Hi everyone, we had promised your a virtual farm tour from @Maria do Céu Bastos farm but as we mentioned in the last post, on Tuesday the valley was covered with smoke from the near by fire. But yesterday we sat down by the beautiful water tank and created a short video for you. We really enjoyed our week here! Yes, it's a lot of work, but it's different work. Not mind work, but body work. We definitely want to come back - and hopefully you will join us next time (we're looking at May 2027, more info soon). Thank you @Maria do Céu Bastos for having us and all the important work you're doing here! Warmly Sarah & Nadene

Hi everyone 👋 Greetings from Arcos de Valdevez in Portugal! Today, our desk is set up in Northern Portugal at the regenerative farm of our community member, @Maria do Céu Bastos. Nadene and myself arrived on Monday evening to spend a few days helping Maria on the farm, cooking together, and exploring how inner development meets the land. Yesterday on our 'Virtual Farm Tour event' we had planned to have a thoughtful conversation about resilience and life skills. And then, life handed us the real thing. Shortly after arriving, wildfires broke out in the hills just northeast of the farm. Yesterday, flames were visible from the house, thick smoke rolled into the valley, and Canadair firefighting planes roared overhead scooping water from the river. When an aerial tower burned down, our internet went completely dark. With emergency bags packed and the cats carrier ready, our conversation turned from abstract concepts to what resilience actually feels like in our bodies: - The More-Than-Human Grief: Waking up in the middle of a smoke-choked night, unable to see, hearing an owl call out in the dark—and feeling the deep ache for the trees, wild animals, and mountain cattle living through this. - The Fiction of Hyper-Independence: For years, society told us to "do it on your own." But when disaster approaches, online followers can’t hold a hose or bring dinner. Last night, it was Maria’s local neighbors who checked in. Real physical community is our truest safety net. - Emotional Resilience in the Disconnect: When Maria didn't immediately reply to phone calls from her family, panic quickly crept in for loved ones trying to reach us. It was a sharp reminder of how reliant our nervous systems have become on instant replies—and how vital it is to cultivate the inner capacity to stay grounded in uncertainty. Yet amidst the smoke, the grounding rhythm of the farm carried on: picking sweet grapes straight off the vine, simmering pasta sauce with garden tomatoes and beans, and gathering quince. Rather than dreaming of escaping to bunkers or private islands, real resilience is about showing up right here—for the land and for each other.

Hello everyone, I wanted to talk about this during our hangout today but was happy to listen to what @Maria do Céu Bastos shared about her farm. I felt really happy because she really walk the talk and this what makes the Inner Development at Work community special to me. Here is what I wanted to talk about. It can be easily understood if you go through my "Note from the Exhibition Organiser" : "This exhibition was a bold step. For two years and four months, we had not been able to hold another public art exhibition, and we almost missed the opportunity to do so within this academic year. The success of Whitesands School's first public art exhibition, together with the support and encouragement of parents, students, and members of the school management, made it possible to continue this journey. The first exhibition took place on 9 March 2024. It grew out of the experience I had gathered from the Southcreek Centre Annual Vacation Programme Bazaar, where I organised exhibitions of students' artworks and robotics projects. Moses Bariki, the former senior school art teacher of Whitesands School worked with me for three years before we finally brought the idea to Whitesands School. Our hope was to continue guiding and mentoring students from Whitesands School who had attended the Southcreek Vacation Programme, while also discovering and supporting more artistic talents within the school. The art teachers, Mr Oyinloye Olanrewaju and Mr. Nosiru Olanrewaju, deserve full credit for guiding the students through the technical and creative process of producing these works. My contribution was to create the conditions for the creativity of the boys to be seen, celebrated, and taken seriously. This involved encouraging the boys, documenting their pieces, engaging supporters, and helping to bring the exhibition together as a shared experience for the school community. What makes this exhibition unique is not only the beauty of the artworks, but also the freedom of expression and confidence it has awakened in the students. Some of the boys discovered that their gifts could contribute to what unites our school community and the wider society. For others, it became a moment of recognition, a reminder that

Hi everyone, Whether you’ve been taking time off in the summer sun or embracing the quiet of winter break, we hope you’ve had a chance to rest, reset, and recharge. As we ease back into rhythm, we have a couple of dates to mark on your calendar: ☕ Casual Hangout — Tuesday, August 25th: A relaxed, informal space to catch up and reconnect after the break. 👉 Click here to RSVP for the Aug 25 Casual Hangout 🚀 Skillbuilders Return — Tuesday, September 8th (we skip Sept 1st) Here is what else is happening in our ID@Work community : 1. Portugal Farm Gathering: "Painting the Walls" & Being Human Together Dates: September 21st – 27th, 2026 Host & Location: Regenerative Farm near Porto, Portugal — hosted by community member @Maria do Céu Bastos The Story: Rather than a structured retreat or formal workshops, this week is all about simply being human together. We’ll be helping Maria on her farm, cooking together, sharing laughs, and helping her prepare for a big Saturday event on regenerative farming that she is hosting. The Invitation: Maria has space for about 5 people to stay overnight in her home (see pics). Whether you live nearby, are traveling through Europe, or want to fly into Porto: - You can join for the full week, pop in for 2–3 days, or come by for a single day. - It’s completely flexible and relaxed—a special chance to plant "heart seeds and brain seeds" for how we want ID@Work to grow together as a community. 👉 How to Join: If you’re interested in coming along or have questions about logistics, drop a comment below ! *** 2. 💬 Community Discussion: Which program changed the game for you? There's also new thread in the community to collect recommendations on learning experiences, workshops, cohorts, or retreats that have had a real, lasting impact on how we work and live.

@Nadene Canning and I just wrapped up a wonderful summer hangout with community members, and it felt like the perfect moment to turn on the camera and record a quick update for you. In true ID@Work style — completely unpolished, one-take, no-jacket-required (it’s hot!) — we sat down to talk through three upcoming events we are so excited about. What makes these extra special is that all three grew organically out of collaborations with members right here in our community. Here is what’s coming up: 1. 𝐋𝐨𝐧𝐝𝐨𝐧 𝐂𝐥𝐢𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐀𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐖𝐞𝐞𝐤 𝐅𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰-𝐮𝐩: 𝐈𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐫 𝐃𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐩𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐢𝐧 𝐏𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐞 🌿 - Date & Time: Thursday, August 6th at 6:00 PM CEST - Guest: Nadine McCormick (World Business Council for Sustainable Development) - The Story: During London Climate Action Week, community member @Denise Pang invited ID@Work to collaborate. This follow-up session is an informal, deep-dive discussion with Nadine about how she integrates Inner Development Goals into her day-to-day sustainability work — what’s been easy, what’s been hard, and what she's learning along the way. - Access: Please register here (We’ll also record this session for anyone who can’t make it live). 2. 𝐀𝐝𝐞𝐥𝐚𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐂𝐥𝐢𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐀𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐖𝐞𝐞𝐤: 𝐓𝐡𝐞 "𝐑𝐨𝐨𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐅𝐫𝐮𝐢𝐭" 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐠𝐲 🌺 - Date & Time: Thursday, August 13th at 9:00 AM CEST - Guests: Community member @Wendy Harper & her team (Adelaide, Australia) - The Story: Wendy and her team successfully integrated the IDG framework across the entire 7-day program for Adelaide Climate Action Week. In this session, they'll share their "Root to Fruit" strategy — how it came about, why they did it, and how inner development can anchor large-scale climate initiatives. - Access: Please register here. (This session will also be recorded). 3. 𝐏𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐮𝐠𝐚𝐥 𝐅𝐚𝐫𝐦 𝐆𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠: "𝐏𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐖𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐬" & 𝐁𝐞𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐇𝐮𝐦𝐚𝐧 𝐓𝐨𝐠𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫