the improbable few. The ‘critical yeast’ — these small, unlikely, combinations of persistent people and partnerships committed to a new quality of relationship — dwell before and behind every instance of social change
Reminds me of that Margaret Mead quote: Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has.
A spiritual view of time is a long view of time — seasonal and cyclical, resistant to the illusion of time as a bully, time as a matter of deadlines. Human transformation takes time — longer than we want it to — but it is what is necessary for social transformation.
Time makes more converts than reason - Thomas Paine
t involves vulnerability — a willingness to be surprised, to let go of assumptions and take in ambiguity. It is never in “gotcha” mode.
I'm a big believer in the power of vulnerability. We all have vulnerabilities, and yet are somehow expected to pretend that we don't. Admitting vulnerability is seen in the media & social media as a sign of weakness, it's a sore spot to attack someone in or write a nasty article or post about. We don't applaud people for their honesty and courage in sharing what they struggle with nearly enough, and so often we punish them for it. But sometimes, when someone in a position of power share their vulnerabilities, it gives everyone else permission to be vulnerable too, and that really builds community then.
WHAT WE PRACTICE, WE BECOME.
Reminds me of that quote from Evan Almighty where God says: 'If people pray for patience, does God gives them patience, or opportunities to be patient?' Why can't gain virtues just through asking or via theoretical knowledge alone, it's in the doing of them that we get better at them.