Christine Egger, In Conversation: How I Have Fun, Do Good

 The third blogger in this run of the Have Fun, Do Good guest post series is the wonderfully wise, Christine Egger.  Christine is a facilitator, network weaver, and catalyst. She works with individuals and organizations whose mission is to increase our capacity for empathy, generosity, and creativity. You can learn more about Christine at cdegger.com, or find her on Twitter at @cdegger.

How do I have fun and do good?

I create conversations.

In my experience the most fun, most good-doing conversations are the kind in which the participants not only learn about themselves and each other, but actually become themselves in the process. I come away from them feeling changed, like some part of me shifted into something that’s, well, more me. And the others involved do too, whether they’re individuals or organizations or projects or whatever.

Sometimes – not always – the connection is prescribed and there’s a goal involved. Something we’re “conversing for the purpose of.” It might be as simple as catching up with a friend. It might be as complicated as bringing many companies (or countries!) together to see whether there might be untapped opportunities for them to partner in new ways.

In between?

Room. To meander. To be surprised. To follow impulses and question-threads and then circle back and follow another.

And acceptance. Of who and what we are when we show up. Of what we discover about ourselves and each other. Of the new who and what we become as we explore.

The word conversation has come to primarily mean an exchange of words and ideas. But I’ve found the most-fun-and-most-good-doing kind aligns best with the word’s origins. In late Middle English, and before that Old French, and before that Latin, conversation meant “living among, keeping company with, being with.”

Those are the kinds of conversations I love. Where the participants are living among. Being with. Feeling simultaneously accepted and invited-to-change. Given room. And generating words that ring true, and ideas that resonate.

It’s practically impossible to have that kind of conversation and NOT have fun and do good. ☺

If you liked this post, you might like past Have Fun, Do Good guest posts:

• How to Find Your Have Fun, Do Good
• Zen Peacekeeper, Marianne Elliott, Shares How She Has Fun, Does Good
• Leonie Allan of Goddess Guidebook Shares How She Has Fun, Does Good 
• Amy Potthast, Idealist.org: How I Have Fun, Do Good 
• Amy Sample Ward, Community Builder and NPtechie: How I Have Fun and Do Good
• Jennifer Moore, Monaluna Designs: How I Have Fun, Do Good 
• Elisa Camahort Page, BlogHer: How I Have Fun, Do Good 
• Allison Jones, Millennial Leader: How I Have Fun, Do Good
• Beth Terry, Fake Plastic Fish: How I Have Fun, Do Good
• Katya Andresen, Network for Good: How I Have Fun, Do Good
• Kimberly Wilson, Tranquility du Jour: How I Have Fun, Do Good 
• Lisa Sonora Beam, The Creative Entrepreneur: How I Have Fun, Do Good 
• Heather Meyer, Work it Out!: How I Have Fun, Do Good
•  7 Ways to Have Fun and Do Good
• Jennifer Lee, Right-Brain Business Plan: How I Have Fun, Do Good 
• Wendy Harman, Social Media Maven: How I Have Fun, Do Good 
• Tara Sophia Mohr, Wise Living: How I Have Fun, Do Good 
• Jen Louden, Savor and Serve: How I Have Fun, Do Good 
• Emily Goligoski, The SanFranista: How I Have Fun, Do Good 
• Desiree Adaway, Global Service and Leadership: How I Have Fun, Do Good
• Jamie Ridler, Creative Living: How I Have Fun, Do Good 
• Mary Mulliken, Intentional Motherhood: How I have Fun, Do Good 
• Amy Kessel, Unfurling: How I Have Fun, Do Good 
• Jocelyn Harmon, In Conversation: How I Have Fun, Do Good

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