March 19, 2025
“There is no power for change greater than a community discovering what it cares about.”
– Margaret J. Wheatley
Dear Friends,
How have you been? What an intense first three months of the year.
As I journey through this year, I found the great antidote to separateness, anxiety and fear is building and being with communities, and restoring a sense of intimacy in our life.
When we are going through great changes and uncertainty, we can create a sense of agency and resilience through connections. Real and authentic connections. In the physical world, when possible. It takes more effort to connect in the physical world – we may need to commute, carve out time, and we take risks in the vulnerability of connection.
We take risks in looking into someone’s eyes, seeing their vulnerability, joys and sorrows, inspirations and regrets, and how they reflect our own. We take risks in making mistakes, saying the wrong things at the wrong moments, sometimes unintentionally harming or being hurt by others. And yet, the intimacy that we create, by allowing ourselves to truly connect, fills a deep human need, particularly in this tech-driven world. A hug, a shared meal, a heartfelt conversation, and a sense of shared experience and camaraderie. We come away with a sense that we are not alone, and we can weather the challenges we encounter together.
Whether it’s facing our personal transformation or the political climate, connections and intimacy help us dissolve the walls that are within us, and help us rehumanize each other. If you can, find some time to join a community. Get involved and volunteer. If you can’t find one that you are looking for, it’s probably a sign that you are the one to build it. (Sh*t, you may say. Do I have to?) You don’t have to, you have the permission to self care first. If capacity allows and you can invest the time and energy, it’s likely that the seeds you sow will flower.
I am truly grateful to be part of several vibrant communities – my Community Dharma Leadership (CDL) training started in January and I met an incredible group of inspiring leaders around the country. The Midlife Sangha that I have been nurturing for two years is growing to nearly 100 people. We had our first potluck mixer where we did rounds of “speed dating” of ten common themes, such as “second career,” “finding joy,” ”relationship changes,” and a newly added “this political moment.” We will start a monthly Sunday sit. It’s been heartwarming to hear that the support and bond they built in the Midlife course and community have made a big difference in their life.
I have learned over and over again that, yes, we need our individual meditation practice to contact our awareness and deepen our insights, but we also need communities to go through this human journey together.
I am also examining the role of technology in my life. In modernity, we deify technology and technological progress has been equated with human progress. But does it – all the time? Or as a Tibetan teacher asks, is it an improved means to an unimproved end? Have we set an intention with our use of technology? Does it support the liberation of the human mind or hinder it? Do we hold these powerful tools in our hands and ask, to what end? When does it create compassion in our hearts, and when does it create hatred, greed, and delusion? Does it foster intimacy or remove it? Does it support real connections, or does it substitute them? Where does it create convenience and at what cost? There are no inherent right or wrong answers, but awareness could lead to conscious use.
Reclaiming our agency with technology isn’t just about reducing screen time—it’s about cultivating real connections and intimacy in our lives, so we no longer turn to devices as a quick fix for our deeper human needs. Make time to connect in person. Look into someone’s eyes and hear their stories. Go to the Farmers’ Market and chat with farmers about their produce this season, visit a friend, go to lunch with a coworker, take a walk with loved ones after dinner. These moments of genuine connection calm our nervous system and nourish our soul.
Spring Equinox is tomorrow. May the spring energy bring you renewal, fresh perspectives, and joy. May you sow seeds that bring fulfillment, courage, and deep connection with your community.
Blessings and love,
Lin
Photo: AAPI Lunar New Year Sit, New York Insight, February 2025
GoFundMe: 2025 -2027 Spirit Rock’s Community Dharma Leadership Training
Pay it forward: I’ll be joining the next Community Dharma Leadership (CDL7) training at Spirit Rock Meditation Center. This program includes five retreats over two years and costs ~$14,000. Your contribution will help me cover these expenses. No contribution is too small—every donation is deeply appreciated. Thank you for your support!