As you may have seen in our mission statement, here at Milkweed Group:
“We create safe, courageous spaces that nourish inner wisdom, sharpen clarity of purpose, and fuel capacity to live and lead for the sake of a better world.”
Nourishing Inner Wisdom… Whaaa?! C’mon, I’m twenty. I’ve considered myself to be capable, imaginative, thoughtful, bright… but wise?!
Throughout my life I have been given a variety of advice regarding how to live, and especially in regards to making important decisions I have heard voices from all kinds of individuals. Voices from people like my dad pushing me to “make sure you can stand on your own two feet”. Voices from my peers saying, “now is the time to take those risks, and do what you love”. Voices from the various motivational speakers encouraging me to… wait, what did they tell me I should do again?
For many, especially in transitional times, these voices have power and influence to shape our thoughts, attitudes, and actions. Luckily in my life, I have had some experiences in which a few of these voices have also encouraged me to dig deeper and listen to what I want.
When Chris and Kelli and I first began to put The Milkweed Group’s work into words, the language of “nourishing inner wisdom” (the first phrase in our mission statement) seemed incredibly daunting to me. It felt somewhat lofty and idealistic to assert that everyone is wise, that in fact everyone can connect to a voice inside – an inner compass — telling them what’s best. Even more, it took a lot of time for me to realize and believe that the “everyone” in this phrase — included me.
It wasn’t until I learned how to pay attention, ask deep questions, struggle with complex opposing ideas, and trust myself, that I realized that I am full of capability, competence, and knowledge. In fact, (as my bio paragraph says) I have what we like to call “an inner compass” which I can depend on during these confusing, transitional times.
When’s the last time you stopped, took a deep breath, and asked yourself what you want? Better yet, when have you asked yourself why?