It starts with us

Alright, if you’re interested in learning how to be a better human and you’re not listening to @sonyareneetaylor “What’s Up, Y’all” talks, you are missing some beautiful, no-bullshit perspective on humanity and being human together.

Recently, in conversations with both my dear friend Dan of @dobetter_consulting and my healing soul companion, @edgeofskin, I’ve been talking about this very topic, but Sonya put it into the clearest language and it hit hard.

What I am working to learn is this: It starts with us, within us. A world that honors humanity requires compassion, accountability, and harm reduction. It requires that we reduce harm without inflicting more harm. And we are a part of that cycle. If we are harming ourselves by not showing ourselves the compassion we would want others to experience, or by not holding ourselves accountable for the harm we’ve created, just as we would want others to be held accountable, then we are not living up to the transformative ideals of the society and world we want to live in. It starts with us, within us.

Thank you, @sonyareneetaylor, for your compassionate, imperfect, accountable humanity.

Please go and listen to Sonya’s video about believing in the capacity for change and some of her learning from author and teacher #bellhooks. (Sonya is wearing pink and white striped shirt with hearts in the video housing this quote.)

Thumbnail illustration by the author, quoting @sonyareneetaylor