Evaluated Experience
I’ve seen lots of folks repeat the same challenges again and again because they never evaluate the lessons. Or change! Life is about the lessons and when you don’t learn them you’re doomed to repeat them. You’re going to outgrow people like this. Let them be.
Fail Every Week
I watched an interview with Sara Blakely the founder of Spanx today. She related the story of her father asking at the dinner table every week what she failed at. She would seek to try things so that she could report her failures. The lesson of this was that the only actual failure is to not try.
Don’t Compare Your Insides to Other People’s Outsides
Something that was super interesting to me is that over these past few months as I watch and sometimes help my mom accomplish her goals, I started comparing my results to hers. The goals my mom works on are primarily art projects, service projects for neighbors or gardening projects. It’s fun to see what lights mom up and how much of a diligent worker she is.
However, I’m a Capricorn she’s a Cancer, we’re really opposite people. I’m learning how to tackle big tasks in daily micro chunks instead of fear-based procrastination and slap dash efforts. I’m learning how to deeply prioritize what I am moving forward and be okay with feeling out of balance. (Balance is a myth.)
Can we reconcile capitalism and liberation?
Since the United States was born at the intersection of genocide and enslavement, the question comes up can it even be redeemed? And yet, Mags and I are both the children of immigrants who sought opportunity in this country. Mags’ folks specifically escaped communism in favor of the opportunities of the free enterprise in the United States’ capitalist system.
We wondered how to reconcile capitalism, which is so inherent in upholding systems of oppression, free enterprise opportunity and the possibility of liberation for all. This is a great video explaining how systemic racism works and how unequal access to capital affects folks generationally.
Balance is a Myth
Social media is no longer where we can go to get our warm fuzzy dopamine hits and distract ourselves from what’s going on. This is beyond a marathon, this is sustained long term work that can really move forward if we routinize it. And care for ourselves!
Learning Curves
This time, where we’re learning how to create a new world together, is all about learning curves and leaning into the discomfort.
Mass Meditation as Resistance
During today’s mass meditation Rev. Michael Bernard Beckwith charged us to ask God, “What does a kind and just global society look like? What does justice look like? What does proper policing look like? Where must we as a civilization grow? What is my individual role? What must we become?” It was a powerful space to open up to a vision of what’s possible.
Pride is a Rebellion
When I produced my first event at Stonewall I learned from the manager that they call Stonewall a Rebellion not a Riot. It’s an important distinction that I think is important to remember.
Our foremothers (primarily Black Trans women and butches) were rebelling against consistent persistent abuse from the police. Pride began as a rebellion, a protest.
Your power is in your daily habits
If white folks spend 10 minutes every day focused on unlearning racism or having hard conversations confronting racism we could truly change the conversation and create equality.
The Role of Shame in Pursuing Justice
Something that keeps coming up for me is how much of a role eradicating shame plays in the toppling of systems of oppression.
Toni Morrison said about racism “If you can only be tall because somebody is on their knees, then you have a serious problem.”
We didn’t come here to fix a broken world we came to create the world of our dreams
The more you are vulnerable the more folks connect with your heart. Sharing that I work to build a future for kids who I don’t even know yet, that I want to bring into a world with a partner I also don’t even know yet feels a little nutty, however, true dreaming should feel nutty. Three cheers for feeling awkward and doing the thing anyway.