Connections for a Curriculum of Courage
So, I have learned two things from conversations with people and comments on my posts in the past few days.
One is that while a lot of us feel like we're not doing enough or like we're not doing anything, with the right prompt to get us talking it's apparent we're all doing what we can and possibly more than we realize.
The other is that it really does help just to talk about this stuff.
I didn't start this project because I felt like I had all the answers, like I have everything figured out and I need to transmit my wise words of wisdom out into the wide world. I could see that all around me were people who felt burned out or hopeless or adrift and I wanted to do something about that, but what compelled me to act was the fact that I was drowning myself. I needed to reach out and grab hold of something. I needed to start kicking to keep my head above water. I needed to toss out a line and hope that someone would be there to grab it.
So if you want a sign or an assignment tonight, consider this it: who is someone you could reach out to, that you haven't lately? A friend or mutual you hope might see you as a friend you haven't posted to or sent a DM in a while? Maybe you've felt overwhelmed by your own stuff. Maybe you've assumed they are overwhelmed. Maybe you just haven't seen any openings for interactions.
If you feel up to it, check out their profile or wall and see what's going on. Drop them a heart or a comment. Send them a message saying, "Hey, haven't talked much. What's going on with you?"
Our connections to other people are important and will be more important in the days and months ahead of us. When you're feeling weighed down, reaching out to someone else can like you're burdening someone else with your load, but from their point of view, they've got their own burden and without even knowing it, you are helping to lift them up when you extend your hand.
If you can’t bring yourself to reach out right now, think instead, if you can, about the times when someone has helped you to feel better, or when they’ve told you that you made them feel better. Think about the good times. Think about the times you’ve just been present with someone, talking about everything or nothing or just being there like cats sharing a sunny spot in a window.
Our connections make us stronger than the sum of our parts. That's the strength we're going to need to make it through this.
Today’s Mood