Since 2012 I have belonged to a True North Group. This was the outcome of a brief acquaintanceship I enjoyed with Doug Baker, Sr., one of the originators (along with Bill George, a well-known business executive). Doug, Bill and other friends met on a regular basis over a long period of time, “to discuss the important questions of their lives and to support each other during difficult times….These groups have been a godsend in our lives and in the lives of hundreds of people we know. They have helped us navigate personal challenges with our families, our careers, and our health. They have provided a form for addressing life’s most difficult questions about our beliefs, our values, and the meaning and purpose of our lives.” This has been my experience, as well. If you are interested in learning more about True North Groups I recommend the book, “True North Groups” authored by Bill George and Doug Baker.
Since we began meeting 7 years ago our group has shrunk from 7 to 5 persons as people left, and as others joined and left, but we have kept the structures and practices we began with. We generally meet twice a month, from 7:30 – 9:30 a.m., we rotate leadership meeting by meeting, and after doing “check-in’s” (which can take over an hour) we talk about a topic chosen with more or less advance notice. Sometimes the topics come out of recent life events, sometimes they are generated by curiosity or long-nagging questions, and sometimes they are fun and whimsical. Topics are announced by e-mail and I am sharing (and archiving) some of them here.
timminn 