These are very difficult and turbulent times and it is difficult to move forward with intentionality and with hope for a better future. When my children are feeling overwhelmed, stressed out AND paralyzed by that stress, I will say to them, “How do you eat an elephant?” And they groan in response, “One bite at a time.”
I have been reminding myself of this lesson since January 20th. In just the first few hours of Trump Presidency 2.0 we saw an onslaught of executive orders, illegal actions, potential and real policy changes, gaslighting, threatening language, scare tactics, and more. As intended, these actions are overwhelming and easily send us spiraling into a state of paralysis trying to figure out where to respond first – and if to respond at all. I am trying – and trying being the key word here – to ground myself in daily practices that focus my mind and energy on how to best care for my family and our global community.
So, what elephant am I trying to eat? My focus is on identifying what I can do to related to these issues and values:
Healthcare is a human right and everyone in the US should have access to high quality and affordable healthcare.
Public servants are heroes and it is critical that our long-standing nonpartisan governmental public servants are supported.
Our media ecosystem is broken. People are fed propaganda and compromised information. People are busy and don’t have time to wade through the onslaught of information sources to sort out what is fact or fiction. We have to find new ways to provide people accurate and trusted information.
Kindness matters. Lead with love recognizing the humanity in all of us.
I would love to hear thoughts from others on where you are focusing your attention and energy. Things are scary and it can be challenging to move forward -- and, Courage Matters. Taking action will require courage.
I hope you will find the space where you can take action. Let's get to work to ensure that this nation can be a place where democracy thrives for all.
We have an elephant to eat.