By Bina M. Patel, TFN PLACES Coach & Facilitator
Resiliency, Justice, and Equity (& a blessing ‘For One Who is Exhausted’)
I have been on the road almost every week for the last 6 months. My time is full of facilitating and coaching people looking to advance the collective good through racial and gender equity, building community power, and strategizing about redesigning the status quo. Together we tackle deeply intimate, personal, organizational, and fraught issues. Sometimes, as much as they intend to advance, they resist. My work is to support breaking through the noise, anger, othering, and dehumanizing to reach the other side – love.
Honestly, I am exhausted. I am grateful to be of service, and also acknowledge that this is often heartbreaking, defeating and soul challenging work. Then add personal life things, TSA screenings, late flights, and time zone chaos. You can imagine. I am tired in all the ways.
I often get asked: How do you do it? How do you hold that space? Facilitate this really hard stuff with so much calmness? How do you do this every day?
A few thoughts, and a blessing from John O’Donahue to my fellow champions of justice and peace.
1. Know your purpose. I am deeply rooted in my purpose to the collective good and draw on that every day in order to be of service and keep on doing the work. Reflection: What am I called to do in service of the collective good? What do I need to let go of to so? Then, start letting go.
2. Set an intention. I set an intention for how I will show up for each session, workshop, meeting, and even flights. Peace, grace, love, compassion. Reflection: what will make me proud of my leadership today? What can I give to the betterment of this space, this community, this organization? Then, practice making it real and observable.
3. Sleep and recharge. Honestly acknowledge when you are tired, heartbroken, and need a break. Then, follow through. Why? We need you. Our collective betterment needs each of us to come back tomorrow, and the next day, and again. That is resiliency. Invest in the space that helps you heal, so that your servant leadership can be realized in its fullest. Nature, body movement, sleep, quiet and reflection, music, art – all and any of the things that allow you to continue on your purpose-full path. Reflection: What do I need to come back tomorrow? Then, take steps to design that experience.
Lastly, here is that blessing I mentioned from John O’Donahue, For One Who Is Exhausted:
In peace and service.
About the Author
