My internal wrestling match
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Hi Reader, Do you ever feel like there's a wrestling match going on inside you between your values and your capacity? That's exactly how I've felt about taking more meaningful action in the midst of so much inequity and suffering. My values say that I cannot be complicit through inaction. They say that it is a failure of my own humanity to go along, business as usual, when it isn't "business as usual" for so many marginalized communities. And then my capacity-- my actual time, money, energy levels-- my emotional overwhelm in face of so much suffering-- feel like they are crying out, "I can't do more. I'm trying to keep my own head above water." I feel strongly that the mandate to respond to injustice and the call to honor our bodily and emotional capacities are both deeply ethical. I don't want to abandon either, even if it feels like they are stuck in an everlasting tug of war. That's where I was when I started to deeply consider an approach my friend and collaborator Erin-Kate ("EK") Escobar uses when they take a step back to evaluate their work in the field of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. In a nutshell, EK asks, What resources do I need to support my capacity to do this? And then they actually make a list and pursue those resources! I'm laughing compassionately at myself right now, because this feels revolutionarily mind-blowing to me. I grew up in a culture that demanded I do my duty no matter how much it overextended me, and no matter how it impacted my emotions, body, or soul. What a difference this question makes! In Find Your Center & Voice In a World of Suffering, the low-cost, podcast-based course I'm co-creating with EK, we're going to explore how to use this question to honor our capacities while taking action aligned with our values. You can click here to join the list to be the first to know when this program is available! With care, Joy P.S. And please consider answering four questions anonymously to help us shape this offering into what you most need! *No part of this newsletter is ever created with AI-- despite my love for the notorious em dash. From the themes I write about to the words I choose, I'm speaking to you from my heart. Explore My Offerings Join the wait list for Find Your Center & Voice In a World of Suffering |
Joy Malek
Hi Reader, It's really rare that I email you twice in one week, but I just can't sit on the news that the annual online Reimagining Unconference is coming up-- and since it gave me so much hope for the world last year, I want to extend the invitation to you, too. (*I am not an affiliate of this program and I will not receive anything if you register). Reimagining Unconference Online, Friday, August 88:00am - 1:00pm Pacific Daylight Sliding scale rate starting from $27.45 The Unconference...
Hi Reader, The weight of the world may feel unbearable right now. We’re holding space for the heartbreak, the outrage, the overwhelm — and for the grounded action that can emerge when we tend to all of our feelings. Those words were written by my friend and collaborator, Erin-Kate Escobar (they/them). They describe our approach to a new series we're launching together called Find Your Center & Voice in a World of Suffering. Find Your Center will be a 4-part transformative conversation between...
If you're not sure why you're on my mailing list, it's likely because you signed up for my course From Heartache to Connection or Emotions Live in the Body in TheraBundle or Lizzy's Christmas Party. If you don't want to receive any more emails from me, just click here to unsubscribe. Hi Reader, Every conversation I've had recently has been my confessional. I listen to the horrors mounting at the hands of the U.S. government, and I fail to feel less guilty when I admit that I'm not paying as...