A Virtual Green Thumb

My mind is swirling with activity.  Leadershape does that to me.  To spend the day thinking about and talking about leadership is both exhilarating and exhausting all at once.  At the end of the day - which yesterday was 1:25 a.m. I am left feeling lucky for the opportunity to spend this time with motivated young people.  They are appreciative for the chance to be here, curious, and I think genuinely anxious to make a positive mark on their corner of the world.  I kind of wish all of you could be here with me.  You've become like family and I can't help but wonder if you would also like it.  If nothing else, I'd love you to see me full of energy and working in my element, in the same way I would love to watch all of you in your element.

You think this is going to intro Cheryl's great Mind Mapping question about your ultimate job.  It was going to, but then I changed my mind.  I think we'll visit that tomorrow, but for today I wanted to do something different.

Yesterday was Day #3 of Leadershape.  It's the day students post their visions and that we walk around the room providing feedback on what each student has written.  I posted sample visions when I facilitated my last Leadershape session in May, so I had no intention of posting more visions this year.  Then I ran across this vision and I decided I couldn't help it....

Growth for the Community

I couldn't help it, because in Tarashea's Headline Statement I recognized concepts of both community and creativity.  I view Highlowaha as the place where creativity and community meet, so naturally I was interested.  It's not that her idea is 100% original.  It doesn't have to be.  I've read about places where community gardens are thriving, and I found myself thinking about the idea for the rest of the night and into the morning.

I want to grow something.  That's the reason Tarashea's Headline Statement resonated with me.  We're a community and while we would have a hard time tending to a garden, this community is every bit creative enough to figure out a way to grow something.  Is it a virtual garden, a physical garden, or some other manifestation?  Are we literally growing flowers, fruit, or vegetables or is the idea of "growing" something only figurative?

Put on your green thumb and overalls and help me think this through.  I don't have an von Oech card to whack our thinking, but maybe one of you returners will throw out one of his former prompts.  Or, we'll fly solo today generating our own creative ideas about what we can grow.  And maybe, in turn, we'll do what Tarashea proposes - create Growth for the Community!  

Thanks for all the great Mind Mapping ideas yesterday.  Eventually, we'll get to them.