Emotional Overload Is Rooted in Fear Last week I said goodbye to the phone I’d had for more than 3 years, a phone I was attached to more than I’d like to admit. I entered a state of complete overwhelm, spiraling between questions and frustrations, between crying and raging: How could I possibly learn a new phone? Why aren’t there any small phones? How will one of the new—BIG—phones fit in my pocket? It’s not fair that all the phones are large, while women’s pants ... Read more ...
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Responding to White Supremacist Terror, This Time in El Paso
I woke this morning in Ireland to news of the El Paso shooting: the latest act of white supremacist terror in the United States. My body was already aching (today’s a rest day after some seriously long walks), but the news ramped up the ache and lodged itself in my chest. I recognized the familiar heartache that comes with shootings and acts of violence, particularly against Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC)—in this case, against Latinx folks in Texas. Along ... Read more ...
Self-Inquiry and Social Justice: What’s Walking Got to Do with It?
This summer I’m offering “40 Questions for 40 Walks: Toward Everyday Living for Justice”—a self-paced e-course to support deep-diving into conditioned ways of living, being, and intervening in the world. My hope is that these 40 questions provide structure and invite attention to a wide range of matters that factor into everyday life, yet may be easily taken-for-granted or overlooked as important to social justice, racial justice, and environmental justice. Why ... Read more ...
Toward Public Outcry: Why I’ll Keep Repeating #AbolishICE and #CloseTheCamps
Outcry: a strong expression of public anger and disapproval This week I dreamed about being detained when traveling, taken aside in an airport and made to wait and wait and wait … It became clear that I was being monitored and considered dangerous and essentially arrested. What started in the airport turned into a full detention / internment / concentration camp experience. The dream’s details are sketchy, but I remember feeling powerless. I couldn’t call for help. I ... Read more ...
Lessons from a Poinsettia: Growing Resilience in 40 Days and Beyond
This poinsettia is amazing me—still blooming in these last days of February and reminding me that resilience (emotional elasticity, stamina, and strength) is something we don't often recognize until it’s already present and in place. When I googled how long poinsettias bloom, I was (and wasn’t) surprised to see that 40 days are a common period. The information not only confirms this poinsettia’s resilience (blooming for 3+ months), but it also feels like the ... Read more ...
Learning from and Healing Scars, Both Personal and Collective
Over the past year, my body has experienced a few physical injuries, including a concussion from falling last January and a cut from stepping on a broken bowl back in August. The fall left both knees badly scraped and bruised so that scars are still visible on the surface. The puncture in my foot has involved months of getting ceramic out—piece by piece—and an MRI now confirms that “only scar tissue remains.” That scar tissue isn’t visible like the scars on my knees, ... Read more ...
Living in Shutdown USA
In recent weeks, friends have been asking about my experience with the government shutdown. I’m feeling and experiencing a lot, living in DC, or “America’s lightning rod” (thanks to Katharine Weinmann for this language from a recent comment). Certainly, the city feels on edge and reminds me of the urgent need for resistance, for visioning, and for choosing alternative paths, if we are ever to stop the perpetuation of injustice. I look to everyday life for direction, ... Read more ...
My Heart Hurts on Election Day
Election day morning: I join a line that snakes around my new polling place. Like others, I pull my raincoat tighter against the cold and damp morning air, as kids squirm, jump, and cry around us. After 40+ minutes and only few feet of movement, I step out of line, knowing that if I stay, I’ll miss a hard-to-reschedule doctor’s appointment. I feel frustrated, disappointed, and angry. Election day evening: I re-join the line and, again, wait outdoors in the rain. ... Read more ...
Hurting and Hollering in the Wake of This Week’s Violence
Bombs sent, guns shot. And I cry. Histories hidden, truths buried. And I ache. Hateful laws, escalating harms. And I mourn. White terrorism, everyday violence. And I rage. Black folks targeted. Jewish folks targeted. Native folks targeted. Latinx folks targeted. Migrant folks targeted. Trans folks targeted. Femme folks targeted. Marginalized folks targeted. Targeted, passive voice. Failing to name the assailants. Failing to name white supremacist, ... Read more ...
Blessed Change
What does it mean to turn our lives upside down? How might looking at the world differently inspire new perspectives? What new perspectives are needed to enact more equitable relations? In recent weeks, I’ve been pulling this “Blessed Change” card whenever using Doreen Virtue’s “Marginal Mermaids and Dolphins” oracle deck as part of everyday divination, a meditation practice for grounding and interpreting lived experience. I started pulling divination or oracle ... Read more ...
![*Save the Date and Pre-Order Now*
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One month from today (starting Nov. 22nd), I’ll be offering another “40-Day Practice: Strengthening Emotional Literacies to Counter White Fragility.”
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This practice provides:
— support for what comes up during the holiday season
— a transformative learning experience
— the opportunity to set intentions and increase readiness for showing up for racial justice in 2020 and beyond.
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Learn more about the practice, and pre-order now: link in bio.
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And what a day to be sharing this announcement -- a day pointing to such ongoing and deep work needed by white folks to address whiteness, white fragility, and white supremacy ...
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Committed to staying in this work with and alongside you,
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Beth
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[GIF Description: Four emoticons change facial expressions and represent emotional range, while sharing: “Save the Date! *40-Day Practice* Strengthening Emotional Literacies to Counter White Fragility. Nov. 22 – Dec. 31.”]
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#Emotions #Emotional #EmotionalLiteracies #EmotionalIntelligence #40DayPractice #ContemplativePractice #WhiteFragility #WhiteSupremacy #Antiraciam #Antioppression #RacialJustice #SaveTheDate #ComingSoon #EBook #ECourse #LearnMore #Leadership #SaveTheDate #HolidaySeason #LeadershipDevelopment #ProfessionalDevelopment #OngoingEducation #SocialJusticeEducation #wednesdayvibes #wednesdaymotivation](http://scontent-lga3-1.cdninstagram.com/vp/e26d257828bc0655937da49faff42442/5DB3519A/t51.2885-15/sh0.08/e35/s640x640/73512623_557325338142913_3768349608661120543_n.jpg?_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.cdninstagram.com&_nc_cat=101 "*Save the Date and Pre-Order Now*
.
One month from today (starting Nov. 22nd), I’ll be offering another “40-Day Practice: Strengthening Emotional Literacies to Counter White Fragility.”
.
This practice provides:
— support for what comes up during the holiday season
— a transformative learning experience
— the opportunity to set intentions and increase readiness for showing up for racial justice in 2020 and beyond.
.
Learn more about the practice, and pre-order now: link in bio.
.
.
And what a day to be sharing this announcement -- a day pointing to such ongoing and deep work needed by white folks to address whiteness, white fragility, and white supremacy ...
.
Committed to staying in this work with and alongside you,
.
Beth
.
.
[GIF Description: Four emoticons change facial expressions and represent emotional range, while sharing: “Save the Date! *40-Day Practice* Strengthening Emotional Literacies to Counter White Fragility. Nov. 22 – Dec. 31.”]
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#Emotions #Emotional #EmotionalLiteracies #EmotionalIntelligence #40DayPractice #ContemplativePractice #WhiteFragility #WhiteSupremacy #Antiraciam #Antioppression #RacialJustice #SaveTheDate #ComingSoon #EBook #ECourse #LearnMore #Leadership #SaveTheDate #HolidaySeason #LeadershipDevelopment #ProfessionalDevelopment #OngoingEducation #SocialJusticeEducation #wednesdayvibes #wednesdaymotivation")
![Then-and-now hiking photos (taken 3 years apart) remind me to embrace “all the ages I’ve ever been,” including the “childlike” qualities of curiosity and playfulness: https://bit.ly/35G8Dqv ...
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I often write about hard emotional stuff—from fear, regret, and grief to burning-hot rage over injustice. But life includes such joy as well.
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May the joy of single moments become joyful commitments to justice: to staying in the work with deep passion and dedication. <3
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[Two photos of Beth in plank pose below the same overhanging rock in the Appalachian Mountains, taken 3 years apart—in 2016 and 2019.]
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#Emotions #Emotional #EmotionalLiteracy #EmotionalIntelligence #Joy #JoyfulCommitment #Committed #CommittedToJustice #Everyday #EverydayJustice #EverydayFeminism #AntiOpression #SocialJustice #Hiking #AppalachianMountains #Yoga #Outdoors #Nature #Inspiration #attrail #yogaposes #yogainspiration #play #yogaplay #thenandnow #throwbackthursday #throwback](http://scontent-lga3-1.cdninstagram.com/vp/5849e752998df7706a0b1e17f45d4301/5E624956/t51.2885-15/sh0.08/e35/s640x640/73053828_1007895446230192_946596583059840186_n.jpg?_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.cdninstagram.com&_nc_cat=104 "Then-and-now hiking photos (taken 3 years apart) remind me to embrace “all the ages I’ve ever been,” including the “childlike” qualities of curiosity and playfulness: https://bit.ly/35G8Dqv ...
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I often write about hard emotional stuff—from fear, regret, and grief to burning-hot rage over injustice. But life includes such joy as well.
.
May the joy of single moments become joyful commitments to justice: to staying in the work with deep passion and dedication. <3
.
.
[Two photos of Beth in plank pose below the same overhanging rock in the Appalachian Mountains, taken 3 years apart—in 2016 and 2019.]
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#Emotions #Emotional #EmotionalLiteracy #EmotionalIntelligence #Joy #JoyfulCommitment #Committed #CommittedToJustice #Everyday #EverydayJustice #EverydayFeminism #AntiOpression #SocialJustice #Hiking #AppalachianMountains #Yoga #Outdoors #Nature #Inspiration #attrail #yogaposes #yogainspiration #play #yogaplay #thenandnow #throwbackthursday #throwback")
![This week’s blog post asks which bucket we’re drawing from: fear or love?
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“What does fear feel like to me?
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Among other things, fear shows up as anxiety, worry, defensiveness, disconnection, and visceral unease.
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In contrast, what does love feel like to me?
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Believing, trusting, being patient, holding space, healing, releasing, expanding, committing, connecting, grounding, and visioning. Love feels mobilizing.”
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While fear leads me to nouns, love leads to verbs.
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Fear keeps me frozen in place. Love enables being and acting, creating and imagining.”
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Read more of this piece focused on emotional literacies: link in bio.
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And speaking of emotional literacies, save the date for another 40-day practice on “Strengthening Emotional Literacies to Counter White Fragility” for the last 40 days of 2019, stretching over the highly emotional holiday season. <3
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[This image shows two buckets: one labeled “fear,” the other “love.”]
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#SundayRead #Blog #BlogPost #Emotions #Emotional #EmotionalLiteracy #EmotionalIntelligence #EmotionalVocabulary #Fear #Overwhelm #Vulnerability #Crying #Transformation #Transformative #Love #Motivation #LoveAsMotivation #Contemplation #SocialJusticeEducation #Learning #Unlearning #Writing #Storytelling #Writer #Educator #Learner](http://scontent-lga3-1.cdninstagram.com/vp/94dc79fd21922f333b076b36ac73c3e4/5E4CCFEB/t51.2885-15/sh0.08/e35/c76.0.787.787a/s640x640/70418810_142222413725285_2587514143239127622_n.jpg?_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.cdninstagram.com&_nc_cat=105 "This week’s blog post asks which bucket we’re drawing from: fear or love?
.
“What does fear feel like to me?
.
Among other things, fear shows up as anxiety, worry, defensiveness, disconnection, and visceral unease.
.
In contrast, what does love feel like to me?
.
Believing, trusting, being patient, holding space, healing, releasing, expanding, committing, connecting, grounding, and visioning. Love feels mobilizing.”
.
While fear leads me to nouns, love leads to verbs.
.
Fear keeps me frozen in place. Love enables being and acting, creating and imagining.”
.
Read more of this piece focused on emotional literacies: link in bio.
.
And speaking of emotional literacies, save the date for another 40-day practice on “Strengthening Emotional Literacies to Counter White Fragility” for the last 40 days of 2019, stretching over the highly emotional holiday season. <3
.
[This image shows two buckets: one labeled “fear,” the other “love.”]
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#SundayRead #Blog #BlogPost #Emotions #Emotional #EmotionalLiteracy #EmotionalIntelligence #EmotionalVocabulary #Fear #Overwhelm #Vulnerability #Crying #Transformation #Transformative #Love #Motivation #LoveAsMotivation #Contemplation #SocialJusticeEducation #Learning #Unlearning #Writing #Storytelling #Writer #Educator #Learner")
