Cornerstones of Healthy Community

The Cornerstones, like the foundation of a building, hold the foundation of community. When individuals in community stand on these Cornerstones, we are all set up for greater integrity, healthier community, and stability.

"Like constructing a building, when the foundation is solid and intentionally laid, it will support amazing height and weight. If the foundation is weak; the building will require constant repair...the roof always leaks, the windows require effort to open and close."
--Cynthia Jones

The Cornerstones:

Choice
We have the ability to choose our relationship to reality, even if we cannot always choose our reality.

Thinking Well of the Group
A Quaker concept. This is not a contract to engage in group denial and pretend that everyone is wonderful all of the time. It is a choice to be willing to believe in people's good intentions first and find out more when we perceive something different. It is a choice to promote the well-being of the group and act with respect.

Thinking Well of Self
This cornerstone is born from the notion that we all have essential worth, simply because we are. If we are to think well of the group, we must first think well of ourselves.

Stewardship of Self
From the experiences of Buckminster Fuller comes the premise that we are not the owners of ourselves, but the custodians who are charged with the duty to steward ourselves throughout our lifetimes as best we can, as one would care for a loved one.

Sacred wound
"Change begins with wounding; creation begins with wounding. The egg is wounded by the sperm and life begins," writes Cynthia. That is the Wound. The Sacred refers to sacrificing the way we cling to our wounds in service to something larger, so that we might open ourselves to a grander story and restore ourselves to wholeness.

The above descriptions of the Cornerstones comes from an article by Diana's Grove staff member Jennifer Wilson; the full text of her Cornerstones article is available in the January issue of Between the Worlds, the Diana's Grove Magazine. Jennifer writes a monthly column on the Cornerstones.

Another great resouorce on the Cornerstones are Cynthia's longer writings on the philosophy of the Cornertstones on the Diana's Grove web site.