A Point of View: An Open Letter to Advocates and Agents of Change — We See You.

Dear advocate, change agent, friend and partner in this work,  

I know how challenging this work can be. I know sometimes you wonder if you’re doing it ‘right,’ truly making an impact, or wasting your time. I know that some days you wake up energized, refreshed, and ready to be the change—and other times, you’re reminded of the reality that, inasmuch as our good intentions and passion are there, the power we need to really do the work, isn’t. I certainly don’t have the answers, but I thought it might be good to just check-in and share a few little tidbits, practices I’ve learned for myself along the way to stay focus and aligned.  

Know your lane

It can be tempting to want or feel the need to ‘do it all.’ There are communities, families, people and groups we care about that are impacted by the work we do. Heck—we’re impacted by the work we do. The work around justice, equity, and inclusion is personal and for some, a matter of life or death. Yet, even amidst this sense of urgency, I encourage you to be mindful of how you use your time, talent, and energy. Activist and author, Deepa Iyer developed a framework for understanding one’s role in a Social Change Ecosystem.    

She shares the following guiding questions to reflect on, along with the image above: 

• What role(s) do I feel comfortable and natural playing, and why? What role(s) make me come alive, and why? Are there any differences between these two responses for me to explore? 
• What role(s) am I often asked to step into by others? How do I feel about assuming those roles? 
• What is the impact of these roles on me physically, energetically, emotionally, and spiritually? Is there an impact on others as a result? 

• How can I stretch myself? Where can I take bolder risks, especially if I hold different forms of privilege? What do I need to learn more about before I do that, and who can teach me how to do that? 
• Am I visioning and dreaming in my role? Or am I caught in a cycle of repetition and redundancy, or compromise and sacrifice? How can I generate creativity and innovation? 
• How do I move through different roles without feeling like I have to pick just one in order to be effective? At the same time, how can I make sure that I’m not a wanderer or a short-term amateur? Or positioning myself as an expert within a silo? 
• If I work in or adjacent to the non-profit and movement ecosystem, how am I holding onto purpose especially given the pulls and contradictions of purity (proving “wokeness”), productivity (maintaining constant performance and output at the cost of overwork, replication, martyrdom, and low impact), personality (the over-emphasis on celebrity activism and social media relevancy), and perfectionism (expecting to get it right all the time and being afraid to own up to mistakes)? 
• When (and not if) I make mistakes, how do I acknowledge them and course correct without feeling like I’ve failed? 

 
Find joy in the ‘small wins’

I know you’re probably tired of hearing the proverbial, “change doesn’t happen overnight.” I get it. Quite frankly, I believe that if the right people, with the right amount of power, actually wanted change to happen, it probably could happen overnight. I am often challenged by the notion that organizations must “move slow” because the culture “isn’t ready.” Sometimes I believe that to be true; other times, I question if readiness (or the lack thereof) is merely a manufactured excuse to uphold the status quo…a little while longer. Rather than overwhelming yourself with this frustrating reality, identify those incremental gains you can make…the small wins…the ‘low hanging fruit.’ Find joy in the one-off interactions that you have with the individuals you serve or the program or event that perhaps reached ‘just a few.’ Value those moments when you’re reminded why what you do and how you do it matter.  

Unplug when you need to

Maybe this looks like blocking certain media pages and outlets or taking a social media cleanse. It might look like muting group chats, putting your phone on do-not-disturb, and choosing to turn off your email notifications during the weekend. It may even mean actively avoiding comments or choosing to step down from boards, or organizations. It means setting boundaries—and being OK with them.  

Know your feelings are valid

The entire range of them, whether its anger and frustration or excitement and anticipation. They’re valid. I’m learning to be more in tune with how I’m feeling, why I’m feeling it, and how long I want to stay there, and I’ve found it helped me navigate the ‘up and down’ nature of this work.  

Lastly, know that I see you…we see you

Even when it may feel like the individuals you encounter on the day to day, the institutions, and the communities you serve don’t.  

In the spirit of love, peace, and hope, 

Brittany