3 Keys That Sparked My Personal Transformation
I know you're busy right now juggling how to tackle your goals and live by the intentions you’ve set for yourself this year. You’ve also (hopefully) been engaged in learning more about anti-racism, anti-oppression, and how to make this world a more equitable and just place. It’s a lot to have on your plate. You have your lists and your accumulated training, and yet you're often feeling overwhelmed with how to integrate it all into your life in a meaningful way. It’s easy to feel stuck and isolated. I see you. I’ve been there too, but I’m not there anymore. I want to share with you three key lessons I’ve learned in the past few years that made a profound difference in how I am able to show up in my personal, professional, and change-making work.
LESSON #1: MINDFULNESS
Mindfulness practice seriously shifts how you show up for life. I tried different forms of contemplative practices for the last decade in an on-again-off-again fashion, noticing some benefits but not quite sticking with it. It wasn’t until three years ago when I made the choice to deepen my practice and training in mindfulness and meditation where I began to notice significant changes in my capacity to:
be more focused and less stressed with whatever I am dealing with
beat back impostor syndrome (which is no small feat as a BIPOC woman)
show up as an activist and an educator with a social-justice lens.
Mindfulness and meditation have supported me in living my life and into my work with more presence, courage, resilience, and integrity.
LESSON #2: COMMUNITY
Stepping out of isolation and into community is essential. 2020, with the pandemic raging, strangely enough was the year I (finally) stepped into community. I decided to lean into my edges, resist my introverted tendencies, and began to participate regularly in a mindfulness community, an embodied social justice learning and practice community, and the artistic activism community. I’ll be honest, this has not at all been easy or comfortable for me, and yet it is in these spaces where I have found accountability and support, and felt seen, validated, challenged, and encouraged to grow and do more. Why did I wait so long?
LESSON #3: PRACTICE
Making (more) intentional choices with your time and money that align with what’s important to you motivates you to do more. If you were to audit the charges on your bank and credit statements or the tasks and appointments on your calendar right now, would the items you see accurately represent your values and what’s most important to you? Would they reflect your commitments to your health, your relationships, and community? I felt tired of feeling the discrepancy between what I believe is important to me, and what I was doing on a daily basis, so I started putting my money (and time) where my mouth is, intentionally carving out and investing my resources into relationships, spaces, and experiences that support my well-being and how I want to show up in the world. Added bonus: doing this ingrains good habits! I’ve also begun to prioritize attending workshops and training that support application and practice and go beyond the typical checking-this-off-my-list kind of learning.
So there you have it! Mindfulness, community, and practice - these have been three of my biggest keys to personal and professional growth that feels truly transformational. While these may seem simple, they are not easy. Intention, commitment, ongoing reflection, and engaging with discomfort is required. I hope this sparks some ideas and inspiration for you.
. . .
Thanks for taking the time to read! If you are interested in checking out mindfulness and curious about community, join me on Wednesday mornings for Deep Breath All-Stars, a free 45-minute weekly mindfulness gathering I lead as a community offering. No experience required. All are welcome!
posted by Desiree Aspiras