There is an infinite supply of blogs, websites and videos floating out there, vying for our attention on all topics imaginable. Many are bloated moments uploaded as an instant diversion but many others are amazingly informative, insightful and inspiring.

I confess that I spend too many hours passively watching, reading and sometimes listening to a variety of online sites. I wouldn’t keep doing it if I didn’t benefit in some way. Am I ever motivated by those linked in experts? creatives? emerging leaders? and not-so-famous bloggers?

Sometimes … but they rarely sustain me through to action, even if they do have a 1-2-3 list or an engaging message. 

It’s the same thing with all the networks I subscribe to or attend. Please don’t misunderstand. They hold great value for learning, meeting new people, broadening my horizons…. However, there comes a time when one needs to exit cybersphere, curb the café chats, and delve into work. And when I need a thoughtful nudge or a jolt of reality, I have my real-life coaches, mentors and advisors (CMAs).

My CMAs are peers and colleagues with whom I purposefully explore and share…

ideas, ambitions, experiences and more.

What’s so special for me is the face to face interaction with people who know and care about each other. My CMAs are talented, generous, and helpful. As peer CMAs, one-on-one or in small groups:

1. We come together with a common sense of purpose
2. We create a gentle support base with a sense of accountability
3. We all have valuable life-work experiences to contribute
4. We trust and respect each other
5. We observe ethics of confidence on personal matters
6. We are creative and we have a lot of fun

Moving beyond the words, videos and networks — we inspire each other, we work together, and we free ourselves up to produce some amazing work within our professional and artistic endeavours.  How do we do this, exactly? Here are a few examples:

• Ask probing questions without judgement
• Offer alternative perspectives
• Develop and work through creative problem solving exercises
• Explore new places together and get the blood moving
• Listen actively and openly
• Observe, edit, give constructive feedback
• Work silently on our own projects, together
• Celebrate breakthroughs

Who is your peer mentor? Your real-life coach? Your true colleague?

 And how do they help to motivate you into action?

It’s about people. It’s about us.
… it’s about what we value – past, present and future.

It’s about using our imagination, creativity and ingenuity
… how we work together and how we resolve conflicting
priorities.

How creative we can be, as groups as well as individuals,
toward building legacies.

How we value values, ideas and inventions… beyond the worlds
of science and technology
… in the worlds of business and governance systems;
… worlds that have huge impacts on our lives and communities
… worlds that we built from our values, our creativity, our ingenuity
and our courage.

And, until we bring the occasional ‘visioning’ dialogues
of official planning together with the daily ‘technical’
assessments that feed land use development decisions (e.g.)

… until the technicians, and developers, and investors
learn how to truly reflect the spectrum of societal values

As given through our “smart growth” policies
As also given through our public consultation opportunities,
in addition to our political systems

And, until we stop piecemealing decisions, including
“sustainability” decisions
… and replace reactive, confrontational consultation
and decision processes with respectful, engaging and deliberative processes
… on the ground… in real time

We will continue to wonder around, bumble along, get old,
feel alone…. Well, we’ll all get old anyway.

I am occasionally heartened.
Some days are better than others, and today is one of them.
Because …
today I went to my city council’s Planning and Land Use Committee meeting.
And I got a healthy dose of respect for what they, with their staff,
are trying to do.

They have limited resources.
They have more priorities than time to deal with them.
They struggle with finding creative ways to engage everyone
… in making Victoria a liveable city
for everyone… in a timely manner… in a manner that counts…
in a manner that will make a difference… for everyone.

After all the questions and discussions; after the technical clarifications
… and a few platitudes, it all came back to

Being people sitting around the table together, listening
to each other, building common ground

… and I only saw one smart inanimate object come out
of a pocket during the whole time.