Five Habits of the Heart

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January 2, 2018

a project of ServiceSpace

And now here is my secret, a very simple secret: It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye.

- Antoine de Saint-Exupery -

Five Habits of the Heart

In Habits of the Heart, Parker Palmer describes ways of seeing, being, and responding to life that involve our minds, our emotions, our self-images, our concepts of meaning and purpose that are critical to sustaining society. These five habits are: an understanding that we are all in this together; an appreciation of the value of "otherness"; an ability to hold tension in life-giving ways; a sense of personal voice and agency; and a capacity to create community. For each, he provides a brief description relating the significance of cultivating these habits into our lives. He delves deeper into these habits in his book, Healing the Heart of Democracy: The Courage to Create a Politics Worthy of the Human Spirit (2011). { read more }

Be The Change

In Palmer's Healing the Heart of Democracy (2011), Terry Tempest Williams states: "The human heart is the first home of democracy. It is where we embrace our questions. Can we be equitable? Can we be generous? Can we listen with our whole beings, not just our minds, and offer our attention rather than our opinions? And do we have enough resolve in our hearts to act courageously, relentlessly, without giving upevertrusting our fellow citizens to join with us in our determined pursuit of a living democracy?" Reflect on these questions and if inspired share your thoughts with others.

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