A Circle of Trust
by Parker Palmer
[Listen to Audio!]
 Like a wild animal, the soul is tough, resilient, resourceful, savvy, and self-sufficient: it knows how to survive in hard places. I learned about these qualities during my bouts with depression. In that deadly darkness, the faculties I had always depended on collapsed. My intellect was useless; my emotions were dead; my will was impotent; my ego was shattered. But from time to time, deep in the thickets of my inner wilderness, I could sense the presence of something that knew how to stay alive even when the rest of me wanted to die. That something was my tough and tenacious soul.
Yet despite its toughness, the soul is also shy. Just like a wild animal, it seeks safety in the dense underbrush, especially when other people are around. If we want to see a wild animal, we know that the last thing we should do is go crashing through the woods yelling for it to come out. But if we will walk quietly into the woods, sit patiently at the base of a tree, breathe with the earth, and fade into our surroundings, the wild creature we seek might put in an appearance. We may see it only briefly and only out of the corner of an eye – but the sight is a gift we will always treasure as an end in itself.
Unfortunately, community in our culture too often means a group of people who go crashing through the woods together, scaring the soul away. In spaces ranging from congregations to classrooms, we preach and teach, assert and argue, claim and proclaim, admonish and advise, and generally behave in ways that drive everything original and wild into hiding. Under these conditions, the intellect, emotions, will and ego may emerge, but not the soul: we scare off all the soulful things, like respectful relationships, goodwill, and hope.
A circle of trust is a group of people who know how to sit quietly "in the woods" with each other and wait for the shy soul to show up… In such a space, we are freed to hear our own truth, touch what brings us joy, become self critical about our faults, and take risky steps toward change – knowing that we will be accepted no matter what the outcome.
About the Author: Parker J. Palmer, is a world-renowned writer, speaker and activist who focuses on issues in education, community, leadership, spirituality and social change. He has reached millions worldwide through his nine books, including Let Your Life Speak, The Courage to Teach, A Hidden Wholeness, and Healing the Heart of Democracy. Above is an excerpt from his book titled A Hidden Wholeness: The Journey Toward an Undivided Life.
Latest Community Insights  |
A Circle of Trust
What do you understand by the term “circle of trust”? Can you share a personal experience of being in a circle of trust? What helps your shy soul “put in an appearance?” |
| Jagdish P Dave wrote: Soul is to me as like light that gets dim by my own unmindful and unwise thoughts and actions. It is hard to see light when we are in sound sleep of ignorance, Of course such unawakened s… |
| david doane wrote: A circle of trust may consist of me, myself, and I, or it may be me and one other person, or it may be me and a group of people. At any rate, in a circle of trust, we are being still, pro… |
| Kristin Pedemonti wrote: Circle of trust is a safe environment where one can share from their heart and soul and feel accepted and valued. I am fortunate to have several of these circles in my life & have relied on… |
| Me wrote: I thank God for your tough and tenacious soul!!! … |
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Editor’s note: Dear Friends, This week we heard a lot about unexpected kindness on the road. A great reminder to keep an eye out for those that may need a little helping hand. Also want to remind you that the, 21-Day Mindful Technology Challenge is starting in 7 more days! Check our more info 
