This is our introduction to our interactive presentation we did at WDS (World Domination Summit). If you did attend, here’s a review. If you didn’t here’s what we said to introduce the concept of micro-communities.
I’m Ken Solin, author of a book about micro-communities, Act Like a Man, and a writer for The Huffington Post. Owen Marcus and I are honored you’ve come to hear what we’ve gleaned about micro communities in our 50 years’ combined experience. Micros are the quintessential solution to the vacuum created by isolation from the pack. We’ll share how to nurture your spirits and grow your self-esteem. Our success is inextricably linked to yours.
Like you, we’re independent-minded entrepreneurs who eschewed the corporate path. Like you, we became our own leaders and heroes. What we’ll share with you can enhance the quality of both your personal and business lives. We promise that the effort you expend in your micros will be rewarded exponentially.
Micros are the next quantum leap in social networking, but unlike Facebook, your micro experience will be deeply personal and intimate. Your micro partners will become lifelong friends. The friendships I’ve developed in my micro over 25 years have carried me through my best and worst times.
Each of you is already on a path to success, and you all deserve unconditional support, celebration, and nurturing, on your journeys. This level of support isn’t available anywhere else.
You’re intelligent, progressive, men and women. Life is good, but perhaps there’s the feeling that something is missing. Perhaps you wonder, “This is it, this is all there is?” because you’re simply not feeling the level of satisfaction you thought you would after working so hard to succeed.
I’ll pose a few questions to point out what might be missing.
Is your IQ higher than that of 7 of your peers combined?
Is your emotional IQ higher than 7 of your peers combined?
As a 30 year old, for instance, is your life experience more expansive than the 240 years life experiences of an 8-member micro?
The wisdom of a micro-community is greater than any one of its members’. The sum is greater than its parts.
What issues might you struggle with that you can share with seven of your peers?
Just to name a few: relationships, friendships, careers, dating, marriage, sex, sexuality, divorce, health, personal growth, and more are all grist for the mill in a micro. You’ll be part of an organic group where everyone’s voice is equal.
What prevents this deeper level of connection in the greater world? Trust, or lack of trust actually. Unconditional trust is implicit in a micro-community. Nothing is out of bounds for discussion. There’s no shame, no ego, no guilt, no judgment, no advice, and no leader.
The unconditional support of your micro can make the difference between just surviving an emotional crisis, and working through it and healing. Who are you going to call the next time your life falls apart? Who’ll be at your door to support you? If your answer is no one, don’t worry; your isolation is fixable.
The opposite end of the emotional spectrum is equally critical. Swallowing your joy alone can feel similar to the pain of choking on your pain alone. It hurts when something terrific occurs in your life and you don’t have anyone to applaud you or just be happy and proud for you.
There will be many seminal events in your lives that can benefit from the attention of peers who love you unconditionally. That’s what’s available in a micro-community, a permanent cheerleading squad, devoted to your well being. The notion of going through life as a lone warrior is 1950’s thinking, and it didn’t work then either. Individual therapy can be helpful, but it can’t begin to reach the level of intimacy and support of a micro. And, unlike therapy, micros are free.
The only limitations in life are those we impose on ourselves. Being a loner is living in a vacuum, and nothing thrives in a vacuum. You’ll be better prepared to do battle with your demons, and to share your joys, with the support from your peers.
Owen is going to explain the origins and the process of creating your own micro. We’ll put you on the path. We know that as entrepreneurs, independent thinkers, and seekers, you’ll have your micros up and running in a few weeks. Thanks for choosing our workshop.
The Primordial Principles of Micros
What did we have 2.5 million years ago?…
We had tribes.
What did these tribes do for us?…
Yes, they were our protection and enabled us to be successful hunters and gatherers. Yet, they provided more.
These tribes were the social and psychological matrix of our existence. They fulfilled our primordial need to belong. They watched our backs. They were there when we needed someone. They held us emotionally.
These tribes educated us, they mentored us, and held us accountable. They showed us how to mature as men and women.
These tribes witnessed and celebrated our successes. They marked our passages. They initiated us into new stages of our lives.
Micros’ lineage
10,000 years ago we left the tribe for the farm. 200 years ago we left the farm for the factory. 25 years ago we left the factory for the computer.
All along this journey, our genes and instincts have remained the same. Over millions of years our genome was perfected. Our ancestor’s genome is 99.9% the same as our genome. Our primordial need for a tribal community still exists in us. We are hardwired to need a tribe. Much of our general malaise can be attributed to no longer belonging to a tribe.
For the last 50 years we have searched for our tribes attempting to satiate the hunger for deep connection; first through encounter groups, then the women’s and men’s movements, and now men’s groups.
Where do you go for your tribe—to Africa? No. You create your own micro-community. You feed your dormant need for a small community by creating your own community, one that serves only its members. A micro is not outwardly focused. Its purpose is to serve its members. We need one group in our lives that exists only for us, not for someone or something else.
We de-evolved from our primordial essence. Now we need to re-evolve together with our micro-communities. Don’t do it alone, live your remarkable life with others.
Go tribal… start a micro.
How to
The details of how to create and run your micro-community is on our site: www.mencorps.wpengine.com, so you don’t need to focus on the details. Yet let me show you how easy it is to start a group by laying out the key steps.
- create a vision of what you want
- create guidelines (protocol for the group) – the agreed understandings
- this becomes the container for the group
- invite friends and have those friends invite others until you reach your goal
- use your vision and guidelines to enroll your members
- start the first meeting with a deepening question
- e.g. How are you not like your father (mothers)?
- model emotional risk taking
- come back next week
- you have a micro
It was an honor to present our passion to the people at WDS – thank you.
Photo by Hamish Irvine via Compfight