photo courtesy Pexels

Reflections from throughout the year on what (and who) keeps us going: 

“There is so much work to be done, but shouldering it with others who are pulling in the same direction keeps me going…” –Sousan Arafeh (Cohort 17) Interview

“We can’t avoid our storms. Not always. Not often. But we can get through them. Just hang on. Keep doing the things you know to do. Like the disciples, we also have Jesus in our ship. Rest assured, he is still there. It may not seem like he’s paying attention. He’s there, resting on a pillow. But with you. Just a prayer away.” –Kevin Ewing (Cohort 8), Through the Storm

“The two hours averages to just over 17 minutes a day, and the study found that the time in nature did not need to be in a row. Dr. White hopes it is ’a realistic target for many people, especially given that it can be spread over an entire week to get the benefit.’” –Rx: Nature

“…And if we want to actualize those lofty ideals of individual freedom and justice for all, we have to listen differently, learn deeply, and stretch. Otherwise, in the end, true Democracy will remain an abstract ideal beyond our reach. Poet Audre Lorde said it is not difference which immobilizes us, but silence. And there are so many silences to be broken.” –Gloria Graves Holmes, PhD (Cohort 7), Let’s Talk About Race (Part 3) – ‘The Danger of a Single Story: Race, Whiteness and Privilege

“…If the bees want food, water, tending, and care, they make room for my gigantic, clumsy hands and foreign tools. If I want to learn about bees, harvest honey and not get stung, I respect their ways and protect my vulnerable skin. This is how different species encounter each other when trying to co-exist. With caution, care, and extraordinary preparation…” –Jen Aniskovich (Cohort 10), Beekeeping, the Two-Party System and Getting Stung

The reverse side of the “I” card is: “I have a role to play in creating spaces/communities that work.” Having a sense that one can have little or no impact can be an excuse – conscious or unconscious – for not taking action. Understanding that one can make a difference is a motivator (yes, I’m repeating myself – thank you for paying attention). –Bill Graustein, Our Adaptive Challenge – A Geek’s Perspective on COVID-19 in Community

“…He always knows the right thing to say so that it feels like the challenges are not insurmountable. It’s very empowering, not coddling. He helped me understand how to look at things practically and to believe in myself. The importance of listening to others. Taking what I have learned and acquired, and bringing it back – we’re not just achieving here for ourselves, there are so many others counting on us.” –Shefau Dabre – Educator, Yogi, and Owner of Zen Zilla Yoga and Wellness (Cohort 12) Interview 

“Much of anxiety is about a future threat. What if I get the coronavirus or someone in my family does? What if I lose my job? What if we can’t pay all our bills? Many of these anxieties can be exaggerated or catastrophized. Ask yourself: Is it true? How do you know it is true? What would be your plan if it was? Making a plan brings in more cognitive certainty than perpetual anxiety…” Relly Nadler Psy.D., M.C.C., in Leadership in a “VUCA” World 

“…when in doubt, start again…” –Kyisha Velazquez, MS, LPC (Cohort 16), Working from Home During COVID-19: How to Keep Your Cool

“…when the danger passed, and the people joined together again, they grieved their losses, and made new choices, and dreamed new images, and created new ways to live and heal the earth fully, as they had been healed.” -Kitty O’Meara, “And the People Stayed Home,” in COVID-19 Coping, Tenderness, and Listening, by Jerry Silbert (Cohort 1)

“When do we get back to normal? I don’t think we get back to normal… we get to a new normal… we will be at a different place… Our challenge is to make sure that transformation and that change is positive, and not negative. Let’s make sure we’re taking the positive lesson and not the negative lesson…” –New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, in On Our Way to (New) Normal

“Have you ever heard that saying, ‘I can’t be there in person, but I will be with you in spirit’? Today, it takes on a whole new meaning. I am with you in spirit. I am heart-felt reaching out to let you know – I am with you in spirit.” –Jolyn Washington-Walker (Cohort 9), Sharing H.O.P.E.

“I am a deep believer in science, always have been. One of my parents is a physician. I know scientists are out there working their asses off on a vaccine. That gives me a lot of inspiration. And, I’m incredibly inspired by the number of frontline workers I know. Doctors, paramedics, grocery store workers. They give me a great deal of inspiration and perspective every single day…” –Lucy Gellman (Cohort 24) Interview

“A stellar coach I work with, Melinda Barbosa, reminded me that “If we don’t name our grief, and feel our grief, we cannot heal our grief.” –Mercedes Soto (Cohort 5), Collectively Grieving What We Have Lost

“She reminds me that humanity and kindness will see us through.” –Laura Altshul (Cohort 6), A COVID-19 Heroine’s Daffodils

“We need a village, yes, and a village of all superheroes. Impossible? Not when we realize that the superheroes are You. Me. Him…” –Bruce A. Lee Trammell Sr., CFLC (Cohort 29), Our New Superhero is Everyday Man 

“I tell my students that they are my seeds, the seeds of change. How I connect with them in relationship is intentional – the caring, the sharing, the healing. They are scared, confused, courageous, outraged, and anxious. They are learning and growing into their talents and discovering the work they want to do. Demanding the world they want to live in, and the lives they want to try to lead in this time of coronavirus.” –Marian A. Evans (Cohort 19), Ode to Breathe

“We all have a responsibility to address racism head on and commit to racial equity and anti-racism. I see examples of that showing up in unexpected places. We must support that, nurture that, foster that and allow it to grow. It is in these intentional actions that redemption will be found. It is in these intentional actions that we will ‘be who we say we be.’” –Dr. Karen DuBois-Walton (Cohort 9), Faith and Redemption

“I would like to take your hands for a moment and assure you that you are built well for these times. Despite your stints of doubt, your frustrations in arighting all that needs change right now, or even feeling you have lost the map entirely, you are not without resource, you are not alone. Look out over the prow; there are millions of boats of righteous souls on the waters with you.” -Dr. Clarissa Pinkola Estes in Made for These Times: Dr. Estes’ Reminder, from Niyonu Spann (Cohort 15)

“As a mother to two daughters who are not white, I struggle with articulating the messy language and concept of race and how it affects perception, prejudice, and power. In places like this conversation, I feel the light of hope and the power of community standing in solidarity together against systems of oppression.” –Annie Lin (Cohort 19), Asian American Art, Activism, and Allyship

“Restorative Practices is more about building community than it is about responding to harm. It allows the members of a community to be heard, for their needs to be addressed, and to come to an understanding about how to prevent harm. These potential harms can be violence, crime, or broader inequity and cultural incompetence.” –Cameo Thorne (Cohort 27), Meeting Our Needs Through Restorative Practices

“I am inspired by many people, young and old, pursuing their passions in creative ways to heal themselves and live more purposeful lives. I think it is important to make time to recharge and rejuvenate.” –IfeMichelle Gardin (Cohort 2) Interview

“Since writing the poem, I’ve challenged myself to be more than a passive voice in my community. I don’t yet know the exact right things to say or do. I’m learning, which involves unlearning. I do know that participation starts with compassion for self and others…” –Lee Lee McKnight (Cohort 27), How to Knock Down a Neighborhood

“I’m hoping that somebody sees Interruptions as a mirror of their story, and realizes they are not crazy, but that they need help. We’re talking about things we’re not supposed to say. Now I know why I’ve been doing that. Use this story to help yourself and help others. That’s my hope.”  Odell Montgomery Cooper (Cohort 15) Interview

“…today, it is my duty to not tolerate this. And maybe run for a local board or commission – hopefully you too.” –Colleen Shaddox (Cohort 1), The secret to keeping Connecticut segregated: See no evil, hear no evil

“We are being given the opportunity to stitch a new garment, one that fits all of humanity and nature.” –Sonya Renee Taylor, We will not go back to normal

Ask yourself the following question and see where it takes you: What is something I/we can do today that our future network (and collective work) will be grateful for and benefit from?” Curtis Ogden, Network Weaving in a Time of Breaking, Unraveling and Hunkering Down

“…We are a collection of 29 cohorts, 619 leaders with countless stories, commitments, hopes and possibilities. Let’s realize the power of our network, why it matters, and why we matter to each other.” –Lara Herscovitch (Cohort 10) & Fahd Vahidy (Cohort 7), Ready, Set… Preparing for Election Day 

“His suggestion changed that day for the better. Little did I know it would also change my entire life.” –Chris Cole (Cohort 12), The Gratitude Difference

“The good news is, there are ways to get some control back, even when our choices seem uninspiring or un-motivating…” –Cynthia Rojas (Cohort 4), Taking Back Some Control

“If we can actually express what is in our insides and show that, then this is the beginning of a deeper understanding of one another… We’re collecting what is personal, what is true, what is trustworthy, what is community. Because community is nothing except what is based on trust.” –The Comfort & Connection of Music, with Yo-Yo Ma

Curated by The Circle’s creative director & editor Lara Herscovitch. To reach Lara directly: thecircle@clpnewhaven.org or Lara@LaraHerscovitch.com

print