Talk To Me Tuesday; Election Reflections
What a rollercoaster of a week! I wanted to take the time for some election reflections and all the feels that accompany it. If you haven’t done so yet, I encourage you to listen to yesterday’s Mindful Monday where I talk about reconnecting to your healing practices in the aftermath of this stress. I will share my thoughts and perspective and I welcome yours, please “talk to me” and share how you are feeling as you reflect as well. In the next couple weeks, we will take a deeper dive into the conversation – reflecting not just on the election results, but what has happened over the past four years and how we can best move forward. This is a conversation that we invite you to participate in fully.
Representation Matters
When my anxiety settled over the weekend, I began to absorb the news of our new administration and reflect on what that meant. I found myself continually coming back to the thought “representation matters“. I preach that, and have fully believed that for so many years, however FEELING it is a whole new thing. As a woman, I have heard “you can do anything”, but there are subtle messages I hear and see daily that counter that statement. Those subtle messages actually become louder and stronger, and more fully a part of my subconscious than any spoken words. I have a tendency to look at where I feel we should be and see the unbelievably long road ahead and get equal parts discouraged and frustrated. I have begun to be more intentional about looking at the present moment and seeing the road that brought me/us to this point as well as keeping an eye on the desired destination. This weekend brought me to that moment of being present and taking a look around and looking back at where we have been. Having a woman of color in the White House will propel our country forward exponentially. Little girls all over the country are watching and seeing themselves represented for the first time in a powerful role historically reserved for wealthy white men. Seeing is believing. Words are empty when they don’t reflect the actual world that you are seeing. Now our girls, especially girls of color, have a new level of power behind their belief in themselves. This doesn’t even take into account what it means to have someone who actually understands your identity making decisions that will impact you. We now can aspire to have more nuanced, balanced decision making with proper representation of the complexities of our country.
Proceed With Caution
While I am unbelievably excited about having a Woman of Color as Vice President of the United States, I am feeling very cautious as well. We have all witnessed and lived through the backlash over a Black Man as president. When we add misogyny to racism, we will likely get a bomb of toxicity thrown at us. I am bracing for it. The troupe of an angry black woman is coming. We need to be ready and call it out when we hear/see it happening. We need to hold each other accountable. All of us have been raised in this environment that subtly ingrains these messages over our lifetime. None of us are immune from it. Women are not immune. BIPOC communities are not immune. So pay attention. Question yourself and others when you see it emerge. Have loving conversations to dig into those ideas and thoughts before they turn ugly.
Talk to Me
Tell me how you are feeling as the dust settles from this election. What are your reflections – what has brought you anxiety? Fear? Joy? Hope? Let’s put it all out there!
With Love & Gratitude,
AnaAlicia
