Our Word For 2022: EXPANSION
We live in an era where historic divisions are coming to a head, bubbling angrily up to the surface; just like a fever sometimes has to get hotter before it heals.
It can be easy to feel hopeless observing the narratives in our news, or the debates on social media. It has become normalized to dismiss and dehumanize each other based only on the box we checked at the ballot booth, where we live, or the color of our skin.
2022 is inviting us into a new way of engaging with one another.
For 2 years we have been isolated, perhaps only seeing our closest family in person. We have had time to turn inwards, to reflect and incubate. Now, it is time for us to come together again. But before we can heal and collaborate, we have to learn to truly see each other, in our pain and in our complexity. This is no easy task.
We envision a world where every individual is up for this task.
Where organizations are led by those who have the understanding, tools and skills to connect and collaborate across lines of difference.
Where leaders seek to understand and unite, rather than divide and dismiss.
Where we each are aware of our own inheritance and how it shapes our behavior, and are ready to take responsibility for transforming inherited systems and building the world we wish to live in. A world where everyone is celebrated and cherished for their unique inheritance, identity and gifts.
You may call us optimists, but we see ourselves as pragmatists.
The road we are going down is not working, is not sustainable. If we as a human race want to stand a chance of survival and address the pressing global issues of our time, we have to learn how to collaborate with those who are different than us. Connecting with others begins with understanding ourselves.
This year we are expanding Inheritance Project’s programs to every sector of society. We are working with universities, governments, schools, workplaces in the US and beyond.
It’s time to invest in a new way of leading and relating.
5 Journal Prompts
What inherited belief(s) are you ready to let go of?
What inherited talent do you want to showcase more?
What is one practice you want to cultivate this year?
What do you want to say “no” to this year?
What can you simplify in your life?
Words To Live By
“Let truth be your walking stick. Integrity each step. There is no tomorrow or yesterday, just this moment of awe at the gift of life with all its beauty and challenges. The leader within you does not parade for attention, speaks from compassion and wisdom and understands we make one person as we move through our living. Our walking stick is made of the beauty of the earth, carved with the intent of justice and equality for all.”
- Joy Harjo, U.S. Poet Laureate