Building bridges in divided times 🌱

Small acts of connection make all the difference

Because community matters. Now more than ever.

On this Veterans Day, as autumn leaves spiral down and we process the echoes of another election season, I'm thinking deeply about what binds us together as communities.

The air feels heavy with division, yet I'm reminded of the countless quiet ways people continue to reach across differences to support one another.

And while my words come from the US, I know our global community is watching, hoping, and working toward connection in their own corners of the world.

A Time for Growth and Grace

Like many of you, I've been seeking wisdom in these days after the election. I've been deeply moved by

Emily P. Freeman

's beautiful piece, "A Legacy of Something That Looks Like Hope". She writes:

Something I've been heartened to see on my social channels...is how people are encouraging one another to feel their feelings, not rush to the next thing, and take what they need. This is the language of human people giving each other space, taking the permission to move at a walking pace, and not prioritizing productivity and solutions over everything else. We have not always been like this. We're growing up, y'all.

Emily's words reflect a gentle shift—an evolution in how we show up for one another, one that embraces humanity over hustle, compassion over productivity. As a world, we are learning to give each other the space to be rather than to do, honoring emotions and allowing time for reflection.

Self-Awareness as the Heart of Community

In these times of increasing polarization, we all need tools to break free from the grip of reactive thinking.

In his upcoming book, MindShifting: Stop Your Brain From Sabotaging Your Happiness and Success, my friend and Hive member Mitch Weisburgh offers a vital practice for our divided world. He asks us to consider:

Even if someone is 90 percent wrong, what might they be seeing that you might be missing?

Mitch reminds us that we all carry stories about each other, about situations, about what's possible. These stories can either lock us into division or open us to connection.

The hope lies in that moment of self-awareness—when we catch ourselves being absolutely certain about something and choose to pause. In that pause, we can ask the question that bridges divides: “What else might be true?”

Building Bridges, Not Walls

Vice President Harris, in her recent concession speech, spoke directly to this moment. "We all have so much more in common than what separates us" she reminded us—a truth she's carried throughout her campaign and brought forward even in parting. This isn't just rhetoric; it's a call to remember our collective strength and the impact we can have when we come together with purpose and empathy.

I was also buoyed by Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's recent reflection on this moment. In a powerful YouTube clip that I encourage everyone to watch, she speaks to the heart of what we need now more than ever: “We have to do a lot of community building...active community building.”

She reminds us that whether it's through a religious community, a knitting group, or a dinner circle, creating these connections is “far more transformative and far more important than you may realize.”

We can commit ourselves to make the smallest communities around ourselves. If you don't know your neighbor, it's time to know your neighbor. It's time to get to know people.

What might seem simple, she reminds us, is actually "one of the strongest, most powerful and most radical things you can do."

Three Ways to Begin

1. Start with Kindness: Hold a door, share a smile, leave an encouraging comment. These small acts of grace ripple outward in ways we may never see.

2. Lead with Curiosity: The next time you encounter a perspective that challenges you, pause. Ask one genuine question. Listen for what you might not yet see.

3. Open to Possibility: Invite someone you don't know well for coffee. Share space. Transform strangers into neighbors. Small connections build bridges that span great divides.

Looking Forward

As we navigate this moment together, I'm reminded that community isn't just something we have—it's something we build, choice by choice, day by day.

Kindness, curiosity, and possibility aren't just words; they're the tools we use to create the world we wish to see.

In a world that often feels divided, we need spaces where kindness isn't just a nice idea, but something we practice daily. It's why I've reopened The Hive—a community where kind-hearted, curious leaders come together to learn, grow, and create the kind of connections that transform lives. Because community matters. It really does.

What's one small way you might reach out to someone in your community this week?

We’re better together,

---

"The smallest act of kindness is worth more than the grandest intention." - Oscar Wilde

---

P.S. If you're feeling called to build meaningful communities, The Hive's doors are open. We're a space where kind-hearted, curious leaders support each other as w create belonging in our corner of the world. Come gather with us →