Imagine opening your home to hundreds of people.
People from all over the world,
from different walks of life, with different backgrounds,
talents, desires, dysfunctions, and personalities.
Imagine, that at any given time,
there are approximately 15-25 people living in your home or on your land.
Imagine that, for a multitude of purposes, all of these people find you.
Some make plans to join you for years, and others get inspired in the spur of the moment.
Some people come because they hear of your purpose,
and are inspired to be a part of the dream.
Some come out of curiosity about living in a conscious community.
Some come to better understand the meaning of sustainability.
Some come because they are fed up with,
and some even running away from, the life they are living.
Some come to heal their minds, their bodies, and/or their souls.
Some come because they have no place to go, no food to eat,
or no one to love or be loved by.
Some of these people are doctors.
Some are former police officers.
Some are builders, gardeners, plumbers, chefs, or mechanics.
Some are web designers, organizers, technicians, hackers, or entrepreneurs.
Some are travelers, artists, musicians or dancers.
Some are film makers, photographers, or writers.
Some are people who just want to lift heavy things.
Others are homeless, former drug addicts and/or alcoholics.
Some have no skills and very little life experience at all.
Some are leaders and self-motivated, capable and dependable.
Others are followers, in need of direction.
Still others who are unmotivated, uninspired, having completely lost their zest for life.
Some come with pets they say are their family.
Most leave them behind when they go.
Imagine hosting meat eaters, vegetarians, vegans, and raw foodists.
Christians, Buddhists, Wiccans - and people from many faiths,
as well as those who consider themselves to be atheists.
People come with already established families.
Some are single mothers or fathers, with, or separated from their children.
Some have been surviving on their own for years,
others are experiencing their first time at being away from home.
Many, if not most, are people in their 20s and 30s, finding their place in the world.
Almost all wishing to be part of a family that really loves them.
And to recover from life long stress, being ill, abused, controlled, and living a life of slavery.
Imagine those in your home are active and excited, healthy and inspired.
Others curious, timid, outgoing, boisterous, secretive,
confused, abused, traumatized or afraid.
Some are even too weak or sick to barely lift themselves out of bed.
Some sleep daylight hours, others at night.
Some are engaged and helpful,
others reclusive and no help at all.
Everyone comes with their ideas of what is appropriate, inappropriate, good bad, right, wrong, acceptable and unacceptable.
Imagine how interesting your life would be with an ever changing and very diverse group of people creating a life together in your home.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
At the @gardenofeden, we have been building community for over 8 years.
No two days/people are the same, and one never knows what to expect with so many people up in the mix. Life is not boring....to say the least!!
Relationships are definitely the most challenging part of community living.
Most people even have difficulty living with their chosen spouse or roommate for any period of time, let alone so many once strangers. Since we do not hand pick people to join us, but they choose us instead, we never really know who or what we're going to get, until we get it.
Each person that comes into the @gardenofeden brings on an entire new energy, which affects the entire group on some level. Having a dozen or two mirrors staring you back in the face can always help you see yourself, rather you want to see yourself or not. It is an ebb and flow of juicy dynamics that spurs personal growth in profound ways.
We find the most valuable and holistic way to deal with the group dynamics is for each individual to take responsibility for everything they are are part of. Excuses and blaming bring down the vibe, and laughter and an inservice attitude, raises it up. It takes real dedication to stand together through the tough times, which brings forth new levels of divine connection with each other and ourselves.
I believe that we are growing gardens, implementing sustainable building solutions, animal husbandry and other homesteading activities to keep our bodies busy while we do the real work!
Conscious evolution.
It isn't always easy, though the majority of the time interesting and enjoyable. For me it has always been worth the effort regardless of the challenges. It feels good to witness people rising above their dysfunctions, and taking the opportunity to change their lives for the better. I am also incredibly grateful for the opportunity for personal growth, greater awareness, and the chance to experience unconditional love.
There is so much we can do when coming together for common purpose.
If we can all get on the same page, we can change the world.
I hope to continue sharing with you life in community, and some of the intricate facets of what we have found to work and not work. In building community here on Steemit, we too can come together for common purpose and make great change.
I'm grateful to be here with you.
@quinneaker is the visionary, founder and space holder at the @gardenofeden. He has helped thousands of people change their lives through conscious evolution, providing insight, opportunity, and support through his dedicated service to the betterment of mankind. Check out his blog and the @gardenofeden to read more about Quinn's cutting edge perspective and how he has put it into action.
Here are a few more of my posts on community living:
Grateful for all the love
My intro post
A Glimpse of Paradise Through my Eyes
Building Community
Nice photo :D
Thanks for sharing a little bit of insight into our life.
Blessed are we!
Hello my friend @everlove, how are you doing? I hope you are well! It's an honor for me to say hello. This post in the personal, has something super valuable and special, such as appreciate life, share different cultures, customs, experiences and religions, share with doctors, engineers, former alcoholics, former drug addicts, all deserve an opportunity to change their lives for good and to support and love each other, I really feel proud of his trajectory during 8 years of his community, continue to set an example to the world, we need more people like that on the planet. I hope you can see this msj at some point.. I send a big hug to all the members of the community @gardenofeden, from Venezuela, blessings for all..!!
I am indeed grateful to connect with you @marioberlese. Our founder @quinneaker has always believed that everyone should have a chance, regardless of what they have done or who they have been. We feel like we are a living example, showing what is possible and the love we can activate by showing up with each other. There is a LOT of trauma on this planet, and it truly is a challenge, but together we really can do anything!
Thank you so very much for the comment. I greatly appreciate you showing up on my blog and sharing the love.
@originalworks
Nice post dear...keep it up...god bless u
Thanks, I will!
What an amazing thing to do! I look forward to reading more! Upvoted, resteemed and followed! Much love :)
Thanks @smylie2005 I'm grateful to share something that has changed my life so profoundly. I appreciate your comment and your support. I hope to not disappoint you.
Youre most welcome! :)
Wow ! very nice and amazing photo shoots with beautiful natural scenes and steem silver golod.I personally liked it thanks for sharing
I loved every thing about that post! @everlove
Thanks @deybala. I appreciate your appreciation,and grateful to share something of value with you.
I am proud of you! This place is amazing. Where there is a place for everyone. Where you can help where no judgment. Where will teach you. This is a great initiative. You help their hearts and it's great! It's the salvation of many. So many people and all different. And together they go this way. Great.
There are a lot of layers to providing such a space. Gratefully we have @quinneaker, without whom none of this would exist, and would be very difficult to sustain. It's really quite the challenge, and simultaneously a blessing. Everyday it's a whole new day. Always grateful for another opportunity to love.
Love to the world, to each of its faces is a great blessing, really. Have a nice day!
Thanks @anna-mi. Infinite blessings to you.
How nicely you word it, Love.
8 years. Wow.
8 years...maybe more! An incredible journey in sooooo many ways. Great to see you here @snake73.
uniting and accepting everyone the way they are is a virtue everyone should have. this post is a great remindance of that. I believe life for sure can never get boring when you study everyone's behaviours and accept them the way they are. if you don't like them, then try changing the trait they have that you don't like about them. but let's not turn our backs on new people coming into our lives, irrespective of the differences they have
We too are greatful to be here with you
Life is NEVER boring at the @gardenofeden. One of the biggest difficulties is truly living for common purpose. Everyone has their own perspectives and things of importance. When we truly come together in service to humanity, many of the difficulties can fall away, as we can place importance on the well being of everyone, and stop living for our own agenda. It's quite a large picture to paint, especially for those who know not this path.
Thanks for your comment @arlysonhabe. I'm blessed to be here with you too.
Wow! You really accept people wherever they are in their lives. That's a great thing. it is also a very unusual and rare thing. I don't know any community like this. Thanks for sharing.
It is definitely an interesting journey. We don't know of anyone doing what we do either. It can be incredibly trying at times and definitely amplifies the opportunity for unconditional love! I appreciate your comment @simivalleyjeff.
You know i would love to go on this journey with you. You have amazing ideas and also partner with people of like minds. I am totally sold out to your ideas. Well done!
I's an incredible journey for sure. Doing it together is really priceless. @quinneaker's vision is really beyond description. Even experiencing it is unbelievable. Glad you can feel the power of such as reality @olawalium. Grateful to share it with you.
I spoke with him and he has the same view of bracing up and taking responsibility for the change we wish to see in the world. You are both amazing. He has depth and passion. I love what you two are doing and i am excited about it. I am sold out to it.
So glad you have connected with him. I have known no other to hold such high standards and live up to them everyday. He is definitely passionate about his purpose, which is contagious. I am blessed to be in this vortex with him, and here on Steemit together with all of you. This platform is our channel for spreading the light. We're doing it! Thanks for being here @olawalium.
I believe in what you are doing and i am always here for you. I believe in you. Together, we can.
<3
😊
Awesome! I live on a 4 acre property with six others. We're small, but the organizer here lived on The Farm for many years in its formative years. We are doing are own small version of this too! Great escape from normal :D Following you now :)
I love to hear that @soleil-research. I'm grateful to know you. I don't know many others living in community. Where is your property?
Following you too.
We are in Nevada County, Northern California. There are a lot of homesteaders and communities in our area. Everything from farming properties, to spiritual communities, to folks like us who just share life. Its a very nice way to live.
I'm so glad to hear that. The west coast and northwest are way more open to the community vibe. We are in Texas, in the conservative bible belt area where people like us are a rarity. People living together who are not family can seem pretty odd to people in these parts. I'm sure a homestead with just my own extended family would be more well received here. Glad to know you @soleil-research and that we are here together!
@everlove , your posts always come to me at the time i need them most. We all need people in our lives. We are created to relate,we can't live all alone.
I do believe community is the wave of the future. It does take quite a shift in perspective to be living for the whole instead of an individually minded existence. In the states it is rare for people to live in community...and even more rare to be doing it like we have done. I appreciate your comment @emmakwisequote.
I must confess that you are too creative. Do you love writing stories? This is a good attribute of a good story writer. You are too much......keep it up
Thanks @eyinlojuoluwa. I write the story of my life everyday, though it doesn't always get down in print. I appreciate your appreciation and your comment here on my blog. Thanks for being here.
These pictures are so hearthwarming and make me smile! This is a great community where people really love each other! I wish i would visit it some time...
That would be a dream @kalemandra. I have dreams of Steem Castle!! Imagine us all Steeming together, making art, great feasts, building an empire, and our children all playing together in freedom! Ohhhh....what a dream! Hope to see you here someday!
I hope so, too! I would like to spread Steem here in Hungary, but it's difficult yet. People are afraid of different things and changes.
I understand that. People are afraid here too. Most people have based their life on money and survival, not responsibility, freedom and love. Maybe one day......!!!
Fortunately, there are some changes. There will be a meeting in Budapest in some weeks, and I'll talk about steem for people.
It's a great thing to spread around. Go for it @kalemandra. You'll be doing us all a service.
Awesome your color photography, i like this post. and i always follow you, so...... good. i want your next post for sharing us, all the best my dear.......
Grateful to share @triptybarsha.
Cool photo graph.
Thanks!
lol
Your post is amazing , i gave you a vote .
Thanks @narta.
Very beautiful photos
Thanks @christinb.
Hey, great picture ! I upvoted you , and I will probably go on with upvoting!
Would you follow and upvote me too ! It does not cost you someting !
I love to use my votes on incredible content that brings value to Steemit. If that is you, I'd be glad to see your post. But I do not just trade votes. In my opinion, that does nothing to better the community here. You would do best to give us something astounding to upvote, instead of asking for votes as if you have already earned our respect and appreciation.
It was a great time to do, dear @everlove !
Indeed @olga.maslievich.
Very Nice, Interesting and Informative post
Keep posting like that
Follow me @sohailomi
Really very amazing picture....nice post
Which picture @syaisyah?
@originalworks