Where do we start? Individual level

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I’ll present a list of things to consider, to learn about, or to practice in order to help understand and work toward the change we need to see in the world. Honestly, I get frustrated when I see too much individual focus where there, but obviously our society is made up of individuals who all need to start somewhere? So what can we do? 

Overall, I suggest the idea of living the questions, rather than trying to have all the answers.

In this episode, I offer the follow starting points for where to start:

1. Slow way down -  Feels necessary in order to be able to do any of the other pieces. Stopping the glorification of busy. Avoiding the idea of “We don’t know where we are going, but we are making good time”. Working less for those that may currently have more than we need.
2. Recognize and shift mindsets - Refer back to mindsets and paradigms episode. Also refer to characteristics of White Supremacy Culture
3. Come from a place of love and intention, rather than fear, anxiety or urgency - This is a practice, and a lot of the work we do on our own can be figuring out how to come from love and intention. 
4. Ongoing healing of barriers and wounds - Urgency to do work needed in the community can take away from doing our individual healing work. Yet doing our healing work helps us come from a place of love and intention. Important to pay attention to where we are stuck or 
5. Embodying unique genius - “Genius” term as used by Michael Meade - each of us has something essential and unique to contribute. It is important for us to find our true voice and inner wisdom. Acknowledging that on some level each of us has a longing to contribute to society, and only we can find it underneath the conditioning and disfunction that exists now. 
6. Actively experiment - Bring what you are learning and digging into on an individual level into interpersonal and community level work, and vice versa. 

Resources I mention:

• Google document showing a list of resources and theories I have pulled together for this project - https://docs.google.com/document/d/12PMPGaxGG6PFAP-jsJyfEZKvY8V1MqH5dWJn8EBy11k/edit?usp=sharing
• Inspiration for the idea of “living the questions” - https://onbeing.org/series/living-the-questions/ 
• "We don't know where we are going, but we are making good time" - Human Venture Institute - https://humanventure.com/ 
• The power of reducing to part-time work - This Changes Everything by Naomi Klein - https://thischangeseverything.org/book/ 
• Characteristics of White Supremacy Culture- https://www.showingupforracialjustice.org/white-supremacy-culture-characteristics.html 
• Michael Meade - Finding our purpose or "genius". Living myth podcast episode about genius - https://www.mosaicvoices.org/episode-188-adversity-reveals-genius