We are not stewards.
We are not masters.
We are guests — all of us —
passing briefly through a world that breathes without our permission.

To be a guest is not to take.
It is to be welcomed.
To know that nothing is owed to us —
and everything is offered,
only for a time.

In this world, no river needs a right.
It is not a citizen. It is not a resource.
It is a presence — and that is enough.
To enter its space is to bow.
To harm it is to forget who you are.

There is no property here.
Only gifts, received and returned.
No one says “mine” — only “with,”
as in: I walk with this land.
I sleep with this roof.
I live with these people.

Leadership is not power.
It is guidance, temporary and relational.
The best guide leads — for now.
And then steps back.
Like geese in flight,
the one at the front rotates,
and all carry the journey together.

There is no shame.
There is no forgiveness.
There is only the truth of what happened —
the action, the impact,
and the healing that must follow.

When harm occurs, the circle forms.
Each voice is heard.
The one who caused hurt listens — not to defend, but to understand.
They name what they did.
They speak regret — not to be excused,
but to be reconnected.

Then the community mourns,
and restores harmony —
not to forget,
but to move forward whole.

In this world, every being is both guest and guide.
Every place is sacred, because it is shared.
Every life is honored, not because it is useful,
but because it is here.

And when we leave,
we do so lightly.
With thanks.
With care.
With nothing held — and nothing owed.

Govert van Ginkel

This article is written by Govert van Ginkel. Govert specializes in Nonviolent and Effective Communication and is active in this field as a trainer, speaker, coach, and mediator. More information about Govert can be found here. The current training offer can be found here