Well, it's Labor Day, and I can't stop thinking about the labor so many of us are doing every day—not the traditional kind, the kind that brings us together for something bigger.
I had a series of calls this past week with clients who were overwhelmed with grief about the shooting of Jacob Blake, news breaking of Daniel Prude's death in Rochester, and the helpless feeling that this violence shows no signs of stopping. These clients, all women, are experiencing and witnessing disparities and brick walls at work every day too.
They are all pushing back at their respective organizations to open lines of communication and create opportunities for Black co-workers and women who have been sidelined, but the battles are steeply uphill. So that is the kind of labor I'm thinking about today—the steady labor of staying engaged and proactive.
In that spirit, I'd like to introduce you to Nicole Walters, an effervescent entrepreneurship coach and speaker. You can find her in high spirits on Instagram and at her website, but today I want to share a post she made that speaks to this labor of engagement... and why it matters, and how to do it better. If you have the bandwidth to watch and listen to the video below, she speaks from a wide-open heart, and what she has to say is excruciatingly important. It's about 20 minutes long, and well worth every minute.
I hope you're taking care of yourself in a dozen different ways. These next few months are going to be intense... as if things haven't been all along. Anyway, I'm sending you love this Labor Day. I hope your labor is balanced with love wherever you are.
On a brighter note, the election is 56 days away! Yay! And if you're like my family, you'll be voting much sooner than that. Have you checked your registration and made a plan to vote yet? If you're looking for how to get involved, check out Vote Save America, Fair Fight, or Headcount. There are so many great ways to make a difference: vote, donate, make calls, become a poll worker!
Last, if it's useful, this article from the New York Times offers Five-Minute Coronavirus Stress Resets, five quick, physiological tricks to get unstuck from anxiety... not that I would know anything about that or anything. Gah!
(Article by Jenny Taitz & Illustratio by Rozalina Burkova)
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