I have been getting some profound messages a lot lately:
It is not the first step you take, but the next step you take that gets you where you are going. The brick walls aren’t meant to make you give up, they are meant to make you realize how bad you want something. Whatever it takes, that is what we will do. Listen to your children.
Advocacy is not always a simple or easy process.
In the regular course of taking action, advocating for human dignity can mean that sometimes we engage in complicated shouting matches. That doesn’t always result in something productive. In fact, it usually just pisses everyone off.
That is why I have been taking some lessons from my daughter Gwen.
Gwen is obsessed with hearts.
She finds rocks shaped like hearts. She draws hearts and gives them to me. She loves anything shaped like hearts. Gwen is love.
No matter how complicated we tend to make things, children find a way to remind us of what really matters. They know, in part because they are living these experiences that shape their perspectives, too.
There is no place of pain or suffering where love is not prepared to go with us. Holding us. Carrying us if necessary. Wiping away our tears and sharing in our victories of justice.
Everything that Gwen says is from a space of love. She can’t help but exude love all the time. I asked her once if she had a magic wand what she would do with it. She said, “If I had a magic wand I would stop boys from saying mean things to girls. There is no difference between who we are and what we can do.”
Out of the mouths of babes, connected to their hearts every day. When was the last time a child reshaped your perspective on helping others? If you need some Gwen inspiration, check out her video on my Patreon page. She is truly a magical unicorn!
It’s Monday, engage in some mayhem! Dr. Melissa Bird
P.S. Did you know that I do coaching? And I LOVE IT MORE THAN WHISKEY AND CHOCOLATE? And I am really damn good at it (modesty is a patriarchal holdover)! But don’t take my word for it.
My client Kevra says, “Simply put, Missy is the most refreshing and honest coach I have ever worked with in over a decade of this growth journey. I cannot recommend her enough.”
If you are looking for a coach that can kick start your passion for making a change in your life and your community, sign up to work with me today! Send me an email, let’s get started on your coaching journey! What are you waiting for?