Living with Meaning

About a year ago, I decided to embark on a crazy adventure. I decided to apply to become a Beyond Borders student for the 2010-2011 school year. Turns out, it was one of the best decisions of my life. Originally, Beyond Borders was a means to fulfill a field studies and an opportunity to travel abroad and volunteer, a dream I've always had. But over the last 5 months since being in the program, it has developed into so much more. I knew I had to take two courses in preparation for my adventure to come but in no way did I imagine it as challenging and thought-provoking as they have turned out to be. We learned from different authors describing their life experiences of struggle, their attempts to create community and different styles of pedagogy and leadership. These were eye-opening but also created a challenge for me, a challenge to live life intentionally and with meaning. Living in community is one aspect of doing so and I think we've got it right, at least for now. Our class of 14 Beyond Borders students has grown exceptionally close, through great discussion, class outings and seeing the fruits of our labour in wonderful fundraising events. But as a new term begins, so do new challenges as new insights are brought into my awareness.

On the first Thursday night class I had this term, I was immediately struck with a challenge. Maybe it was because our professor told us we would be thinking about it over the next bit but I can't help to notice that I am thinking about it a lot. In my Community Conflict Resolution class (PACS313), our professor showed us a TED Talk by Brené Brown. The basis of her talk was to describe how to live a meaning of worthiness as she has 'discovered' through some research. But what struck me was not necessarily the topic of the talk, but the insights that she drew. She argued, worthiness comes from a sense of love and belonging. Those who are strong, feel they are worthy and have a sense of courage. But this courage is not courage in the traditional sense where we fight battles and jump off buildings. This courage is the courage to be imperfect. She argued, for true happiness to be achieved, we must embrace our imperfection and make ourselves vulnerable. We often try to "numb vulnerability" but this cannot be done without numbing other emotions. So we need to let go of the person who we think we should be, and be the person that we are. More importantly, we shouldn't project our values onto others too and embrace imperfection in all aspects of life. Embrace the uncomfortable, the vulnerability of not being perfect and "be".

While that TED Talk was replaying in my mind over and over again, my class met at The Working Centre in Kitchener for our first class this past week. We were given a tour of the facilities as we were going to start our local volunteer placements there in the next little while. The Working Centre and its services were buzzing with life. A little project here and there but what was most inspiring was the connections that were being made between individuals. I think this was the concept of reciprocity talked about by Kenneth Westhues in one of our readings this week. To live like a dance, to share power and work together to achieve a goal. I was more than excited to start volunteering at what I had originally thought were my safest bets: St. John's Kitchen as it is similar to work I've done with Ray of Hope, or Speak English Cafe on Thursday nights as I'd merely be speaking English. But fortunately, our host gave us a challenge. To find a placement that will make us uncomfortable. And when it becomes comfortable, shake it up and break the routine.

But why did I tell these two stories? What does it mean to me and living with meaning?

To me, these two snippets of my life are interrelated. To live by being vulnerable and to be okay with being imperfect means I am putting my pride aside and to put all external measures aside. I believe it is only in this way, that we can live out Westhues' version of reciprocity. If we go into volunteer work, a group project or any other aspect of life thinking "I am going to help them", then we are working through a contractual top-down approach. We should, contrarily, forget where we come from and see value in each person and view each person as a person. This is, as I see it, the way to live our reciprocity and to "become human" as Jean Vanier would describe. So join me in this challenge and relate to people as people this week. Start a conversation with the cashier at your grocery store, they are a person of value as well. Meet someone new. Break the barriers of us-them. Join me and live your life with meaning this week.

I invite you all to reply and post comments on how living with meaning has changed your mindset or just experiences you have had, the good, the funny and perhaps the not so nice.

Here is a link to Brené Brown's TED Talk if you are interested!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X4Qm9cGRub0

Here is a link to Kenneth Westhues' article on reciprocity

http://www.theworkingcentre.org/wscd/gwn/article1/article1.html

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This week, I will hopefully find out about two things! Our volunteer placements will be finalized at The Working Centre and it's possible that our placements abroad have been finalized too! Stay tuned!