This morning's TL call was themed around travels of various coordinators, and the lesson they've learned in representing ServiceSpace (and its values) in varying contexts.  We started with Pavi, Audrey and myself -- and then did a circle of sharing.  Lot of the nuance is hard to capture (as are the photos :)), but here were the high-level tidbits ... 

--Pavi: attended Tokyo Symposium of global thought leaders and "Symphony of Peace Prayers", where Fuji Declaration was launched. So much sincerity. We've heard the beautiful stories from Yuka, but when you visit, you experience the breadth and depth of their work in a very new way. For instance, volunteers don't just bring you bags, they pull out the handle, so you can roll it out easily. That's the kind of culture they have created in their massive, local ecosystem there.  We were all moved to tears at various points of our short trip.

--Audrey: from Awakin Circle in London to Giftivial in Italy to Seva Cafe in Grasse, had a eventful few weeks across Europe. Big takeaway was to learn about so many different point of views, on something as simple as generosity, and to realize the good fortune of our "bubble" that leads everything with inner transformation.

--Nipun: very thoughtful dialogue in Bhutan, continuation of Germany circle, on global well being. In terms of thought leadership, our value-add is to uplift the voluntary sector -- beyond public and private sectors (which everyone sees as train wrecks). What stood out, along the way, was how we hold circle -- in private conversations (like Costa Rica friend), in global groups (connected but not seeking center), or in Awakin Circle (from Delhi to Thimpu to Bombay).

--Amit: [Say hello to Jaya!] Met Dada Vaswani recently, and asked him: "How do I grow in love and equanimity?" He said, "Take care of your company; study the lives of saints, do selfless service without any agendas." What do you think is humanity greatest strength? "Forgiveness."

--Meghna: I've learned so much just through osmosis, just being around all of you. Without realizing it, the values seep into your being, and subtly change the decisions you may make at a crossroads, and all of a sudden everything looks different. It's not longer Wisdom Crafts -- it's a practice of being the change.

--Pancho: I'm reminded of Palm Springs.  When traveling, I make it a point to stay with organizers (instead of hotels) and it changes the depth of our relationships (like, for instance, they'll notice how I prioritize meditating 2 hours a day). And my Dad recently sat his first meditation retreat, that I served, and his first words: "When I was in the deep moment of loving kindness, I felt like when I was at my first Awakin Santa Clara." Powerful ripples. :)

--Ram: had to jump off prior to circle, but send his hellos. Kajal and Ram are expecting a child, in short order. :)

--Sheetal: three inspiring circles recently. Started charted accountants circle with a Smile Deck and spoke about different kinds of capital. Another circle with NGOs, where we just sat in silence, do a prayer and share -- and magic unfolded. Third was with Gitanjali, around her remarkable work with sex workers in Delhi, and then we had another circle with sex workers locally in Pune.

--Sima: just returned from India trip. Rish and I held an improv workshop at a MBL retreat, where it was a great to wrap that work around SSp values. Was delighted to spend time at Urban Ashram in Pune, and meet Catherine from France.

--Yoo-mi: just finished renovating our living space in Vancouver. Yay!  Held a soiree with some local friends, and people just loved it -- and no one wanted to leave.  There's an art of holding circle, that all of us are collectively keeping alive.

In absentia, these folks sent their hellos ...

--​Birju couldn't make it due to an unavoidable all-day meeting, but continues to be super-active in various fronts, including Laddership Circles (where we now have 21 great applicants for 8 spots!).

--Somik couldn't join because circumstances had him babysitting Samani and Uma. :)  But here's a recent ripple, and here's a paragaph he penned down at a recent gathering: If I had to name the deepest part of being, it would be "heart-lighter". I feel like there's a ton of fuel in my heart that weighs me down, unless I light it up. And then, as it's burning away, my heart also gets lighter :). My work in the world is that of integrating and my vision is around dissolving boundaries and finding underlying unity."

--Arathi was at her cousin's wedding, but has just moved to Berkeley with Joel (who is now working at Dalai Lama Fellows with Bela).  She is going to anchoring 21-Day Challenges, and is excited to create more local ripples as well.

--Richard, who couldn't make it due to last minute issues, just celebrated his 72nd b'day -- where few of us met for dinner that included card tricks by Jacob Needleman.

--Nisha, who couldn't join to lack of Internet connectivity in her village, has continuing to step up the ProPoor team and it's deepening fusion with MBL.