Won't you winter with me? 😌 🏔️
Invitation for reflection, nourishment, and a flourishing new year
Have you heard about this winter thing?! I’ve only just gotten hip to it in the last few years. Get this - in regions that have distinct winter seasons, not only do mammals like bears and squirrels hibernate, but for thousands of generations human beings have been doing special things to survive and thrive!
Our ancestors rested. Told stories around the fire. Shared knowledge. Developed skills. Performed rituals. Made art and tools and meals. Prepared for the coming seasons.
In today’s cultural climate that has become increasingly disconnected, stressed, and uncertain, it’s a major life hack to play with seasonal living and working. I’ve personally experienced greater health, meaning, connection with nature, and wonder for the mystery of life in the process of reconnecting with natural ecological cycles.
We’ll make better choices for ourselves, organizations, families and creations when we take dedicated time for rest & renewal, reflection & reconnection, remembering & practicing the richness of being human.
Winter has become my favorite season, if not favorite teacher. I’m still learning how to winter, but I’d go so far as to say that tuning into winter is one of the highest leverage changes we can make individually and collectively. I’m learning to orient to winter like an annual Shabbat, considered God’s greatest gift to the Jewish people, as it creates a regular “temple in time” for restoration, things that bring us joy, meaningful time with loved ones, and remembering the important things in life. Otherwise, it’s easy to forget, and when we forget we wind up hurting ourselves and others…
Get to know winter with a virtual cohort of 💯 humans
You may have seen me chirping about School of Wise Innovation’s new A̶c̶c̶e̶l̶e̶r̶a̶t̶o̶r̶ D̶e̶c̶e̶l̶e̶r̶a̶t̶o̶r̶ CULTIVATOR: a yearlong learning and practice journey designed for founders seeking greater alignment in how they live, work, and crate.
It’s divided into four seasons, with each season focused on a different aspect of bringing visions to life (❄️ = Inner Development | 🌱 = Collective Dev | ☀️ = Org Dev | 🍁 = Vision Dev).
It’s also designed to be accessible one season at a time, i.e you can join just for the winter cohort if that’s the season that interests you most, or you want to try one before committing to all four.
Winter is the most generally applicable season. We have some incredible founders across industries enrolled, as well as a number of folks who don’t identify as founders but work in a variety of roles across technology and climate, finance and law, health and organizational development, activism and more. Truly some of the most inspiring and humble humans I know. Regardless of what you do for a living, if you are reading this newsletter, you are welcome to winter with us! We value diversity in order to break down silos and build connections across lines of difference.
We’ll engage timeless practices: reflection experiences 10x more meaningful than any New Year’s Resolution exercise I’ve done. Ancient stories and visions of beautiful futures. Learning from elders and wisdom keepers about how to live and work well in these crazy times. Building connections around the big questions with a growing community of exceptional humans. And most importantly, making time for - and sharing - the things that generate the most joy for you.
The Winter Cultivator is what friends and collaborators and I have determined we need after such as intense year. What we need to set ourselves up for success in the new year as individual humans and a growing organization. If you feel like you can use something similar, please consider give yourself the gift.
We start next Thursday Dec 19th with an Opening Circle in which we’ll design our magic wand winters. Then we’ll hibernate for a couple of weeks, returning in the new year for weekly interactive workshops on topics ranging from embodiment practices to the relationship between birthing babies and birthing ideas. It’s designed to be a lightweight experience, and we’ll have lots of additional resources and activities available for those who have capacity and inspiration for more.
We have just a few spots left! Check out our syllabus, watch the recording from our info session, schedule a call to learn more.
Early bird has passed, but I’m happy to extend that rate to subscribers here 😘
Big holiday blessings,
Andrew