Something I've noticed after being in the intentional communities movement for 8 years is that people tend to want the shiny parts of community.

There are many shiny parts don't get me wrong, and I love that people are inspired by these exciting things:

Sharing meals. Hosting events. Gazing up at the stars together.

And those things are real. They happen. But nobody talks about what had to happen first.

Have you ever had to have conversation where you told someone their behavior was affecting the whole house, and your hands were shaking the whole time?

Or been in a meeting where you voted on something and the person you love most was on the losing side and you had to sit with that at dinner?

I'm not saying this to be discouraging.

I'm saying it because I think a lot of people opt out of community before they get to the good stuff, because nobody prepared them for the middle part.

I think the best stuff is on the other side of the hard parts.

The trust that makes the shared meal feel warm? It was built in a hard conversation that someone was brave enough to start.

That's actually what I'm teaching this month.

I'm preparing community members and facilitators who want to be trained in community mediation. This means leaning how to help other navigate conflict.

Let's be real, it's unlike any other type of conflict, and requires specific ways of facilitating people to heal through conflict.

May 27 and 28, two sessions, 12 spots. Link below if you want in