“There’s no I in team”. OK, fine.
But there is an I in hive.
And I like hive better than team anyway.
And speaking of hives, we’re in the season of birds-and-bees.
And flowers.
(Look outside. See?)
This is a season of pollination.
Pollination aka collaboration.
The flowers are attracting pollinators, and the pollinators are looking for flowers so they can feast on their nectar.
This arrangement is win-win.
True collaboration.
The flowers provide something the bees want and need (food).
The bees provide something the flowers want and need (pollination).
They each contribute something in their own right.
And then that bee, that one single bee, adds that drop of nectar to the hive’s honey-makin-machine.
Without that one single bee adding to the contributions of other single bees, there isn’t a hive.
Without those flowers contributing nectar as a food source, there isn’t a hive.
So the “I” in hive is important.
It reminds us that our individual and *unique* contribution is important.
It helps us distinguish between collaboration and going-along-for-the-ride.
Or hitching on to someone else’s wagon. Or simply having/being a helper.
Don’t get me wrong, those are all great things, especially helpers.
But they aren’t collaborations, and thus the yield won’t be alchemy, but rather an amplification of either’s work.
Knowing this helps us get clear so we know what we’re agreeing to.
When someone invites me to collaborate with them, I’m super discerning. I’m aware of what I bring to the partnership.
I’m clear about what I offer, and the exceptional value of it.
And if the person I’m considering collaborating with doesn’t have an equally valuable stand-alone contribution, then it’s not a collaboration.
If there’s no alchemy, just simply audience or support, it’s not collaboration.
If it’s not win-win, it’s not a collaboration.
Two bees, that’s cool.
Two flowers, that cool too.
But a bee and a flower? Both bringing something discernably different but vital? That’s collaboration. That’s alchemy.
That’s what The Tantrika archetype helps you feel into and get super discerning about.
She helps you see the quality of the relationships you’re in — collaborations and win-win?
Or, not.
She helps you see your own contributions — unique, stand alone, and valuable?
Or, not.
So with a hive, naming it as a “super organism” helps us see that the contributions of many create something all together unique.
Something that’s ultimately dependent upon the contributions of all the individual bees, all of those “I”s.
So it’s important to remember that there’s an I in hive.
And there’s a “you” in contribution (gah, so cheesy but I had to).
So….drum roll…..
I have been working joyfully for months with a collaborator to bring something incredible into the world!
It’s still a secret, but here’s a hint: follow Alice Scott on Instagram!
And stay tuned, because this collaboration is so dang exciting. You’re not gonna wanna miss it.
love & collaboration,
kv