On Injustice...
Plus, the part I’ve played and the habits I’m changing.
I've been thinking a lot about what I personally want to say about everything going on in our country right now* and I just have no words. Scratch that, I have words but they seem inadequate and small.
As an educator, I know where my heart lies - spreading love and understanding, challenging perspectives, and pushing the limits of what we believe is possible.
My overarching mission in business and life is to help those around me believe that they can be and do anything they put their mind to!
I've held this mission for over a decade.
But as I'm looking back, I wonder how much I've done to actually make this a possibility for all - because personal mindset can't overcome systemic injustices. It is a piece of the puzzle, for sure, but it's not a magic wand that will fix issues that are outside our minds.
So the questions I’ve been asking myself and what I’m now asking you is…
What would be impactful action right now?
What can I be doing and what new habits can I form to help create a better world for all of us?
A world where my daughter and your daughter have the same experiences, regardless of their race. Where they are treated fairly, where they can be friends, can get paid the same, can go to the same places, and enjoy the same full life — filled with love and opportunity at every corner.
Because that’s my dream - always has been - but clearly I have not been doing my part. And I want to change that! I want to do better so that this dream can be a reality in our lifetime - not only for us, but especially for our daughters.
Image from @sarahpendrick
Habits must come first.
With that dream in mind, and following so many conversations over the last several weeks, I know that the only way to make lasting change is through changing habits. Habits are what guide us on autopilot, what we’ve trained our brains and bodies to do without making a ton of effort. They are the things we do on a regular basis and they help shape us.
Whenever I work with clients or myself on being more productive or overcoming overwhelm, burnout, or fear/insecurities, the first thing we do is create new habits that support the new thinking and behaviors. And that’s what I’m doing in this time to help me make the lasting changes that can bring about the dream world I want my daughter and your daughter to have as a reality.
And I think it’s possible! If we all do our part - no matter what that is for you - and commit to making changes, not just for this week or next week, but forever.
Habits I’m working on to support this change.
This is the list of habits I’m working on to do my part. I won’t get it perfect, but this is a great starting point. It’s more important right now to take imperfect action than stay sitting on the sidelines. So here’s what I’m working on:
Listening first.
Educating myself on true history - not white history.
Questioning my own motives on a regular basis and analyzing if I’m accurately representing my audience in my content.
Being intentional about expanding my circle so that I have a greater level of diversity around me — this means fostering in-person relationships with people that look and believe differently from me, doing the same on social media, and engaging in difficult conversations that are uncomfortable but can expand my thinking and understanding of others’ truths.
Making a conscious effort to speak up when I see/hear injustice and prejudice, even if it is uncomfortable. And having those difficult conversations with family and friends in productive and positive ways.
Watching my own thoughts and words and calling myself out on judgement. It’s so much more productive to focus on positive thoughts and encourage one another than to belittle and condemn each other.
Voting for justice with my time, energy, money, and actual votes. That means buying to support and prop up businesses I believe in, consuming content that will expand my thinking, donate to causes that fight the bigger fights that I alone can’t fight to make large-scale changes, and voting for legislators that believe in and take action on change.
Spreading love as often and as far as I can.
This is my list and it is by no means all-inclusive of the things I’m doing in my daily life to support my brothers and sisters. Your list will likely look different because your skills and stage of life are different from mine.
Right now, about to give birth to my daughter, I can’t go to protests or marches, I can’t volunteer in-person, but I can have conversations and I can work on expanding my own thinking. I can buy board books to read to my daughter on race and diversity and teach her that everyone deserves a seat at the table. I can support others through my encouragement and monetary donations. And I can love like no other! So I’m playing to my strengths and sharing those with the movement.
Do what you can do. And know that that’s all that’s asked of you right now.
I’ll leave you with one more quote that I’ve been finding very powerful and hopeful this week:
Continue the conversation with me. Comment below or DM me on Instagram.
*for those reading this in the future, I’m talking about the murder of George Floyd in May 2020 (among others) and the outcrying from the entire country for social change.