A Book Review, By Debbie Rosas.

TRIBES : We Need You To Lead Us, by Seth Godin.

I’m generally guided to books, a friend suggests one, or I find myself wandering through a bookstore waiting for a pull from my spirit with my hands reaching for an unexpected book on the shelf. I used to question the pull and spend time asking, “Why this book?”

After forty years cultivating my body, mind, emotion, spirit body centered metaphysical reality, I am really comfortable letting my body be the leader and me be a follower. I follow because I am connected to the idea I can lead a healthy and meaningful life in my body at any age.

People often describe me as a leader. As Seth Godin describes in his book, “Tribes are a group of people, large or small, who are connected to one another, a leader, an idea.” While it’s true that people followed me, it’s also true that I had an idea and it was the idea they followed.

I don’t interfere or question anymore. I’ve learned to let my body lead and my mind follow.

When I read the description of Seth’s book, I understood why it was so important and meaningful to me. I think it’s because I’ve always struggled with the idea of being seen as a leader. A role model, yes. A visionary, yes. But, as a leader? No, not really, at all.

My business and life philosophy, “Through Movement We Find Health,” says it all. I think “We” is the key and that knowing what ideas we want to follow is the path for any individual to lead with their life, and hopefully by following The Body’s Way, which is their body’s way. 

If I get what Seth is writing, then people like me and maybe you; who live and model an idea are merely the physical manifestation of the idea. We become something people can see to know “how the idea works” and we all want what works. This notion got me curious.

A lot of people liked the idea of a healthy and meaningful life in their body, at any age.

Seth’s book is packed with thoughts, opinions, advice and a question, “Who is going to lead?” He writes that, “Tribes are about faith—about a belief in an idea and in a community….they are grounded in respect and admiration for the leader of the tribe and for the other members.”

I feel the truth of this, but I also know what happens when faith is lost, and respect and admiration for the leader of the tribe and for the other members is lost. It’s painful, destructive, and finding the path and way back means charting an entirely unknown territory.

Tension from different subjective emotions may pull and push and erode a once stable foundation. Don’t get me wrong, questioning the status quo is right! That is The Body’s Way. It’s the only way to remain on solid ground, sustaining the faith in the idea and the people.

Anyone brave enough to question any idea or any group of people will find this book to be valuable.

As Seth writes, “So here we are. We live in a world where we have the leverage to make things happen, the desire to do work we believe in, and a marketplace that is begging us to be remarkable. And yet, in the middle of these changes we still get stuck.” That is troubling.

When I think about this, I go back to my body, where collective leadership is visible. All parts separate and connected. Each part taking responsibility, all parts listening and guiding by heightened sensitivity and awareness lead with the idea of me and my body thriving.

I come away inspired by something Seth writes about Thomas Barnett from the Pentagon, “It’s simple, really. Barnett led a tribe that was passionate about change. He galvanized them, inspired them, and connected them, through his idea.” This is something to which I aspire.

I am passionate and driven by one constant, which is change, and will continue to share my ideas.

Nia as movement art, as exceptional body and life education, as holistic fitness, health and wellness for everyone on the planet; shared by leaders who have faith in the idea that everyone can follow their own individual body and life while helping others to do the same.

Find a copy of Seth’s book here:

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