So, I’m going to start this off by saying, I’ve been wrestling with this piece for a while, and I’ve noticed that if I let something sit in the “drafts” section too long, it will never make it out.
Thank you for this! It made me reflect on how I *don’t* really identify as a leader-member of a worker co-op outside of the organization itself. I’m mostly just doing it.
I don't know how deeply I've been reflecting. Sometimes reflecting can feel like beating myself up, a habit I would love to break. I think you've absolutely stumbled upon a big piece of truth, which is, essentially "practice what you preach." And perhaps an addendum--"and perhaps you won't have to preach at all." I know since the election I've connected more seriously with my sister, who was very depressed by it all. I had a disastrous trip to see my children during which there were hard feelings all around. I need to make a more concerted and conscious effort to express my love for them but it's difficult for reasons mostly to do with distance and me.
I have felt that involving myself more in all my communities would be a very good thing. As for asking myself what I love and what I love to do, those have always been hard. I love everything but I am not passionate about anything. I wonder if I have a basic lack of compassion for myself out of which comes a hesitancy to get too involved in people/things. I need a new therapist. :)
This is fairly rambly and I feel like I'm probably repeating things I've already said before. I agree very much with @kaleinthegarden (can I call you Kale?) that this space feels like a welcoming and transformative one.
Self compassion is hard, and strangely enough, I feel like it can be too much to ask of people right out of the gate. If someone is beating up on themself a lot, I might suggest that a better thing to start with is self-neutrality. It's amazing what baby-steps can unlock.
I definitely relate to it being hard to reflect, especially on this stuff, because I want to badly to do it well and it's too easy to see where I'm not. One thing that studying Yoga has offered me, especially the Bhagavad Gita, is the gentle reminder that if we are only seeing negative things, we're out of balance. My teacher has helped me so much with this. It's easy to see the world through this negative lens and just assume that "this is what's real," but the Gita tells us in no uncertain terms that if all we see is "bad omens" then we're caught up in our own mind games. Yes, there are almost always "bad" things, but wherever there are "bad" things, there must be "good" things, too. Working to see the good and not let our minds run away with the bad is a powerful practice.
Thank you for being so honest and sharing in this space. It's brave. Again, I'm so glad you're here, and I hope this space continues to be of value and support to you!
This is how we build strong, resilient communities! These consistent acts of care are so vital! These communities are what we are going to need in order to navigate the onslaught of challenges we're facing. Everything from the fall of capitalism to the climate crisis, without these connections, we're (as my kids would say) "cooked."
I've taken the approach of picking one (sometimes very small) thing at a time. And for bigger things, I've been giving myself an entire year to integrate it. I sold my truck and now only ride my bike places (which, admittedly, isn't small), but I gave myself a lot of time to ease into it for nearly a year before the truck was gone. Then my wife wanted to go back to veganism, and I told myself, even if this was the only major change I made all year, it was okay. Taking the pressure off of these shifts makes them so much easier. I'm still working out what I want 2025's shifts to look like, but I'm excited about the momentum these other shifts have created.
And as you explore new actions, don't for et to CELEBRATE the ways you've already made changes. All of these very real work can be so much lighter when we're enjoying and celebrating our efforts!
Thank you for this! It made me reflect on how I *don’t* really identify as a leader-member of a worker co-op outside of the organization itself. I’m mostly just doing it.
*Blinks in Fiveness*
This is the fun part of this kind of self-reflection. You get to find places where you're already doing it, and it feels like a fun bonus! haha.
I don't know how deeply I've been reflecting. Sometimes reflecting can feel like beating myself up, a habit I would love to break. I think you've absolutely stumbled upon a big piece of truth, which is, essentially "practice what you preach." And perhaps an addendum--"and perhaps you won't have to preach at all." I know since the election I've connected more seriously with my sister, who was very depressed by it all. I had a disastrous trip to see my children during which there were hard feelings all around. I need to make a more concerted and conscious effort to express my love for them but it's difficult for reasons mostly to do with distance and me.
I have felt that involving myself more in all my communities would be a very good thing. As for asking myself what I love and what I love to do, those have always been hard. I love everything but I am not passionate about anything. I wonder if I have a basic lack of compassion for myself out of which comes a hesitancy to get too involved in people/things. I need a new therapist. :)
This is fairly rambly and I feel like I'm probably repeating things I've already said before. I agree very much with @kaleinthegarden (can I call you Kale?) that this space feels like a welcoming and transformative one.
Well, I am certainly glad you are here!
Self compassion is hard, and strangely enough, I feel like it can be too much to ask of people right out of the gate. If someone is beating up on themself a lot, I might suggest that a better thing to start with is self-neutrality. It's amazing what baby-steps can unlock.
I definitely relate to it being hard to reflect, especially on this stuff, because I want to badly to do it well and it's too easy to see where I'm not. One thing that studying Yoga has offered me, especially the Bhagavad Gita, is the gentle reminder that if we are only seeing negative things, we're out of balance. My teacher has helped me so much with this. It's easy to see the world through this negative lens and just assume that "this is what's real," but the Gita tells us in no uncertain terms that if all we see is "bad omens" then we're caught up in our own mind games. Yes, there are almost always "bad" things, but wherever there are "bad" things, there must be "good" things, too. Working to see the good and not let our minds run away with the bad is a powerful practice.
Thank you for being so honest and sharing in this space. It's brave. Again, I'm so glad you're here, and I hope this space continues to be of value and support to you!
This is how we build strong, resilient communities! These consistent acts of care are so vital! These communities are what we are going to need in order to navigate the onslaught of challenges we're facing. Everything from the fall of capitalism to the climate crisis, without these connections, we're (as my kids would say) "cooked."
I've taken the approach of picking one (sometimes very small) thing at a time. And for bigger things, I've been giving myself an entire year to integrate it. I sold my truck and now only ride my bike places (which, admittedly, isn't small), but I gave myself a lot of time to ease into it for nearly a year before the truck was gone. Then my wife wanted to go back to veganism, and I told myself, even if this was the only major change I made all year, it was okay. Taking the pressure off of these shifts makes them so much easier. I'm still working out what I want 2025's shifts to look like, but I'm excited about the momentum these other shifts have created.
And as you explore new actions, don't for et to CELEBRATE the ways you've already made changes. All of these very real work can be so much lighter when we're enjoying and celebrating our efforts!
Well, this is the right time of year to do it! Celebration is what can keep us going when things seem dark. I hope you have a great holiday season!