Living in the Sonshine

I founded Rooted Sonshine so that I could work with people for things that mattered - things like health and well-being, education and happiness - things that ultimately lead to prosperity and greater opportunities. 

I didn't realize at the time just how integral building and fostering communities was to individual and global health - but the research proves connection is vital. 

Go Deeper . . . 

Kasley Killam, MPH founded Social Health Labs and wrote the book The Art and Science of Connection: Why Social Health Is the Mission Key to Living Longer, Healthier, and Happier. Killam compares loneliness to hunger and cites research that shows social rejection makes human beings feel physical pain. But that doesn't mean every connection is created equal. Killam also explains how ambivalent relationships can raise blood pressure, increase inflammation, and actually make one's cells age faster. 

In the book The Art of Gathering, author Priya Parker breaks down helpful strategies to ensure your gatherings do create deeper relationships that mitigate those ambivalent ones. Parker writes, ". . . over-including can keep connections shallow because . . . it can become hard to meaningfully activate [connections]."

Building welcoming communities via, what Parker calls, "excluding thoughtfully" is necessary - not always innate - but certainly possible. 

In her book, How We Show Up: Reclaiming Family, Friendship, and Community, Mia Birdsong gives a real life example of an invitation she received that does just that. It read:

"For a while now I've been hungry for a space and time where I can be with women I think are brilliant and kind and have complex, deep conversation. I want to learn from you. I want to hear myself into my own wisdom."

Charles H. Vogl, in The Art of Community: Seven Principals for Belonging, reinforces how an invitation like this sets the stage for strong connections.

Sharing in the Value . . .

Vogl calls the sharing of deep conversations, learning, and individual wisdoms "the stories principle." He writes, "[s]tories are the most powerful way we humans learn. Every community, like every person, is full of stories. Sharing certain stories deepens a community's connections. If people don't know (or can't learn) your stories, they don't know or understand your community. They can't know who you are, what you do, or how what you do matters. Stories are how [people] learn the . . . value of the community." 

Birdsong also includes the Margaret Wheatley excerpt from Turning to One Another: Simple Conversations to Restore Hope to the Future that her now friend included in that initial invitation: 

"Real listening always brings people closer together. 

Trust that meaningful conversations can change your world. 

Rely on human goodness. Stay together."

Start Living in YOUR Sonshine . . .

A crux of Rooted Sonshine is combatting loneliness, bringing people together in real life, and fostering community. Rooted Sonshine knows just how important togetherness is and has the tools, skills, and resources to help you or your team navigate the art and science of building those strong connections. 

Are you ready? Let's connect.