photo by Tima Miroshnichenko courtesy Pexels

Highlights from the year’s posts on the underlying, core values that guide us.

“Respect, number one… Leadership as a practice not a position. That goes to the fact that we’re all leaders, we’re all equal, everybody’s of value.” –Anderson Curtis (Cohort 24), A Conversation about Building Connection

“With too many tables missing seats for us, we decided to build and bring our own table and seats.” -Marian A. Evans (Cohort 19), Wisdom of BIPOC Women Scholars

“…perseverance or determination; one thing I reflect about in my personal and also professional life, is that good things don’t just happen. People have to act as agents to bring justice and goodness into the world.” –Anna Blanding (Cohort 4) Interview

“There’s a saying: if you don’t stand for something, you’ll fall for anything. I’m not confused; it’s a passion.” –Steve Mikolike (Cohort 28), Faith, Calling & Recovery

“The values in Sweden and Nordic countries in general match my own core values, making it easier to live, to breathe.” –Lauri Robbins Ericson (Cohort 12), From Capitalist Trauma to Nordic Calm

“As I dream about a world that celebrates all of us fully… Let the salve in.” –Kay Ulanday Barrett, “Duplex for the Sick & Tired”

“Building community is my passion. Imagining and creating spaces where we can dream with other people who are dreaming; spaces where we can connect, heal, transform together, and be a part of real change that has a significant impact on improving all our lives.” –Steve Mikolike (Cohort 28), Building Trust, Team & Community

“I think that we have an influence on what the outcomes are in many of the things in our lives. If we think about the possibilities of things, it’s much more likely that we’re going to be able to put the pieces in place to make the better outcomes possible.” –J.R. Logan (Cohort United Way) Interview

“We should be able to agree to disagree and learn how to respect and love each other even when we don’t see eye to eye.” –Eli López Acevedo (Cohort 22) Interview

“For everything you have imparted in, and passed along to me, I am and will remain grateful.” –Omena McCoy (Cohort 25), Grief & Gratitude: A Love Letter

“Seeing things in new ways, going against the rules, doing art for art’s sake, listening to heart over mind, and having the courage to share it with the world, regardless of its cultural value.” –Aly Fox (Cohort 13), What Makes an Artist

“listen to my poems. but do not look for me. look for you.” –nayyirah waheed, poems from salt. & NEJMA

“He always said, if you own things, you’re not in a subservient position. People don’t have to like you, but they have to respect you… Owning things and not having debt meant you can control your own destiny; you can make decisions; you’re not beholden to somebody else.” –Anna Blanding (Cohort 4), Black Investment, Ownership and Wealth (Part 1)

“Because there’s so little of it growing naturally in the world right now, pursuing and prioritizing and seeking joy isn’t just a value, but a task. It forces me to interrogate both the spaces I’m opting into, and how I’m choosing to show up in community.” –Duanecia Clark (Cohort 21) Interview

“I want to live in a society where we have different opinions. But we need to respect and listen to each other.” –Christopher Cole (Cohort 12) Interview

“We have all done a lot. And there is a lot more to do. We get there by respecting each other, not by dismissing each other. ¡Venceremos porque nacimos para triunfar!” –Jeffrey Moreno (Cohort 28), Proud Hispanic Heritage & Service

“I think consideration accounts for so much. It’s an act of love and compassion; it sets the tone for how you practice inclusivity and community, inviting other individuals as opposed to operating from a space of being in your own world and thinking about yourself.” –Yexandra (Yex) Diaz (Cohort 32) Interview

“My best friend Kia of 35-plus years, we were in first grade together, and we still talk about those stories of when we would sing. It’s that memorable and powerful to feel represented in the arts, even at that age.” –Miriam Sutton (Cohort 29), Turning to Creativity for Peace

“What if they are the true dwelling of the holy, these fleeting temples we make together when we say, ‘Here, have my seat'”  Danusha Laméris, Small Kindnesses

Curated by The Circle’s creative director & editor, Lara Herscovitch. To reach Lara directly: thecircle@clpnewhaven.org or Lara@LaraHerscovitch.com

print