The Justice Walk Travelog - November 2022

Leadership coaching rooted in equity and justice

This month's walking...Earlier this month I caught one of those viruses going around. It was a nasty head cold, there was nothing to do but ride it out and rest. I'm not great at rest. Even though I know that my gut-pull not to rest is part of white supremacy, patriarchy, unfettered capitalism, abelism, etc. the guilt when I cancel meetings and read or nap on a Tuesday morning can be overwhelming.My throat was dry and sore, so I picked up a bag of cough drops. Importantly, the bag says this product, "relieves coughs and soothes sore throats."  They are specifically marketing to people who are sick.And yet, the wrappers feature rest-shaming "Pep Talks" like, "Fire up those engines" and "Let's hear your battle cry!" I'm sick. The last thing I should be doing is firing up my engine or bellowing a battle cry.  I should be drinking plenty of fluids, laying down, and recovering.But that's not the message our culture needs us to hear. According to our culture we must "rise and grind," face every day at 100 mph no matter the circumstances, obstacles, or our physical or mental health. After all, we need to keep our economy growing and earn our right to housing, healthcare, and dignity.Seeing those messages on that wrapper - and similar ones as I made my way through the bag of cough drops that week - made me angry, and sad. I was reminded how deeply I've bought into the socialization that I'm only worth what I produce and that I need to earn my right to live and breathe air. Tricia Hersey wrote an entire book about rest being resistance. She's right. Of course, having the resources to rest is a privilege. That shouldn't be true, but in the world we live in now, it is. In order to do the work I want to do, to be the person I want to be in the world, I need to embrace the privilege I have to be able to rest. When I'm rested, the fight continues to ensure everyone - especially the most marginalized among us - is supported in achieving their human right to rest.We are in the thick of the season of secular and religious holidays that make resting even harder than usual. That's why it is even more important.If you lead a team, help them prioritize rest.

• Transparently take care of yourself, modeling what rest looks like.

• Actively support those you lead to rest. Ask what rest and restoration look like for them (we don't all restore in the same way) and provide the resources (time-off, gift certificates) to make it happen.

• If you don't already, consider closing your office for the last week or two of the year. 

If you lead yourself (I'm looking in the mirror here) go back to your mission and vision.

• Why are you doing what you do?

• Is your work pace and style in alignment with your values?

• Are you walking your talk?

• How are you prioritizing your own rest and restoration?

We all deserve to be well. If you have tips or strategies around how you're prioritizing rest, restoration, and wellness for yourself and/or your team, please pass them along.Let's learn to overcome our "rise and grind" socialization together.

In this episode of Brené Brown's Dare to Lead podcast, Aiko Bethea and Ruchika Tulshyan talked about the importance of the "pause" between stimulus and response.I listened to this podcast during the same week I was getting rest-shamed by my cough drops. It was another reminder about how critical resting is for me both as a human, and in order to be of any use to "the work" or "the movement."  (You're sensing the theme here, aren't you?)

Temu Okun has updated her foundational 1999 essay that defined and pinpointed the characteristics of white supremacy culture with an extensive website. When we're new to the casual use of the term "white supremacy culture" we (especially white people) can feel defensive.Okun's work is bold, and truth-telling, but never attacking and always accessible.  I refer to the way she explains the characteristics of white supremacy culture multiple times a day - inside my own mind and with others.I could take time daily, for the rest of my life exploring this site and still come to new revelations and ways to interact with individuals and institutions.I can't recommend it highly enough.

Transitions both attract and terrify me. Sunset on the beach, marking the shift from day to night at the connection between land and sea, is always powerful. This day it was transcendent.I looked up to see the image of a woman, her wingspan covering the entire horizon in the embrace of her arms. I felt held, nurtured, encouraged, inspired.As we are in the season of transition from one calendar year to the next, may we all find inspiration, encouragement, and nurturing. And may we actively search for ways to provide nurturing, encouragement, and inspiration for others, especially for those traditionally marginalized and often deemed unworthy of such basic human kindness. Everyone is worthy of being held in open arms.

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