Awakening Creatives

This is quite a time to be a DEI practitioner. One big takeaway I have from the training I facilitated today focused on having "Difficult Conversations" is that when we are dysregulated, we react from fear and contraction. When we learn to regulate our nervous systems, even amid very dysregulating circumstances, we can access more of our creativity and in turn, possibility.

In these upsetting times, we must remember that we have more power than we often acknowledge. When we stay rooted and connected to our communities of support, we get to choose how to use our power creatively to co-create the world we want to live in.

While the recent executive orders feel like a direct attack on the progress we’ve made & have immediate affects on people's lives, let’s remember that our power doesn’t come from policies alone—it comes from our collective commitment to equity, justice & belonging. Yes, these orders are upsetting, but they are also a call to action—a reminder that change is not linear, and resistance has always been part of the struggle for liberation.

We can respond by doubling down on our values, staying grounded in our purpose & finding innovative ways to continue this work. Let’s get curious: How can we amplify our impact despite these obstacles? How can we build stronger communities & networks of care to ensure that no one feels isolated in this fight?

Unfortunately, it is a hostile environment for DEI work, but it IS an opportunity to strengthen the research, make better cases for initiatives and to work them into the fabric of our organizational cultures, rather than residing only in departments or positions that can be eliminated at the swipe of a pen.

This is a moment to come together, regulate, and reclaim our creativity, not just to resist but to reimagine. The systems we are building can outlast temporary setbacks because they are rooted in a vision of collective flourishing. Let's move forward with courage, care, & conviction, knowing that no executive order can take away the power we hold when we act together.

This one is for all my worriers out there. The other day, I found myself spiraling...

I was sitting in the bath, overwhelmed by the weight of all the things:

- A cold that wouldn’t quit
- A toddler on illness number four in 2 months
- Pregnancy exhaustion
- A snowstorm raging outside
- Trying to organize a massive move
- And to top it all off: the house was still a post-holiday disaster—ornaments and menorahs out, toys everywhere.

My ADHD brain was screaming: “Fix it! Clean it! Put it all together NOW!” Because of course, it’s the New Year, and despite all the unlearning, I still fall victim to narratives of "starting the year strong."

Capitalist, colonial garbage, right?

Then, in a rare moment of pause, I asked myself: “Why am I worrying about that?”

The question was simple, but it stopped me. I tried turning it into an acronym (WAYWAT), but my neurodivergent brain was like, nope. Then I flipped it:

W-A-T-W-A-Y.

“Worry About That, Why Are You?”

It sounded like Yoda, and I laughed. But it was also a powerful self-coaching moment—a curious, compassionate way to pause, challenge my anxieties & redirect my focus:

What way can I move towards more ease?
What way can I lower my stress?
What way can I redirect myself toward health, joy, and flourishing?

In that moment, I realized the most important thing wasn’t the ornaments, the toys, or some arbitrary expectation of “togetherness.” What mattered most was holding space for myself in chaos, resisting perfectionism, & choosing what truly matters: ease, health, joy & flourishing.

This little Yoda wisdom has kept me grounded and has joined my self-coaching toolbox. Self-coaching is a powerful practice that I teach in my coaching & consulting work. Whether you’re a DEI leader, a business owner, or a parent juggling a thousand responsibilities, the world will constantly pull you in many directions. Ultimately, your attention is up to you, but sometimes we need the inner coach (or Jedi) to come online:

Worry about that, why are you? What way can you move forward with more ease & clarity?

Sometimes, all it takes is a little Yoda wisdom to remind us: we don’t have to carry the weight of everything.