I'm on a flight home from the Social Venture Network Spring Conference. And as I'm flying home, I feel an ever deepening gratitude for SVN for so many magical moments I've enjoyed being a member to this community.

For the purposes of this letter, however, I'm going to narrow my sharing to the real appreciation I hold deep in my heart for seeing and listening I receive every time I come home to this community.

As I've shared before, Seeing is an important part of changing, growing and expanding. Do you remember this simple reminder?

Change the way you look at things,

the things you look at change.

Whether you remembered or not isn't important. What's important is that you begin to consider the significance of both Seeing and Listening in your life, given and received.

Let me continue with a bit more illustration.

I first attended a SVN conference four years ago in search of a community of fellow social entrepreneurs and activists. I had been invited to attend as a potential candidate for membership.

What I discovered is a community of people with the same values and commitment to social responsibility as I desired to be and become. SVN celebrates a community of like minded, intelligent progressives who walk their walk, working every day for greater economic justice and environmental sustainability; and is home to the likes of Wayne Silby of Calvert Group and Ben Cohen of Ben & Jerry's.

And there I was being asked to consider membership into this extraordinary gathering of change makers.

Something magical occurred during my time at that first conference four years ago, something I didn't expect. As I began networking, these amazing new friends were truly interested in who I was. They asked me about my family, my work, my passions, my interests, my loves and my ambitions. I was truly humbled. Then, when I shared that I was a poet as well, they were as receptive an audience as I'd ever received.

In short, I was given fresh seeing and listening. I stepped into it completely and fully showed up being me - the me without the masks or identities, the me that was not merely a role or a title, but the real me.

Although I wasn't aware of it at the time, receiving this new listening and seeing helped me to transform completely. You see, for years I had been living a thought…

If you have not seen your brother for 3 days,

look closely; know he has changed.

If you have not seen him for 3 weeks,

forget who you knew; meet him again.

While I had been intentional in my willingness to give this gift in moments when requested, I had never before received it so directly.

This is the magic of opening and expanding into purpose filled community. This is the miracle that arrives when you fully show up in moments, willing and ready to be the You beyond your roles and identities. Because when you do, you too will be in a space to receive the fresh listening and seeing that can catapult you into ever expanding tomorrows.

As you learn how to re-present yourself, fully showing up, you'll more easily give others the fresh listening and seeing they can use to help them transform as well.

Giving and receiving, seeing and listening is a circle because as you see so too are you seen. As you listen, so too are you listened to. The more you learn to give fresh listening and seeing, the more you'll be willing and able to arrive into moments withinasthru the gift of transformation, yours and others.

There are few gifts you'll ever give or receive that will serve you and others as fully as fresh listening and seeing.

So, as I pause in grateful reflection to the SVN community on my way home today, I find that I am once again transformed withinasthru the gift of fresh listening and seeing.

Whatever your community is, or which ever community you're inspired to walk into a moment from now, you may find giving and receiving this gift to help you in your choice to transform and grow.

Enjoy the expansion.

In Completely Fresh Listening & Seeing,

sk