Speaker 1: I'm here to expand and change how you think about, build, and live in community. Actually, I owe this to you because in my life, community has changed and affected me in more ways than I could count. How will we create a future that's not just an improvement, but one that is more deeply connected and fulfilling? The answer to that question for me is community. Most of us carry our own meaning of the word, but the root and suffix, common unity, seem to sum it all up. Common unity is something I've always sought. I spent a lot of time looking at other cultures with a sense of envy at traditions and rites of passage and ritual that indicated this sense of connectedness and belonging that I didn't see a lot of in the America that I grew up in. Common unity shows up in my life in four ways. Through a connection of minds when I have the opportunity for dialogue, discussion, and permission to be curious. Connection of spirit, broadening my sense of place, self, and meaning in the world. Connection of citizen, when I can join and align with another to exponentially increase my own potential for impact. And connection of people, reminding me that I'm not alone and that others love and care for me. I actually came to value community through the absence of it. I always had this desire for deeper connection that was a primal need for a sense of belonging and greater purpose. Where did I fit in? Where was I, my best self, made better by what you brought out in me? I believe that community completes our soul. That every person has the capacity to expose a part of me that can exponentially increase my ability for impact. I was adopted at birth and raised by two people that gave me a phenomenal foundation of love in my life. I was an only child, as were they, so I had no extended family. And life took my parents away early. My dad died when I was nine and my mom got terminally ill when I was 13. And then I became her primary caregiver and she passed away when I was 18. That situation gave me a perceived license to be angry and resentful at the world for robbing me of experiences that I felt that I was owed. I began to see the world through a lens of self-pity. So I realized one day, I'm 29 years old, I've been sober for a year, and I'm at a friend's house, house-sitting. And after a relapse and a rather rough time trying to get back together, I decided I was ready to try again. So she had a pool in her backyard and I'm at this pool and I'm floating on the pool. And just asking myself, how do I want to be in this world? Do I want to be in this world? And I knew that there was an answer other than self-pity. And the answer came to me almost like this spiritual awakening. I was floating on the pool, the sun was really hot, the water cool, and tears were just streaming down my face. I was asking, what was I doing? On my own, I'd lived in the streets. I had gone to drinking establishments to find my friends. And I had been in the backseat of a police car more times than I'd care to mention. And then, all of a sudden, I got this glimpse that every time I had gotten to the other side of loss, grief, or loneliness, I had done so with the support of others. Every time I came to realize my potential to be more or become more was when I was part of something that was bigger than me. And then I got this sharp clarity that there was more of me when I was connected to you. And in that moment, I realized that being a victim was a choice and not the one I wanted to make. I saw this greater good in the world, and I knew that I was a part of it and even entitled to some of it. And I knew that I wasn't alone. So even sometimes when you are alone, and then you meet someone else that's alone, there's this sense of instant togetherness. You have this opportunity to transcend from me to we. And this we becomes a we of greater caring. And I believe it's the perfect place for community building to start. I found my community in a lot of different places. Some of them were as traditional as a church or as unorthodox as a mafia bar, as conventional as a 12-step meeting or as raw as a support group for rape victims. And every time I came together with individuals in a like situation, I got what I needed to get to the other side. Every time I joined in community, my situation was normalized and almost okay. As a parent, I have made community of the utmost importance for a family value for us. Because I didn't have family, I wanted to make sure that it was a core value where our decisions were made from. And we even expanded our definition of family and invited in exchange students to our home. And we had one from Brazil and one from Lebanon. And they are brothers to my boys now and part of our family. And at one point, we created this intergenerational program where adults were matched with kids. And relationships are still in place today from that. Community can be family. And for those of us who had a dysfunctional or unhealthy family, creating community can be a better way to know family. Even though some of us don't or won't, we are wired to connect through all life species. Researcher and author Margaret Wheatley states that the instinct of community is not peculiar to humans. It crosses all life forms from microbes to the most complex of species. Through our biological roots, we are wired to be more than isolated individuals. So, how do you build a community? Where do you start? I want to suggest first that you recognize that you're part of a community. Your family, workplace, schools, past and present. Oftentimes, we're very comfortable simply being a member of a community. But I want to suggest that if you own a leadership role, that it's a transformative step that's available to anyone. Community building is hard. Leadership is hard. And it can be unnatural. But it's available for all of us. There were times when I was needy that I thought I was building community. But really, I was trying to fill this hole inside of me. That's not leadership. And it's not community building. Before I could build community or recognize my own potential as a leader, I had to be my own community. I had to know who I was and what my passions were. And I had to not need you to complete me. And only when I spent the time to learn what I cared about, was I able to ask you to join me. In my work, I'm fortunate enough to spend time with hundreds of leaders. And one thing I've noticed in their quest to make a difference is that they all do it different. It's like their fingerprint. There's no one right way. A good leader collaborates and knows how to listen. They don't have all the answers, but they know how to ask questions to get the answers that they need. And they know how to align their actions with stated intentions. A good leader empowers others to find their voice and recognize their strengths. So, before I leave you today, I want you to see a path to expand your community and make a difference in your world. You join a community when you find a group that aligns with who you are or want to be. Trust is fundamental. And then you have to have a purpose for spending your time there. And then you have to participate. Participation is why I believe that community can start small, with that we. And it all begins with a conversation. Create common unity using the connections of mind, citizen, spirit, and people to build your bridge from passion to purpose. There are so many questions and challenges in this world that need answers. And you taking an active role to lead in your community is the best chance we all have. So, I ask you to embrace community and know that there is more of you when you are connected to others. Thank you. Thank you.