On behalf of all of us at Living Room Conversations, I want to express our deepest gratitude for working alongside us to build a world we believe is possible.
In these last few moments of 2020, we’re reflecting on the many lessons and learnings from this astonishing year, and we wanted to share just a few of them with you:
Find simple joys in complicated times.
While the world is becoming increasingly complex, the most meaningful solutions can often be quite simple. In a recent USA Today piece, Joan Blades reminds us we have the power to determine our future, and it can be as simple as inviting someone into conversation.
“We can own our part of this downward spiral and commit to turning things around,” she writes. “It will at times be uncomfortable and confusing. It also will be enriching and fun. Treasured friendships and nuanced understanding are natural outcomes of this kind of investment.”
Staying open to surprise is at heart of conversation.
We didn’t expect our LRC Live: Connecting Across Generations to become a conversation about male vulnerability and exploring masculinity in the 21st Century. But we’ve learned that when you create space and design a structure for meaningful sharing and generous listening, the unexpected becomes possible.
Read more about this inspiring conversation between fathers and daughters recently featured in The Good Men Project HERE.
Don’t forget to download the Good Questions for Great Gatherings resource to dial up the connection at your New Year celebrations. It’s our gift to you this holiday season.
Support this growing movement.
There is unprecedented interest in this work. This year, our web traffic has more than doubled, new people across the globe are engaging with Living Room Conversations, and young people, we’re heartened to see, are leading the charge. But we need your financial support to meet the exciting demands and sustain this pace of growth. Please consider Living Room Conversations if you’re making end of year donations. You can contribute here.
This is a year we won’t soon forget. We’d love to hear your reflections as 2020 draws to a close. Please respond to this email and share your hard-earned lessons, as well as your dreams and plans for 2021.
More than anything, friends, we hope you’re finding quiet moments to rest alongside your loved ones and celebrate the simple-but-meaningful joys of this season.
Happy, happy New Year.
Warmly,
Shannon Mannon
Newsletter Editor