Go to the community and the locations that have set a sparkle in your psyche. That’s how you find your Tribe
– Karl Wiggins
People say life is short. Time flies from the moment we’re born to the moment we arrive at our final destination.
We begin a journey into the unknown with the illusion of knowing. There doesn’t seem to be an expiration date to the every-dayness of being. Daily happenings are filled with endless all-important routines and expectations. Then, one day, we look up. We wonder, ponder and realize this all ends. Some of us get it sooner and others later but that day does come. When it does, it opens our eyes. For some it crushes hope and for others it offers grace. But the prayer is that it elevates our soul to a collective understanding that the end is a transition to another dimension of undifferentiated being. Dust to dust releases our higher selves to a timeless place where we all meet again and again, to continue our evolution toward our mutual essence of love. So, how do we get to that understanding that we are all in this together?
To start, it helps to be part of a Tribe. Not a small “t” tribe, but a big “T” tribe. Members of a Tribe move in the direction of a bigger purpose. They may look and act in different ways but they are on a path of heart-centered service that supports soul growth. They are a source of loving understanding that carries the high standards that let us rise to the top of our potential. Our Tribe is a place that doesn’t demand obedience or conformity but rather creativity and interdependence. I am because of who we all are is the mantra of the Tribe, embodied by the African concept of Ubuntu. It understands inter-being as the path to humanity’s survival. When we live in spaces that demand blind allegiance, ignorance, and exclusion, we live small. What masquerades as a tribe is a not a Tribe at all!
Tribes are inviting, inclusive, compassionate, and reciprocal. They’re all life-affirming. They understand unity; we are one energy. And, the understanding that there is no separation relieves dis-ease because the roots of dis-ease are found in the misconception that we are disconnected beings standing alone in the world. Religion, nationality, and culture are the vehicles for our humanity to show up and share the unity consciousness which informs our Tribe; not as all-knowing singular entities but as diverse paths to a common destination. When we falter, our Tribe embraces mistakes as lessons and lessons as steps on the path of transformation. The cults and dogmatic clubs we see around us offer the illusion of unity. We need to see them for what they are and step into the light to participate in the true spirit of Tribal unity. Tribes grow our soul.
Women, in particular, often find their Vibe Tribe, a special Tribe with the unique potential to nurture and heal. It’s a sisterhood that holds space. A sisterhood of joy that holds them when they fall and lifts them up to see the light of tomorrow. It is the softness that embraces them upon landing through every trial and tribulation. It sticks their pieces back together when no matter how hard they try, the pieces just won’t stay put, then fuses them together with sweat, tears, star-lit lacquer and gold dust. It sees them as perfect past the stained glass and fun house mirrors of their own distortions. It sees them when they don’t see themselves and reflects back the beauty of their wholeness in the spirit of Kintsugi (the Japanese art of putting broken pottery pieces back together with gold) despite the messy, unkept moments through which they meander.
The Vibe Tribe nourishes them. It offers abundant portions of love, compassion, truth and honesty with sides of chocolate, buttery croissants, pasta and wine of all colors! It walks them through the darkness, opens the shades and dances with them in the light. It is a necessary part of their being, pushing them forward while grounding them in the present. And, once whole and tended, they can extend that energy to all their relationships in the broader Tribe. The rest of the Tribe benefits from the love and healing that emanates from the Vibe Tribe. It becomes a beacon of guiding light that encourages all souls to recognize each other again and again.
So, look out for your Tribe. They come in all variations but have a common core. And, especially look out for the Vibe Tribes. They show up in the least expected places. Identify their light and fiery glow; they’re barely contained in mere mortal being. Invite them in. You won’t be disappointed!
Milissa Castanza Seymour M.S., InnerSoul Coach specializing in Stress Management/Well-being. She is a professional/practicing Numerologist helping clients find their soul/life purpose. Her certifications and trainings include: PranaYoga/IntegrativeYogaTherapy/Holistic Health Educator, Aromatherapist, Applied Positive Psychology Practitioner/LifeCoach/Resilience Trainer, AddHeart Facilitator, Reiki Master Teacher, NYS Licensed teacher, and Chopra Ayurvedic Health Practitioner/Primordial Sound Meditation Teacher/Well-being Coach. www.innersoulcoaching.com.
