What Matters Is Not Losing People

Kaixo1 to everybody on this list.2 Big pleasure to be in contact with all of you. Eskerrik asko,3 Karl, for your thinking.4

I think we need to review the term “growth” and define it from our perspective, not from an oppressive capitalism one. I do not think growth must be linked with the number of people, with quantity—that has more to do with capitalism distresses. Recruiting (getting new people into RC) and growth are two different processes that need to be thought about separately.

I link growth with strength, solidness, honesty, and depth of connections. These qualities are a sign of success to me. Nowadays, I do not mind very much if in my Region5 we are not getting more new people for a long while. What is important to me is that we do not lose people.

Lack of growth does not necessarily mean to me some kind of failure. It used to some years ago, when I believed that we RCers were the ones “called” to save the world. I do not think now that this is our role. I feel much more powerful now—in every way that I touch any person outside of RC—than I did before. Nowadays I do not try as much as before to talk to people about RC. I think that influencing someone outside of RC with some of my logical, warm, close behavior is more important than any information about RC I could give to him or her.

Nowadays I choose very carefully whom I am going to invite into RC, and I make sure that the person will stay in. I get fewer people into RC in a year, but the ones who come in do remain. I think we sometimes forget how deeply and badly human beings have been hurt, and the huge effect of their having to build a picture of the world without being able to discharge.

So, every year that my Region does not lose anyone is a big triumph to me. It is a good signal of growth in the face of the continuous smashing by these societies. I feel that we are winning, and I tend to feel better about everything I do in RC, even if the numbers do not go up. When the numbers start to go down, I think I should worry then—but not before.

I think a good perspective could be taken in twenty years. I do not think there is a real hurry. I would like to wait for twenty years and then see what is going right and what is needing to be changed.

What do you think about these perspectives, dear RRPs6?

Love,

Xabi Odriozola
Regional Reference Person
for Basque Country

Donostia, Basque Country
Reprinted from the RC e-mail discussion
list for Regional Reference Persons


1 Hello, in Basque
2 The RC e-mail discussion list for Regional Reference Persons
3 Thank you, in Basque
4 See previous article.
5 A Region is a subdivision of the International Re-evaluation Counseling Community, usually consisting of several Areas (local RC Communities).
6 Regional Reference Persons


Last modified: 2022-12-25 10:17:04+00