Tribe is a powerful word. It conveys community, something shared - how we survive by virtue of the fact that we associate with each other, and share with each other. A way of perceiving the world that you have in common with others.
This weekend I am with my 'tribe' as I attend the Professional Speakers Association annual conference in London. Yesterday, I shared a speaking platform with other members of the tribe from all over the world at the Authentic Leadership - A Global Perspective conference held in the Ironmongers Hall in the City of London. Some fantastic speakers with powerful messages gave their best to an invited audience. There also, I launched the new revolution and the start of the Rebel Island project and community.
This weekend as I sit and share and learn from my 'tribe', I look forward to the growth of a new one. A sense of belonging somewhere and to something is important for us humans for we are social creatures.
Who's your tribe? Who makes you strong, helps you grow and accepts you for who your are? Cherish them, for they shape you.
I also attended the Professional Speakers Association this weekend for the first time. Since resigning my teaching post two years ago to become a speaker about the 25% - the 25% of adults who are affected by mental ill health at some point in their lives - I felt it has been rather a lonely profession. I joined the PSA hoping to learn more and grow in my new direction. The strength of fellowship and the power of the PSA 'tribe' both enveloped me and is now supporting me in my goal to become a world-class speaker. I felt I had 'come home'. When I was suffering from a severe form of mental illness one of my biggest symptoms was a huge sense of loss and isolation. I therefore now fully appreciate this sense of belonging and definitely cherish it!
ReplyDelete