It’s time to break these patterns and cycles
Not living in fear of
when the darkness might call
Learn to be one with it
It’s not your rival
You’ll run round forever
Eternal and endless endeavor
— Alysha Magnum
When Alysha dashed off stage to grab her guitar from hiding, and told us she had never before performed in public, we knew we were in for something remarkable. The optional half-hour ‘glimpse’ at the end of the Fellowship program is a chance for participants to share something they feel passionately about and to grow their own edge of what’s possible for them. Alysha’s glimpse was a potent mixture of original music and deep reflection.
Since a very young age, Alysha has wondered how she would like to and how she should navigate the world. This question is one of her most important allies and helps her question the morals, ethics, and values she carries.
In the past seven years, Alysha tells me, “I stopped talking about my dreams, desires, and projects.” Seeing the Possibility Fellowship pop up on her Facebook feed, “sparked something for me”… a chance to reconnect with what matters to her.
The Fellowship “really helped me pinpoint where I’m at in my life and where I would like to dream a little… It showed me a lot about myself and how I wanted to be in the community.” She discovered she had a gift for asking good questions and helping others unearth their unfulfilled hopes and dreams.
“Being at the Fellowship has been really good for me to get used to talking again… you don’t need to be talking all the time to be a part of something, listening is a very big part of it, too.” She particularly enjoyed learning about the four levels of listening and participating in a Warm Data Lab.
Alysha explains, “I want to help others with their dreaming… to help people make the connections they need to get things going and feel more fulfilled…” She found herself getting excited by others’ ideas and ”wanting to help them to reach their goals, because there are so many barriers for us all. Whether it’s fear or resources or connections.”
“Being at the fellowship… expanded my mind outside of myself… It’s given me the opportunity to see what I’m like out in the world.” Connections, for Alysha, are one of the most important things she’ll carry forward from her journey. She feels inspired to bring people together, to create contexts where individuals can share their gifts, their vulnerabilities and their wholeness—where they can learn and grow together.
“[The Fellowship] has shown me that I want to help others with their dreams rather than me coming up with a dream…. to create a community—an ecosystem—where everyone has all these special skills, and we all build each other up.”
With her gift for asking the questions that truly matter, Alysha would love to accompany others on the challenging yet fulfilling journey of understanding and pursuing their most heartfelt desires.
With her youth, curiosity, and her surprising and beautiful voice, Alysha offers stirring music and thoughtful reflections, even when she doesn’t carry her guitar.
This story was gathered in partnership with Gonzalo as she concluded her experience in The Possibility Fellowship 2023.