Guanxi: The stopphysics network

While traveling in China, I became familiar with the term guanxi ("gwaan-shee"). Literally, the combination of characters means "relationship." Functionally, it's the Chinese version of "It's not what you know, but who you know." It is the practice of recognizing the gifts you have recieved from your community, and returning those gifts to your community. Guanxi means living and acting in the cycle of abundance.

While the English version can carry a weight of malicious nepotism, what I saw being practiced on every level around me was a sort of universal nepotism: a practice of consistently searching for ways to buoy up the members of your community, for they are doing the same for you. Guanxi wasn't being practiced so that one person could rise meteorically above the rest, but was utilized in a way to facilitate the rise of the entire community.

"We're all in it together."
This difference might seem subtle, but there is a difference that we believe is important. At stopphysics we belive that by practicing guanxi, our work and the work of our peers will grow stronger, and enable everyone in our community to act from a place of abundance. When we are acting from a place of abundance, our environment--all environments, from your home to your work to your continent--reflects abundance. And that's just a much nicer place to be.

The links to the right are just a few of the many members of our community, people who we know share our belief in the power of good guanxi, and who we see practicing it in many ways. Speak with anyone in the guanxi community and you'll be surprised to discover the many ways each and every one is actively giving back to the community. From work with the Superhero Bicycle Brigade to the effort to remove land mines from Rwanda, we are part of your cycle of abundance.

More links coming soon...

Are you a part of Guanxi? Email us for a link.