddeedthescaleistippedtothegoodheandtheworldissaved.Whenhe
doesoneevildeedthescaleistippedtothebadheandtheworldisdestroyed.

SlamPoetry:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=idxGTwk69LM

Theworldisabalanceandyetsometimesweforget
Wewatchdaily,abalance,occurringaroundus
Weaffectthatbalance
Wenotonlylivewithinthatbalancemostpushingthescalestoomuch,toofar
Butourownlivesareabalanceabalanceofwork,life,love,happiness,good,evil
Wedontstopanymoreaswedidaschildren
Thechildistheultimate
Theyknownoeviltheylivetheirlivesinutmostperfection
Theyunderstandthebeautyinall
Whyisitthatwelosethat?
Wegainevilinoursoulsandlosethebeauty
Weexpandandyetweshrink
Sofewkeeptheimagination
Thosethatdoaretoldtogetridofitandholdontoitinthesamesentence
Balance?Whatisbalanceanymore?

Gra
t
efulness

1/13/2016

ThisfirstBasecampmeetingof2016,wediscussedthenatureofgratefulness,andour
experiencesinandwithit.Andthesewerethereadingsshared:

"Lastly,althoughtherewasnodefinitereligioussentimentmingledwithit,therewasacontinual
perceptionofSanctityinthewholeofnature,fromtheslightestthingtothevastestan
instinctiveawe,mixedwithdelightanindefinablethrill,suchaswesometimesimagineto
indicatethepresenceofadisembodiedspirit.IcouldonlyfeelthisperfectlywhenIwasalone
andthenitwouldoftenmakemeshiverfromheadtofootwiththejoyandfearofit,whenafter
beingsometimeawayfromthehillsIfirstgottotheshoreofamountainriver,wherethebrown
watercircledamongthepebbles,orwhenIfirstsawtheswellofdistantlandagainstthesunset,
orthefirstlowbrokenwall,coveredwithmountainmoss...Ifwehadtoexplaineventhesense
ofbodilyhungertoapersonwhohadneverfeltit,weshouldbehardputtoitforwordsandthe
joyinnatureseemedtometocomeofasortofhearthunger,satisfiedwiththepresenceofa
GreatandHolySpirit...ThesefeelingsremainedintheirfullintensitytillIwaseighteenor
twenty,andthen,asthereflectiveandpracticalpowerincreased,andthe'caresofthisworld'
gaineduponme,fadedgraduallyaway,inthemannerdescribedbyWordsworthinhis
'IntimationsofImmortality.'"
JohnRuskin

Thesamestreamoflifethatrunsthroughmyveinsnightanddayrunsthroughtheworldand
dancesinrhythmicmeasures.
Itisthesamelifethatshootsinjoythroughthedustoftheearthinnumberlessbladesofgrass
andbreaksintotumultuouswavesofleavesandflowers.
Itisthesamelifethatisrockedintheoceancradleofbirthandofdeath,inebbandinflow.
Ifeelmylimbsaremadegloriousbythetouchofthisworldoflife.Andmyprideisfromthe
lifethrobofagesdancinginmybloodthismoment.
RabindranathTagore

ClosetoGodsthronethehappyangelsplay
[Thedevil]is[just]asnear,butturnsaway.
AngelusSilesius

WhatIwantedfrompeoplewassimpleenough.Iwantedthemtorushuptomeandtoeach
otherandsay,OhmyGod,whatisthis?Whatishappeninghere?Iwantedthemtocome

pouringoutoftheirhousesandcarscallingout,Lookatthis!Justlookatthis!Doyouseewhat
Isee?Thestrangejuicerisinginthegrassandthetrees,thefreelygiven,unearnedbeneficence
ofthesun?Inmyfantasysomeofthemwouldbuttonholestrangersforthefirstserious
conversationoftheirlives.Otherswouldthrowtheirarmsoutandtheirheadsbackandscreamat
theskyinalternatingterrorandecstasy.Passersbywouldhug.Tearsofrecognitionand
amazementwouldbeshed.Itwouldbetheendoflonelinessandfalsityandthebeginning,after
allthesewastedyears,ofwhateveritiswearesupposedtobedoinghere.Andiftheydidnt
wanttorespondsodemonstratively,thenallIaskedwasawinkhereandthere,acarefully
foldednote.People,Iwrote,whydontyoumakesomesign?
BarbaraEhrenreich

Trust

1/22/2016

Wetalkedabout
trust
inothersandinlifeitself.Averyfullconversationandadifficult
topictobesure,aseverypersonhashis/herownuniquestrugglesinthisarea.The
conversationturnedinmanydirections,fromwhatisneededtosustainhappiness,tothe
fruitswehopeoureffortsinlifewillyield.Themeetingmayhavecreatedmorequestions
thanitanswered,butintheendthereisaparadoxtotrust:itcannot,ultimately,bepartial.
Trustmustbegivenornotgiven,whenallissaidanddone,inorderforustolearnifitis
rightlyplaced.

Herearethereadings:

Wemusteradicatefromthesoul
Allfearandterror
Ofwhatcomestowardusfromthefuture

Wemustlookforward

Withabsoluteequanimitytowhatevercomes,
Andwemustthinkonly
Thatwhatevercomesisgiventous
Byaworlddirectionfullofwisdom.

Itispartofwhatwemustlearnduringthisage,
Namelytoactoutofpuretrust
Intheeverpresenthelpofthespiritualworld
Trulynothingelsewilldoifourcourageisnottofailus.

MeditationforCourage,
RudolphSteiner

Ihavecometothefrighteningconclusion
thatIamthedecisiveelement.Itismy
personalapproachthatcreatestheclimate.
Itismydailymoodthatmakestheweather.
Ipossesstremendouspowertomakelife
miserableorjoyous.Icanbeatooloftorture
oraninspiration,Icanhumiliateorhumor,
hurtorheal.Inallsituations,itismyresponse
thatdecideswhetheracrisisisescalatedor
deescalated,andapersonishumanizedor
dehumanized.Ifwetreatpeopleasthey
oughttobe,wehelpthemtobecomewhatthey
arecapableofbecoming.

JohannWolfgangvonGoethe

Purpose

1/27/2016

Wediscussedpurposeandmeaninglastnightatoughsubject,butitturnedouttobeastrong
conversation.Wetouchedontheideaofcreatingorfindingone'sownmeaning,aswellasthe
possibilitythatpurposeandmeaningareunlikewhatwe,oroursociety,generallysupposes.

Thereadings:

"Leadme,Masterofthesoaringvault
OfHeaven,leadme,Father,whereyouwill.
Istandherepromptandeagertoobey.
Andev'nsupposeIwereunwilling,still
Ishouldattendyouandknowsuffering,
Dishonourablyandgrumbling,whenImight
Havedonesoandbeengoodaswell.ForFate
Thewillingleads,theunwillingdragsalong."

Seneca,Letter107:OnObediencetotheUniversalWill

"Rememberthatyou'reanactorinaplay,whichwillbeastheauthorchooses,shortifhe
wantsittobeshort,andlongifhewantstobelong.Ifhewantsyoutoplaythepartofa
beggar,acteventhatpartwithyourskillandlikewiseifyou'replayingacripple,an
official,oraprivatecitizen.Forthatisyourbusiness,toacttherolethatisassignedtoyou
aswellasyoucan."

Epictetus(Enchiridions17)

"It[theselftranscendenceofhumanexistence]denotesthefactthatbeinghumanalways
points,andisdirected,tosomething,orsomeone,otherthanoneselfbeitameaningto
fulfilloranotherhumanbeingtoencounter.Themoreoneforgetshimselfbygiving
himselftoacausetoserveoranotherpersontolovethemorehumanheisandthemore
heactualizeshimself."

VictorFrankl(Mankind'sSearchforMeaning(LogotherapyinaNutshell,p.15)

...anymeaningisbetterthannomeaning...

FriedrichNietzsche
,
GeneologyofMorals(3.28,p.136)

Friendship

2/8/2016

AnespeciallyvibrantconversationtookplacethispastTuesday(Feb2nd)onthetopicof
Friendship.Certaindifficultquestionscameup,suchaswhetherafriendshipisdefinedbyits
enduranceovertime,whetherevery'strangerisafriendyouhaven'tmetyet,'andwhetherone
canbeatruefriendwithouttherebeingafriend
ship
.Herearethereadingsshared:

JacquesDerrida
ThePoliticsofFriendship
:"LovinginFriendship:Perhaps"

InresponsetoCicero("Omyfriends,thereisnofriend"):

"Howmanyofusarethere?Doesthatcount?Andhowdoyoucalculate?
Thusisannouncedtheanchoriticcommunityofthosewholoveinseparation[wholovetostand
aloof:
quiaiments'loigner
].Theinvitationcomestoyoufromthosewhocan
loveonlyata
distance,inseparation
[
quin'aimentqu'sesparerauloin
].Thisisnotalltheylove,butthey
lovetheylovelovence,theylovetoloveinloveorinfriendshipprovidingthereisthis
withdrawal.Thosewholoveonlyincuttingtiesaretheuncompromisingfriendsofsolitary
singularity.Theyinviteyoutoenterintothiscommunityofsocialdisaggregation[
dliaison
],
whichisnotnecessarilyasecretsociety,aconjuration,theoccultsharingofesotericor
cryptopoeticknowledge.Theclassicalconceptofthesecretbelongstoathoughtofthe
community,solidarityorthesectinitiationorprivatespacewhichrepresentstheverythingthe
friendwhospeakstoyouasafriendofsolitudehasrebelledagainst.
Howcanthisbe?Isitnotachallengetogoodsenseandtosense
toutcourt
?Isitpossible?
Itisperhapsimpossible,asamatteroffact.Perhapstheimpossibleistheonlypossiblechanceof
somethingnew,ofsomenewphilosophyofthenew,Perhapsperhaps,intruth,the
perhaps
still
namesthischance.Perhapsfriendship,ifthereissuchathing,musthonour[
fairedroit
]what
appearsimpossiblehere."

MicheldeMontaigne
TheEssays:
"OnFriendship"or,"OnAffectionateRelationships":

"ThereseemstobenothingwhichNaturehasbetterpreparedusforthanfellowshipand
Aristotlesaysthatgoodlawgivershaveshownmoreconcernforfriendshipthanforjustice.
Withinafellowshipthepeakofperfectionconsistsinfriendshipforallformsofitwhichare
forgedorfosteredbypleasureofprofitorbypublicorprivatenecessityaresomuchtheless

beautifulandnobleandthereforesomuchtheless'friendship'inthattheybringinsome
purpose,endorfruitionotherthanthefriendshipitself"

"AlltheargumentsintheworldhavenopowertodislodgemefromthecertaintywhichIhaveof
theintentionsanddecisionsofmyfriend.Notoneofhisactionscouldbesetbeforemeno
matterwhatitlookedlikewithoutmyimmediatelydiscoveringitsmotive.Oursoulswere
yokedtogetherinsuchunity,andcontemplatedeachotherwithsoardentanaffection,andwith
thesameaffectionrevealedeachtoeachotherrightdowntotheveryentrails,thatnotonlydidI
knowhismindaswellasIknewmyownbutIwouldhaveentrustedmyselftohimwithgreater
assurancethantomyself."
StephenChbosky
ThePerksofBeingaWallflower
:

VirtueandModernLanguage

2/10/2016

Thisweekthequestionwasraisedastowhetherwepossessalanguageorvocabularyadequate
toconveymoralityandvirtue.Wefoundthat,althoughweallagreeregardingtherealityof
qualitieslikegoodness,virtue,andwisdom,wewerenotnecessarilyunanimousinour
definitions.Itwasadmittedlyaprettydifficultandhighlyphilosophicalconversation!


Forallofyoucomingontheretreat,seeyousoon!Forallofyouwhoaren't,enjoyyourreading
week:)

Wisdom:WisdomofSolomon8.28.9:

Ilovedherandsoughtherfrommyyouth,andIdesiredtotakeherformybride,andIbecame
enamouredofherbeauty.SheglorifieshernoblebirthbylivingwithGod,andtheLordofall
lovesher.ForsheisaninitiateintheknowledgeofGod,andanassociateinhisworks.Ifriches
areadesirablepossessioninlife,whatisricherthanwisdomwhoeffectsallthings?Andif
understandingiseffective,whomorethansheisfashionerofwhatexists?Andisanyoneloves
righteousness,herlaborsarevirtuesforsheteachesselfcontrolandprudence,justiceand
couragenothinginlifeismoreprofitableformenthanthese.Andifanyonelongsforwide
experience.Sheknowsthethingsofold,andinfersthethingstocomesheunderstandsturnsof
speechandthesolutionsofriddlesshehasforeknowledgeofsignsandwondersandofthe
outcomeofseasonsandtimes.ThereforeIdeterminedtotakehertolivewithme,knowingthat
shewouldgivemegoodcounselandencouragementincaresandgrief.

Courage:ScrewtapeLetters,LetterXXIX:

This,indeed,isprobablyoneoftheEnemysmotivesforcreatingadangerousworldaworld
inwhichmoralissuesreallycometothepoint.Heseesaswellasyoudothatcourageisnot
simplyoneofthevirtues,buttheformofeveryvirtueatthetestingpoint,whichmeans,atthe
pointofhighestreality.Achastityorhonesty,ormercy,whichyieldstodangerwillbechasteor
honestormercifulonlyonconditions.Pilatewasmercifultillitbecamerisky.

Moderation:PlatosRepublic430e431b:

Moderationissurelyakindoforder,themasteryofcertainkindsofpleasuresanddesires.
Peopleindicateasmuchwhentheyusethephraseselfcontrolandothersimilarphrases.I
dontknowjustwhattheymeanbythem,buttheyare,sotospeak,liketracksorcluesthat
moderationhaseftbehindinlanguage.Isntthatso?

Absolutely.

Yetisnttheexpressionselfcontrolridiculous?Thestrongerselfthatdoesthecontrollingis
thesameastheweakerselfthatgetscontrolled,sothatonlyonepersonisreferredtoinallsuch
expressions.

Ofcourse.

Nonetheless,theexpressionisapparentlytryingtoindicatethat,inthesoulofthatveryperson,
thereisabetterpartandaworseoneandthat,wheneverthenaturallybetterpartisincontrolof
theworse,thisisexpressedbysayingthatthepersonisselfcontrolledormasterofhimself.At
anyrate,onepraisessomeonebycallinghimselfcontrolled.Butwhen,ontheotherhand,the
smallerandbetterpartisoverpoweredbythelarger,becauseofbadupbringingorbadcompany,
thisiscalledbeingselfdefeatedorlicentiousandisareproach.

Justice:CicerosDeOfficiis(OnObligations)I.22:

ButasPlatosonoblyputit,wearenotbornforourselvesalone,forourcountryclaimsashare
inourorigin,andourfriendslikewiseandagain,astheStoicshaveit,allthattheearthproduces
iscreatedformensuse,andmenhavebeenbegottenformenssaketobeofservicetoeach
other.Thereforeweshouldfollownatureasourguideinthissenseofmakingavailableshared
benefitsbyexchangeofourobligations,bygivingandreceiving,andinthiswaybindingthe
communityanditsindividualscloselytogetherbyourskills,ourefforts,andourtalents.

Opinion&Perspective

2/21/2016

ABasecampmeetingtookplaceduringtheretreatatWindhorse.Wediscussedopinionand
perspective,andhowtheseinfluencetheindividual,theother,andtheoverallcourseofourlives.

RalphWaldoEmerson,'Worship'(1860):

"Youcannothideanysecret.Iftheartistsuccorhisflaggingspiritsbyopiumorwine,hiswork
willcharacterizeitselfastheeffectofopiumorwine.Ifyoumakeapictureorastatue,itsetsthe
beholderinthatstateofmindyouhad,whenyoumadeit.Ifyouspendforshow,onbuilding,or
gardening,oronpictures,oronequipages,itwillsoappear.Weareallphysiognomistsand
penetratorsofcharacter,andthingsthemselvesaredetective.Ifyoufollowthesuburbanfashion
inbuildingasumptuouslookinghouseforalittlemoney,itwillappeartoalleyesasacheap
dearhouse.Thereisnoprivacythatcannotbepenetrated.Nosecretcanbekeptinthecivilized

world.Societyisamaskedball,whereeveryonehideshisrealcharacter,andrevealsitby
hiding.Ifamanwishtoconcealanythinghecarries,thosewhomhemeetsknowthatheconceals
somewhat,andusuallyknowwhatheconceals.Isitotherwiseiftherebesomebelieforsome
purposehewouldburyinhisbreast?Tisashardtohideasfire.Heisastrongmanwhocan
holddownhisopinion.Amancannotuttertwoorthreesentences,withoutdisclosingto
intelligentearspreciselywherehestandsinlifeandthought,namely,whetherinthekingdomof
thesensesandtheunderstanding,or,inthatofideasandimagination,intherealmofintuitions
andduty.
Peopleseemnottoseethattheiropinionoftheworldisalsoaconfessionof
character.
Wecanonlyseewhatweare,andifwemisbehavewesuspectothers.Thefameof
ShakespearorofVoltaire,ofThomasKempis,orofBonaparte,characterizesthosewhogiveit.
Asgaslightisfoundtobethebestnocturnalpolice,sotheuniverseprotectsitselfbypitiless
publicity.
~
Hamlet:ActIII,Sc.II:
GUILDENSTERN

Myhonouredlord!

ROSENCRANTZ

Mymostdearlord!

HAMLET

Myexcellentgoodfriends!Howdostthou,
Guildenstern?Ah,Rosencrantz!Goodlads,howdoyeboth?

ROSENCRANTZ

Astheindifferentchildrenoftheearth.

GUILDENSTERN

Happy,inthatwearenotoverhappy
Onfortune'scapwearenottheverybutton.

HAMLET

Northesolesofhershoe?

ROSENCRANTZ

Neither,mylord.

HAMLET

Thenyouliveaboutherwaist,orinthemiddleof
herfavours?

GUILDENSTERN

'Faith,herprivateswe.

HAMLET

Inthesecretpartsoffortune?O,mosttrueshe
isastrumpet.What'sthenews?

ROSENCRANTZ

None,mylord,butthattheworld'sgrownhonest.

HAMLET

Thenisdoomsdaynear:butyournewsisnottrue.
Letmequestionmoreinparticular:whathaveyou,
mygoodfriends,deservedatthehandsoffortune,
thatshesendsyoutoprisonhither?

GUILDENSTERN


Prison,mylord!

HAMLET

Denmark'saprison.

ROSENCRANTZ

Thenistheworldone.

HAMLET

Agoodlyoneinwhichtherearemanyconfines,
wardsanddungeons,Denmarkbeingoneo'theworst.

ROSENCRANTZ

Wethinknotso,mylord.

HAMLET

Why,then,'tisnonetoyou
forthereisnothing
eithergoodorbad,butthinkingmakesitso:
tome
itisaprison.

ROSENCRANTZ

Whythen,yourambitionmakesitone'tistoo
narrowforyourmind.

HAMLET

OGod,Icouldbeboundedinanutshellandcount
myselfakingofinfinitespace,wereitnotthatI
havebaddreams.

GUILDENSTERN

Whichdreamsindeedareambition,forthevery
substanceoftheambitiousismerelytheshadowofadream.

HAMLET

Adreamitselfisbutashadow.

~
MarcusAurelius,
Meditations
4.3:
"Sointhefuture,remembertoretreatedintothislittleplotofearththatistrulyyourown,and
aboveall,donotdistressoroverstrainyourself,butpreserveyourfreedom,andlookatthingsas
aman,ahumanbeing,acitizen,amortalcreature.Andamongthepreceptswhichyoukeepmost
closelyathandforfrequentreference,letthefollowingbeincluded:firstly,thatthingsof
themselveshavenoholdonthemind,butstandmotionlessoutsideit,andalldisturbancesarise
solelyfromtheopinionswithinusandsecondly,thatallthatyoupresentlybeholdwillchange
innotimewhateverandceasetoexistandconstantlyreflectonhowmanysuchchangesyou
yourselfhavealreadywitnessed.
Thewholeuniverseischange,andlifeitselfiswhatyou
deemit."

Iamprosperingwhen...

2/23/2016

Whatdoesitmeantoprosper?Whatdoesitlooklikewhenyou'reprospering?Hereweresome
ideas:

Iamprosperingwhen...

...Iamfocused.
...WhenIamwithfriends.
...WhenIamreflective.

...WhenIamwithmysiblings.
...WhenIamworkingfulltime.
...WhenI'mthinkingaboutandpracticingmyfaith.


...WhenIamgenuinelyabletolaugh.
...WhenIamabletosleepinwithoutguilt.

...WhenIamintouchwiththeworldaroundme.
...WhenIamsleepingwellandgetoutofbedinthemorning.
...WhenIhavebalanceanddiversityinmylife.

...WhenIdon'tfeelconstrained.
...WhenIamwithpeopleIcareabout.
...
WhenIamaroundpeoplewholistentowhatI'msaying.

...
WhenIamguidedbypurpose.
....WhenIamstrivingforgoodness.
...WhenIfeelcontentment.

.
..WhenIcreatewithothers.

Love

3/2/2016

Ah,yes.Itwasboundtohappen.Wefinallytackledthesubjectofloveheadon.Thediscussion
beganwithoutliningvariousGreektermsusedtorelateparticularkindsof
love
.Somegreat
storiesandinsightswereshared.

Nextweekweplanonbringingoneortwoshortreadingseachregardingthesubjectoflove.
There's,ratherexpectedly,muchtosayandshare.

Agape
theloveofhumanity
Thekindoflovewhichmakesussorrowfulwhenwehearofacrisisinanothernation(orour
own)thatmakesusgiveourtimeormoneytocharityandmakesusfeelconnectedtopeople
wedontknowsimplyonthebasisofoursharedexperienceashumanbeings.(Additionally
definedasthedivineandselflessloveofGodforhumanbeings.)

Storge
familylove
Theloveaparenthasforachild,orachildhasforafavouriteauntoruncle.Theloveafoster
parentfeelsforthechildreninhercareandtheloveagrandparentfeelsforthechildadoptedby
hissonanddaughterinlaw.

Pragma
lovewhichendures
Thelovebetweenamarriedcouplewhichdevelopsoveralongperiodoftime.Thelovewhich
enduresinsicknessandinhealth.Thelovewhichmakesafriendcarefortheirformerschool
friendwhohasbecomevulnerableinlaterlife.

Philautia
selfrespect
Thelovewegivetoourselves.Thisisnotvanity,likenarcissism,butourjoyinbeingtruetoour
ownvalues.Thestrengthtocareforourselvessothatwecaninturncareforothers.

Philia
sharedexperience
Thelovewefeelforpeoplewestrivewithtoachieveasharedgoalourcoworkers,theplayers
inafootballornetballteam,thesoldiersinanarmy.

Ludus
flirting,playfulaffection
Thefeelingswehavewhenwetestoutwhatitmightbeliketobeinlovewithsomeone.The
flutteringheartandfeelingsofeuphoriatheslightlydangeroussensation.

Eros
romanticanderoticlove
Basedonsexandpowerfulmagnetism.Itstheonewhichcangetusintothemosttrouble.Itcan
turn
intootherkindsoflovelikepragmabutitstartsasromanceandattraction.

LoveII

3/11/2016

Thisweekweeachbroughtvariousreadingsonlove,anddiscussed.Fartoomanyreadingswere
broughttolisthere!

Rest

3/16/2016

"Thustheheavensandtheearthwerefinished,andalltheirmultitude.

Andontheseventhday
Godfinishedtheworkthathehaddone,andherestedontheseventhdayfromalltheworkthat
hehaddone.SoGodblessedtheseventhdayandhallowedit,becauseonitGodrestedfromall
theworkthathehaddoneincreation."
Genesis2

Wediscussedthesubjectofrestfromavarietyofangles.Is
rest
thesameas
recuperation?
as
relaxation?
Can
rest
bedeemedaseparateactivityinitsownright,ordoesitrepresentakindof
emptiness?Sometimes,inmodernsociety,thereisakindofstigmaaround,ordeprecationof,
resting.Whyisthat?Isrestingakindofrebellion?

RestII,andtheRest

3/31/2016

Thispostwillcoverthelasttwomeetings,thefirstofwhichwasanextensionofourdiscussion
on'rest,'andthesecondofwhichwasafairlyunorthodoxandfunwayofconductingour
gettogethers.

Inourseconddiscussiononrest,wetriedtofocusmoreonsolutions,ratherthanonmere
definitionsorproblemssurroundingthesubject.Wesharedouridealformsofrest,andtherewas
somediscussionaboutmeditationthepracticeofsimpleanddetachedawarenessofthoughts
andfeelingsastheycomeandgo.

Ourlatestmeetingtooktheformofalong,participantfocusedconversation.Wedrewoutour
"Wherehaveyoubeen?"sessiontoagreaterlength,providingmoretimeforfeedbackand
questions.Afterward,weeachsharedthingsweappreciateaboutBasecamp,andwhyweshow
upasfrequentlyaswedo.Lastly,wesimplytalkedaboutourfavoriteanimals,our'spirit
animals,'andthelikewhichwasjustalittlebithilarious.

Alsoofnote:We'recominguponourfinalmeetingsoftheschoolyear!

Culture

4/7/2016

Ourlastconversationcenteredaroundculturewhatdoesitmeantopossessone?Whatisitto
haveapeople,aplace,andatradition?WediscussedwhetherCanadahasacultureinthetrue,
meaningful,andsatisfyingsense,andifso,whatthatcultureconsistsin.Therewasageneral
acknowledgementthat
multiculturalism
,asnobleanidealasitis,issomewhatdetrimentaltoall
culturesinvolved.Inotherwords,tryingtodojusticetotherealityandmeaningofseveral
cultureswithinonespaceorwithinonesocietytendstowaterdowntheexpressionofeach
contributingculture.

Asindividuals,howcanwefindasatisfyingsenseofourlocationinthegreatersocietaland
historicalcontextasenseofidentitywhichhasseemedsomuchmoreaccessibletopast
generationstheworldover?Canitbefoundinreligion?Language?Mustweattempttorecreate
itforourselves?

DateNight

4/13/2016

Itwasanightoficebreakeractivities.

Wewereaskedtowritedownthreequestionswewouldaskaperson,inordertogettoknow
them.Wewerethenaskedtoanswerourownquestions.Theintentofthisactivitywasto
challengeanyunfairexpectationswemayholdstrangerstowouldwebecomfortableand
capableofsatisfactorilyansweringthequestionswe'dhopeanothertosatisfactorilyanswer?

Thesecondactivityinvolvedwritingdownoneshortorlongtermgoal,alongwiththree
obstacleswearefacinginreachingit.Sharingthesegoalsandobstacleswiththegroup,the
groupthencametogethertoexplainhowtheseobstaclesmightbeovercome.Thiswasagreat
waytolearnaboutwhatisimportanttoeachperson,andit'snicetothinkeveryonewashelpedat
leastalittle!

Empathy

4/20/2016

ThispastTuesday'smeetingwasaboutempathy.Weweregiventwojuxtaposingviewpoints:
oneinfavourofthequality,thesecondnotsomuch.

"Empathyistheexperienceofunderstandinganotherperson'sconditionfromtheirperspective.
Youplaceyourselfintheirshoesandfeelwhattheyarefeeling.Empathyisknowntoincrease
prosocial(helping)behaviors.WhileAmericanculturemightbesocializingpeopleinto
becomingmoreindividualisticratherthanempathic,researchhasuncoveredtheexistenceof
"mirrorneurons,"whichreacttoemotionsexpressedbyothersandthenreproducethem."
From
a
PsychologyTodayArticle
.
Clickheretoread
anotherarticleonempathy/successcorrelations.
Andbelowyoucanseeavideowhichgiveslittlecredittoempathy,infavouramoreanalytical,
worldembracingconcern.
Wemostlyagreedthatempathyisaworthwhileacquirement,althoughsomeofusfeltmore
empathic
thanothers,whilestillothersexpressedhavingnoticedafluctuationinthis
characteristicthroughouttheirlives.Questionswereasked,suchaswhetheronecantrulylove
anotherwithoutempathy.Also,whatisthedeeper"purpose"ofempathy,withinortranscending
merebiology?

Video

Happinessn'Dreams

4/29/2016

Wewerepresentedwithagreatcollectionofquotesandquestionsonthesubjectsofdreamsand
happiness.Mariasentalongsuchanicemockupofhercollection,thatIthoughtI'djustpost
themhereforyourconsideration!

Bewell.

IdentityandPriority

5/3/2016

Somewhatcomplementarytolastweek,weexplored
IdentityandPriority.
Itmightbe
worthwhileforsomewhoweren'tinattendancetohavetheexercisewedidpostedhere.

Here'stheimageused,ifyouwishtoprintitordrawsomethingsimilar:
(Seeinstructionsbelow!)

Note:TRYNOTTOREADAHEAD:)

Step1:
Filloutthetop,outermostcircle(farleftsideofthepage)with
thingsyoudo
onan
everydaybasis.Thesearetheactivitiesmostcommontoyourlife.Theymaybefunornotso
fun,practicalorimpractical,etc.theimportantpartisthattheyarewhatyoudomostoften.

Step2:
Fillthetop,middleareawiththe
people
youseeandinteractwithmostoftenwhether
onadaily,orweekly,basisforinstance.Thesearethepeoplewhoaremostoftenseen,heard
from,orinteractedwithinyourlife.


Step3:
Filltheupper,inmostsection(farright)withanumberof
qualities
whichyoubelievethe
people(fromStep2)seeyouashaving.Howareyouseenbyothers,whethertheyarecloseto
youornot?

Step4:
Now,filloutthelower,inmostsectionwith
qualities
orlabelsyouwouldnormally
ascribetoyourself.Theymaybegoodorbad,buthowdoyoupersonallyidentifyyourself,
regardlessofhowotherpeoplemayseeyou?Whatdoyouregardasyourdeepestidentity?

Step5:
Fillthelower,middlesectionwith
people,
orgroupsofpeople,youlovethemost,or
wanttoidentifywiththemost.Ifyoucould,whowouldyouspendmoretimewith?workwith?
learnfrom?orserve?

Step6:
Finally,inthelast,lower,leftsection,writedown
activities
youwouldmostliketodo,or
projectsyouwouldmostliketostartandfinish.Ifyoucouldspendyourdaydoinganykindof
workoractivity,whatmightitbe?

Didyounoticeanythinginthisprocess?Arethetopsections(reality)correspondingstrongly
withthelowersections(ideality)?Whatcanyoudotobridgethisgulf?Wecanevengodeeper:
Whatisthepurposeofthisdivideinourlives,ifsuchadivideexists?

Weconcludedwithsomeconsiderationsbasedonthefollowing

video
.

TheNatureofthePast

5/11/2016

"Thepastisneverwhereyouthinkyouleftit."KatherineAnnePorter

Lastnightwewereguidedthroughafantasticconversationaboutthepast,howitworks,and
howweprocessit.Thesewereamongthequestionsraised:

"Isyourpastdonewithyou?"
Whatkeepscomingback,againandagain?Goodorbad,whatdoesyourpastwantyoutoseein
thepresent?

Concerningamemorythatkeepscomingback,howcanyouconsciouslyreshapeit?Howcan
youlookatitdifferently?Fromwhatotheranglescanyouperceiveit?Inwhatwaycanyou
effectivelychangeyourpast,whilestillbeingtruetoit?


Andweponderedwhatitmeansto'love'or'affirm'thepast.Isthispossible?Andifitis
possible,isitrighttodo?Again,howdowemakeourpastwork
for
us,withouteither
whitewashingitorlettingitundulyeffectourpresentandfuture?Ofcourse,bynomeansisall
of'thepast'abadthing,orstandinginneedofimprovement.How,then,canweavailourselves
ofthegoodthatresidesthere?

Honesty

5/19/2016

Thispastmeetingcenteredonhonestyand,consequently,dishonesty.Whatrespectiveplacesdo
theyoccupyinlife?Isittheintentionbehindthehonestordishoneststatementthatcounts?Isit
evertrulyappropriateto'protect'or'shield'anotherfromatruththatwouldhurtthem?

Attheveryendofthetalk,wethoughtaboutanddiscussedsomethingsweasindividualsmight
needtoadmittoourselves.

Herearesomevideosandanarticlewhichwerebroughttothetabletokickthingsoff.

VIDEO1

VIDEO2

Responsibility

5/29/2016

Whatisresponsibility?Whataresomeofourindividualresponsibilitiesandhowdowehandle
them?Theseweresomequestionsengagedatourlastmeeting.

Wearemadewisenotbytherecollectionofourpast,butbytheresponsibilityforourfuture.
GeorgeBernardShaw

Josie,yourinfantchild,issittinginherhighchairatdinner.Duringthemeal,shespillssomeof
herfoodontothecarpet.Chuckie,yournotyethousetrainedpuppy,issittingatyourfeetduring
dinner.Duringthemeal,shegoestothebathroomonthecarpet.Paul,youradultroommate,is
eatingdinnerwithyou.Duringthemeal,hethrowshisplate,fulloffood,directlyatthewall.
SamuelMurray,
ResponsibilityandVigilance

Sincethen,atanuncertainhour,

Thatagonyreturns:
Andtillmyghastlytaleistold,
Thisheartwithinmeburns.
Ipass,likenight,fromlandtoland
Ihavestrangepowerofspeech
ThatmomentthathisfaceIsee,
Iknowthemanthatmusthearme:
TohimmytaleIteach.
SamuelTaylorColeridge,
TheRimeoftheAncientMariner

[InsertSubjectHere]

6/2/2016

Therewasnoparticularplaninmotionforourlastmeeting.Simplya
WhereHaveYouBeen?
anda
WhereAreYouGoing?
withasingle,longquoteinthemiddle,tofireuptheconversation
inwhicheverdirection:

"Nothingcandriveyoutofindthedeepestmeaningsoflifewithoutyourfirstrealizingtheabsolute
fragilityoflife.Becausethere'snothingthat'ssufficientlyterrifyingastherealizationofthatabsolute
fragility.Andit'snecessarytobeprofoundlyterrifiedbeforeyoucanbemotivatedtoseekoutthose
thingswhichareofthehighestvalue.Asaconsequenceofconsideringtheseideasformanyyearsand
especiallyconsideringtherolethatevilhasplayedin,saythetwentiethcenturyandalsotherolethat
sufferingplaysinlifeI'veaskedmyself,deeply,whatthepurposeoflifemightbe.Anditseemstome
thatliferequiresvirtue.So,then,youmightask,wellwhatdoImeanby'virtue?'

WhatImeanbyvirtueis:
Followingwhateveritisinyourlifethatmanifestsitselftoyouas
meaningfulandright.
Andthere'scodicilstothat.Forexample,inordertodetermineclearlywhat's

meaningfulandrightyouhavetostoplying.Becauseifyoulietoyourselforyoulietootherpeopleyou
blindyourself.Andthenthethingsthatmightappeartoyouasmeaningfularenolongertrustworthy
becauseyou'reusinganinstrumentthatyouvoluntarilydamagedtoperceivereality,andthatwilllead
youastray.
Andvirtuerequireshumility,becauseyouhavetostopthinkingthatyouknow.Humilityand
honestyareabsolutepreconditions.Courageaswellisnecessarybecauseyou'llhavetocometoterms
withyourowncapacityforanxietyanddreadandaggression,andevenyourcapacity,well,forterrible
acts.Andtocontinuallysetyourselfrightistowalkdownthepathof,Ibelieve,moralvirtue.

...There'sanoldidea,againdeeplyembeddedinWesternreligiousthinking,thatrealityisinsomesense
incomplete,unfinished,orbroken.Andthattheroleofthehumanbeingistocompleteit,perfectit,to
finishit.See,theideathatrealityisinsomesenseunfinished,andhenceitstragicandincompletemanner,
andthattheroleofthehumanbeingisinsomesensetoparticipateinitsperfection,isaconceptthatisso
profoundthatitmakeshappinessasaconceptdesignedtoencapsulatethemeaningoflifesoshallowthat
itinstantlybecomesvirtuallynegligible.

Wehaveahypothesisherethatthepurposeofconsciousbeingis,forthosebeingswhoareconscious,to
transcendtheirmortallimitationsandtoworkfortheperfectionofallthatexists.Asagoalthatjustifies
suffering,that'sunbeatable.Becausewhatitdoesisbroadenanddeepenyourlifeinamanneryoumight
comparetothedifferencebetweenelevatormusicandBeethoven'ssymphony.It'snotthatthesymphony
isinanysensehappierthan
muzack,
quitethecontrary,butit'sdeeperandmoreprofound,isricher,
incorporatesmore,anditjustifiesitselfmore.Andthat'stherightmetaphorforlife:Nothappiness,but
depthanddifferentiatedqualityandprofunditytomatchtheprofundityofthenecessityofsuffering."

JordanPeterson,
JustSayNoToHappiness

Fear

6/8/2016

Wefirstdefinedanddiscussedfearasanemotionalormentaldiscomfortexperiencedin
anticipationoffuturemisfortunes.Fromthere,wemovedthroughanamusingdiscussion
coveringourrespectivephobias,our"primal"orbodilyfears,andalsowhatmightbecalled
purely"intellectualfears."Weaskedwhetherfearlessnessisagoodthingandwhenitmayor
maynotbeso.Lastly,wespentsometimesuggestingwaystoovercomeouranxieties.

Discipline

6/21/2016

Weexaminedwhatwethinkdisciplineis,howcloselyrelateditistohabit,andwhetheritis
possibleornottodisciplineanyonebesidesoneself.Thenightendedwitheachofusexamining
ourownlivesthinkingaboutwherewecouldusemorediscipline,andhowdesiredlevelsof
disciplinecouldbeacquired.

Authenticity

6/27/2016

"Theprivilegeofalifetime
istobecomewhoyoutrulyare"CarlJung
Howimportantisliving"authentically,"andwhatdoesthatevenmean?
Howmuchdoesoursocietalandsocialcontexteffectthewayinwhichweunderstandourown
authenticity?

Freedom!

7/1/2016

Quotationsandquestions,re:
freedom
.
"Manwillneverbefreeuntilthelastkingisstrangledwiththeentrailsofthelastpriest."
Themoredecisionsthatyouareforcedtomakealone,themoreyouareawareofyourfreedom
tochoose.
Isfreedomanythingelsethantherighttoliveaswewish?Areyoulivingthelifethatyouchose
yourself?Ordoyoufeelthereareotherfactorsthatguidedyouagainstyourbetterwishes?
What,inyourlife,aretheconstraintstoyourviewofpurefreedom?Whatareyouconstantly
fightingagainst?

HowWeLove

7/12/2016

Theformatofthismeetingwentasfollows:

LOVE
Is:__________________
Allows:__________________Conquers:__________________

(Wesharedourresponsestothesequestionsanonymouslybywritingthemonpiecesofpaper
andplacingtheminahat.)

Doyoufeelitiseasytoloveothers?

Whatarethethingsthatmakeitdifficulttolovesomeoneelse?

Doyoufinditdifficulttolovesomeonewhoisdifferentfromyou?(ie.mentality,spirituality,
lifestyle)

Haveyouexperiencedfeelinghardtolove?

Doyouloveyourself?

Howdoyoufeelselfloveisrelatedtolovingothers?Isitrelated?


Peoplearelikestainedglasswindows.Theysparkleandshinewhenthesunisoutbut
whenthedarknesssetsintheirtruebeautyisrevealedonlyifthereislightfromwithin.
ElisabethKublerRoss

IamnotboundtowinbutIamboundtobetrue.IamnotboundtosucceedbutIam
boundtoliveuptowhatlightIhave.
AbrahamLincoln

Whendarkeventshappenwithinourglobalcommunity,howdowefosterouruniquelightto
bealightwithinthelocalcommunity?InlightoftherecentOrlandoShooting,howdowe
encouragelovewithinourlocalcommunity?

AftertheOrlandoshooting,Orlandoresidentsareencouragedto:
Donateblood
Provideaidtotheirlocalhospital
Supportaid/fundraisingcampaigns
Remindfriends,familyandlovesonesthatyouloveandsupportthem

InanefforttostandinsolidaritywiththevictimsoftherecentOrlandoshootingand
contributetotheneedsofourlocalcommunity,wewillbedonatingbloodJuly15thatthe
QEIIHealthSciencesCentreBethuneBuilding.