Symbiosis

Educating ourselves on the forms of relationships in nature allows us to be able to discern what kinds of relationships exist in our own lives and what kinds of relationships we should invest in, for our own sustainability and growth.

A healthy ecosystem has a balance of all 6 kinds of relationships. The 3 kinds of symbiotic relationships that apply to us as organisms that share a community and remain in close contact are: mutualism, commensalism, and parasitism.

By calling this network Symbiosis and building a culture/interactive system that invites a close, contact-based way of relating means that we invite each other to depend on one another for our growth. That also means we have to learn how to be in right relationship to others to support our collective life force instead of hindering it.

Yes, depending on another organism for growth can be a scary contrast to what we were taught to do in this society. Our modern social systems often value individualism above all else, but nature was not built on doing things alone. Nature is stable and thriving because it has a giant web of relationships working in its favor to create balance.

We do not want to rely on others to anyones detriment. Therefore, we have to navigate how to be in a symbiotic relationship with others that is mutually beneficial.

Mutualistic symbiotic relationships can also be called reciprocal relationships or interdependent relationships, meaning that both parties give and receive positive reinforcement in a balanced exchange, mutually benefiting one another's lives.

In this network, we will be focusing on building mutualistic, reciprocal relationships, where both people can amplify their growth with each other's presence. We do not want to build parasitic symbiotic relationships; that would mean that we are pulling our community member down instead of building them up. We also do not want to build commensal symbiotic relationships because we want the energy that we invest in others and the energy that they invest in us to be returned and raised higher.

I believe that our modern human social ecosystem is out of balance because we are losing mutualistic types of relationships that are outside of our traditional workplaces and homes.

In the human ecosystem, we may see mutualistic relationships that are outside of the traditional workplace or home in several exemplary ways. These relationships may look like two mothers exchanging childcare, a group of scientists think-tanking to solve a social dilemma, two coworkers coming together for a potluck, or landowners working together on food propagation techniques. Of course, these relationships do exist today, but in a bubble. By building a network for the thinkers, the artists, the visionaries, the entrepreneurs, mutualistic relationships that work for us become more accessible and available.

Welcome to symbiosis, the network for reciprocal relationships.

I don’t plan on this project being easy. I don’t think it's easy to train people how to be in a reciprocal relationship with one another when all beings are so vastly unique and in need of different things. In fact, it is the diverse uniqueness of each individual that creates the habitable conditions for collective thriving. I don't expect there to be a “one-size-fits-all” kind of solution for building a reciprocal relationship network at scale. We all need something a little different, and that's perfect by design. We just need to work together. We need active participation within the community. We can’t have relationships that are one sided to be mutually beneficial to each other, and that is why Symbiosis is dedicated to creating the structure of a network through which the greater diversity of organisms can function. We will do this by creating incentives that encourage members to participate, with gamification and accountability rewards.

Think of symbiosis as the soil, and you as the expression of biological life. There will be built-in systems that help you express your unique gifts inside of the habitat that is Symbiosis, and you will find what is supportive of your niche. Together, we are certain to find the unexpected symbiotic relationships, and hopefully, you will build reciprocal relationships that are nourishing. What is certain is that every single member of this community will be oriented around the shared culture of seeking reciprocity in connection and building the life of their dreams, together. Everyone is going to get something different out of participating, and you are more likely to get benefits the more you show up and share with others about what you’re doing.

Symbiosis invites you into a deeper relationship with your life and the lives of others. Together we will devote ourselves to our purpose projects with intentional relational support.