You Are Our Hope for Tomorrow

The human heart is the first home of democracy. It is where we embrace our questions. Can we be equitable? Can we be generous? Can we listen with our whole beings, not just our minds, and offer our attention rather than our opinions? And do we have enough resolve in our hearts to act courageously, relentlessly, without giving up—ever—trusting our fellow citizens to join with us in our determined pursuit of a living democracy?  —Terry Tempest Williams*

On January 20th a new president and vice-president were inaugurated. Whether we voted for Biden and Harris or not, this day ushers in a time of historic change and reflects the collective hopes of more than 80 million Americans. Let us hope that the heart of democracy is still beating and can be healed. Let us also remember that hope begins with us—in our willingness to listen and to be present to ourselves and others.

In his book, Healing the Heart of Democracy: The Courage to Create a Politics Worthy of the Human Spirit (2011), Parker Palmer outlines five “habits of the heart” that support a robust and meaningful democracy. The opening quote above and many of the remarks below are excerpted from Palmer’s website.*

“Habits of the heart” (a phrase coined by Alexis de Tocqueville) are deeply ingrained ways of seeing, being, and responding to life that involve our minds, our emotions, our self-images, our concepts of meaning and purpose. I believe that these five interlocked habits are critical to sustaining a democracy. Download as PDF.

 1. An understanding that we are all in this together. Biologists, ecologists, economists, ethicists and leaders of the great wisdom traditions have all given voice to this theme. Despite our illusions of individualism and national superiority, we humans are a profoundly interconnected species—entwined with one another and with all forms of life, as the global economic and ecological crises reveal in vivid and frightening detail. We must embrace the simple fact that we are dependent upon and accountable to one another, and that includes the stranger, the “alien other.” At the same time, we must save the notion of interdependence from the idealistic excesses that make it an impossible dream. Exhorting people to hold a continual awareness of global, national, or even local interconnectedness is a counsel of perfection that is achievable (if at all) only by the rare saint, one that can only result in self-delusion or defeat. Which leads to a second key habit of the heart…

 2. An appreciation of the value of “otherness.” It is true that we are all in this together. It is equally true that we spend most of our lives in “tribes” or lifestyle enclaves—and that thinking of the world in terms of “us” and “them” is one of the many limitations of the human mind. The good news is that “us and them” does not have to mean “us versus them.” Instead, it can remind us of the ancient tradition of hospitality to the stranger and give us a chance to translate it into twenty-first century terms. Hospitality rightly understood is premised on the notion that the stranger has much to teach us. It actively invites “otherness” into our lives to make them more expansive, including forms of otherness that seem utterly alien to us. Of course, we will not practice deep hospitality if we do not embrace the creative possibilities inherent in our differences. Which leads to a third key habit of the heart…

 3. An ability to hold tension in life-giving ways. Our lives are filled with contradictions—from the gap between our aspirations and our behavior, to observations and insights we cannot abide because they run counter to our convictions. If we fail to hold them creatively, these contradictions will shut us down and take us out of the action. But when we allow their tensions to expand our hearts, they can open us to new understandings of ourselves and our world, enhancing our lives and allowing us to enhance the lives of others. We are imperfect and broken beings who inhabit an imperfect and broken world. The genius of the human heart lies in its capacity to use these tensions to generate insight, energy, and new life. Making the most of those gifts requires a fourth key habit of the heart…

 4. A sense of personal voice and agency. Insight and energy give rise to new life as we speak out and act out our own version of truth, while checking and correcting it against the truths of others. But many of us lack confidence in our own voices and in our power to make a difference. We grow up in educational and religious institutions that treat us as members of an audience instead of actors in a drama, and as a result we become adults who treat politics as a spectator sport. And yet it remains possible for us, young and old alike, to find our voices, learn how to speak them, and know the satisfaction that comes from contributing to positive change—if we have the support of a community. Which leads to a fifth and final habit of the heart…

 5. A capacity to create community. Without a community, it is nearly impossible to achieve voice: it takes a village to raise a Rosa Parks. Without a community, it is nearly impossible to exercise the “power of one” in a way that allows power to multiply: it took a village to translate Parks’ act of personal integrity into social change. In a mass society like ours, community rarely comes ready-made. But creating community in the places where we live and work does not mean abandoning other parts of our lives to become full-time organizers. The steady companionship of two or three kindred spirits can help us find the courage we need to speak and act as citizens. There are many ways to plant and cultivate the seeds of community in our personal and local lives. We must all become gardeners of community if we want democracy to flourish.

Self-care is an essential component of our ability to be present to ourselves and others. Krista Tippett’s On Being Project has prepared a listening and written self-care package for uncertain times. The link below includes articles, poetry, and guided meditations that you may find helpful to engaging with self and others in a respectful, compassionate and hopeful way.

https://onbeing.org/blog/a-listening-care-package-for-uncertain-times/

At Austin Clubhouse we witness community, compassion and resiliency in action each day. Both members and staff begin the new day knowing that someone or many will be there for them online. We take the time to listen to one another, share successes and foibles, commiserate and lift one another up. We work side-by-side to complete the organization's "Work-Ordered Day" (WOD) that includes projects to faciltate recovery, transitional and supportive employment, educational support, outreach, advocacy, relationship and resource development, and planned wellness and social activities. This is hope in action.

If you or a loved one is an adult living with mental illness, we invite you to join us at Austin Clubhouse or another clubhouse closer to you. www.austinclubhouse.org or www.clubhouse-intl.org

There has never been a better time

to find the joy of simply being,

to let go of defining our worth by doing,

to know that life is good,

and to trust that love will save us all.

 Thank you for all you do to keep hope alive in our community.

Your Friends at Austin Clubhouse

*Parker J. Palmer, Healing the Heart of Democracy: The Courage to Create a Politics Worthy of the Human Spirit (2011), Source: Parker J. Palmer's Five Habits of the Heart ? Center for Courage & Renewal Center for Courage & Renewal

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