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Free dinner party guide

Summer is on the way, and along with warmer days comes more opportunity for outdoor get-togethers.

I’ve put together a free dinner party guide to help make your next dinner party meaningful.

You’ll find an easy checklist to remind you of the more important elements of event planning (budget and theme) and a few suggestions to help structure your gathering. With a bit of thought and care, you can turn an average experience into something unforgettable.

Happy dining!

Community is good business

When I log onto LinkedIn, I see a slew of “Community Manager” job postings. It’s taken awhile, but businesses have finally realized the value of community. The problem? Building community isn’t easy.

Maybe you’re trying to build platforms to encourage discussion and facilitate learnings. Perhaps you’re wanting to bring together like-minded individuals and introduce professionals with complementary viewpoints. Or you’re needing support yourself and craving the encouragement of those with common interests.

How should you begin?

Revisiting your why can help you focus on the work and your audience — not your own insecurities, anxieties, or ego. No community is built overnight; it takes time to establish trust and reputation within any group of people. And most likely, you will have to step outside of some comfort zones.

Whether you’re growing an online community or building a network within your neighborhood, you’ll be faced with tactical choices. How do you communicate? What are the rules of engagement? Are finances needed? How much energy and time is required from participants? When cultivating community (or looking for communities to join) consider these prompts:

Think of the communities you are part of. How do you show up? What do you gain? What do you offer? Who are you meeting?

Think of the communities you grow. What do they expect from you? Why are they there? What are they hoping to learn? Who would they like to meet?

Let me know how this exercise works for you. I’d recommend a solid fifteen minutes of free-writing. Don’t edit yourself, just go!

Promise of a new year

A quick post to remind you that it’s never “too late” to reinvent, create, or switch gears. But you must do so with intention. Start by asking yourself questions about what it is you want to build:

What are you curious about?

What brings you joy?

Which conversations give you energy?

Is there an unfinished dream you keep coming back to?

Who do you admire?

If I can help you sort through any of these questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out.

I love the promise and hopefulness of a new year. You never know what is around the corner…

Pick your word

It’s been a heck of a year and with a few days left, I want to share a ritual of mine: Choose a word, a theme you’d like to set for for the year to come. (This year my word was “Courage,” and boy, did I need it.) For 2021, I’m choosing “Joy.” I don’t know about you, but I’m ready to welcome more spark, more pleasure, more happiness, and more fun.

Tell me your word for the year to come @redheadlefthand.

Sending greetings and wishes for a restorative, healthy, and calm new year — a year filled with laughter, joy, and magic.

Become the student

As systems and communities continue to evolve and change, the need to learn and listen is paramount.

Where is the line between advocacy and appropriation, and how can you appreciate groups you’re not a part of?

Appreciation is grounded in honor and respect, a genuine curiosity for a group and its people. This rides on the wings of earnestness; a desire to explore and understand.

Appropriation, however, has personal gain buried into action. Attention-seeking behavior has the power to hurt and harm both individuals and groups. More often than not, a negative stereotype is reinforced.

The divide between cultural appreciation and appropriation is a delicate perimeter outlined by intention.

Failing to identify intention can turn any well-meaning action into a divisive mechanism. If your intention isn’t clear, chances are high that you may unintentionally play into harmful stereotypes.

Revisit the reasons behind what you’re doing and why — and who your behavior might reach. The more you understand yourself and the factors that contribute to the way in which you see the world, the better you’ll be at developing empathy and authentic respect. Once you’ve assessed the role of your actions and your relationship to the culture or group of people you’re interested in, set out to learn.

Bring curiosity and kindness into your interactions. Let others guide conversations. It’s important to remember that having an experience does not equal true understanding. Questions open doors. 

Genuine curiosity and kindness are roots from which appreciation and reverence can blossom. From intention, humility and respect grow.