I always lead each Los Angeles EcoTuesday by opening up with a brief talk on my desire to create community, and people are truly resonating and responding to this. It is my hope that the tone set for each EcoTuesday facilitates the solid networking that is occurring at each event, whether at a restaurant, an eco house, or the many other exciting venues we have planned for 2010.

My work bringing people together at EcoTuesday has been one of the most rewarding things I’ve ever done during my ten years in Los Angeles because I get to facilitate building a sense of community in a place that is traditionally very difficult to do so.

Modern times created a shift in how we define “community”. In large cities, particularly spread-out cities like Los Angeles and Dallas, we must create our community through shared values and passions. Connecting with others makes us feel more connected to ourselves, and inspires us to stay on our path of creating a more sustainable life. I think this is how people are redefining what “success” means to them. It is a paradigm shift from an old traditional model of materialism being the sole determinant. The problem with that old paradigm is that it created isolationism and an endless cycle of never being satisfied. What we have been lacking is a sense of being connected.

Several things have occurred that lead me to believe that people are truly resonating with what I am saying.  First of all, word of mouth is spreading and attendance is dramatically increasing at EcoTuesday. The conversations that are blossoming during and after EcoTuesday are truly remarkable. It is not unusual for great friendships to be born from an event (and a few relationships I’ve been made aware of!), not to mention solid business collaborations and referrals that turn into business. It is also not unusual for attendees to linger long into the night talking. It is this kind of melding of ideologies, passions and business that makes EcoTuesday so successful on a myriad of levels.