This video is a part of the Healing the Heart of Democracy Discussion Guide and can be found with more videos and resources in our “Healing the Heart of Democracy Hub.” You can explore the hub, download the guide, and find all of the videos along with additional resources here.
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A man at one of my retreats had spent a decade in the Department of Agriculture following twenty-five years of farming in northeastern Iowa. During the retreat, he spoke anxiously about a policy decision he had to make. He said, “My farmer’s heart knows what I need to do, but doing it will get me in trouble with my superior.” As the retreat ended, this man said he now knew that he needed to settle the issue in favor of his farmer’s heart. Someone asked him, “How will you respond to your boss?” “It won’t be easy,” he replied. “But during my time in this circle, I’ve understood something important. I don’t report to my boss. I report to the land.” What he heard from his heart did not give him practical strategies and tactics to negotiate the complexities that lay ahead. But it gave him solid ground on which to take next steps. (55–56; adapted from the story as told in the book)
Q. Do you have a story, or know of one, about the power of joining head and heart in support of a difficult decision in your work or public life? In your own life and work, to what or to whom do you ultimately “report”?
