milkshake 13
belonging at the level of tribe: a sports
team, or political party, a nation, or
the company you work for. That’s fine,
it can be a positive experience. But it
becomes problematic when this tribal
belonging creates a sense of “other.”
When we start to polarize and judge
and feel separate from people who
aren’t part of our gang, who don’t see
the world the same way.
I believe that we are all connected
and inter-dependent. We all belong
to the world, always and already.
We are all part of the same whole
of this amazing system that is life,
that is intelligent beyond any human
intelligence. It’s got this ability to selfcorrect
and to grow and change. If
we remember that we belong to this
bigger system, then we become so
much more resilient than any tribe,
gang, or club could ever make us.
I notice, over and over when people
find this deeper sense of belonging,
they relax. They stop trying to prove
themselves, from a sense of lack or
fear or inadequacy. And they start
to contribute to life from a place of
connection and belonging. From a
place of “I am…” before any identities
kick in.
Grounded in this deeper kind of
belonging, we naturally listen more
openly to people who see things
differently. And we build a world that is
so much happier and more creative.
Do you feel hopeful about the
future of work, and the future of
our planet?
Harrison: I’m always an optimist
because I believe the system of
life, itself, is intelligent. It’s always
orienting towards wholeness. Our
body will rebalance itself; our psyche
will rebalance itself. So, if society is
overvaluing one aspect, the parts that
are undervalued are full of potency
and ready to be tapped. And people
sense that, and slowly put offers
around the untapped aspects of life.
And because they’re needed, they
grow. Maybe slowly, maybe over
generations, sure.
December 2021