Written by MJ Ryan, SheEO Development Guide
Graphic: Albany Public Library
Today is Martin Luther King Jr. Day in the U.S. It’s disheartening to see how far we still have to go to create a society that is racially and socially just. In many ways the forces of hatred and greed feel stronger than ever. It’s easy for me to fall into despair. In those moments, I am buoyed up by the many amazing black teachers who are emerging to lead us.
One such person is Rev. angel Kyodo williams, a queer black zen priest who is dedicated to the liberation of us all. I have never seen such a beautiful smile on a human being; she literally beams love even as she talks about the trauma of racism. She embodies the power that comes from working on inner and outer change simultaneously and is my inspiration for the SheEO Mindset learning track I’m offering starting in February: Transforming Your Thinking for the Coming New World.
I’ve been dedicated to transforming my mind and supporting the transformation of others for the past 40 years. But as Rev. says in her quote, personal transformation is not enough. We can’t just meditate our way out of climate crisis, or just learn to be happy in the face of social, racial and gender injustice. But neither should we just throw up our hands and give up on ourselves. We need to work on ourselves in order to work on the world so that we know how to respond as skillfully as possible to whatever the world to come throws at us, to generate new, creative solutions.
If you’re a SheEO activator, venture or semifinalist, please join me for this 6-part workshop where we learn to cultivate resilience, understand the gifts and talents we bring to the world, strengthen our intention to contribute to the arc of justice and peace in the world, step into our power by responding skillfully to imposter syndrome and lack of self confidence and collaborate with others to find answers we could not have come up with on our own. Here’s the link.
This is meant as a series. I wanted to create an arc of learning that can hopefully really get us somewhere. You’ll be partnered with a learning buddy to practice with throughout each month—mindset transformation takes effort to create new neuropathways. Come if you are dedicated to change, inner and outer, and be surrounded by a community of practice. We will go further together!
