I love working with people. I love “leaning into” conflict (both internally and among those around me) because where there is struggle, there is opportunity for restoration of balance. If it’s possible to stay open and curious, a lot can be gained when differences arise. I am fond of saying “We don’t have to be comfortable.” Being honest and responding wholeheartedly is key to understanding personal and cultural distress. Together we can do this!
I have lived without running water or electricity. I have lived in Los Angeles. I have been homeless. I am a part of multiple communities: as a social worker, as an activist, feminist, as a lesbian. I have discovered that when I judge others, I am impeding my own path, and I have learned to hear people’s difficult undertakings with love and curiosity.
It’s all about relationships: start where you are, make the relationship with yourself the best possible, and let the goodness ripple out from there. I leave you now with the words of Yuri Kochiyama:
“Life is not what you alone make it. Life is the input of everyone who touched your life and every experience that entered it. We are all a part of one another.”
Yuri Kochiyama