You did the hard thing! You dove headfirst into the UBUNTU UNITY CHALLENGE and started with the courageous work of looking inward. Writing out those ugly, unfiltered prejudices and judgments was no doubt uncomfortable for many of us (if not all of us), but we chose the courageous thing and we got after it. We rumbled with the not-so-pretty parts of ourselves so we can help our nation heal and move toward a more beautiful, unified whole. How was DARE #1 for ya? We would love to hear what the experience was like for you, both the “ah-ha” moments and the “oof, that was tough” moments.
Here are a few prompts to get our discussion going:
- What was the experience of identifying your prejudices and judgments like for you?
- How did you respond to any moments of discomfort or dissonance as you worked on your list?
- What is your favorite new mantra(s) you created for yourself?
A few quick community guidelines to create a safe space for all of us to show up, be seen, and share openly here:
- Differing perspectives and opinions are welcomed in this space (the more diverse our experiences and backgrounds, the better)! We will focus on voicing OUR OWN perspectives, without shaming or devaluing the expressed opinions of others.
- This is a platform that affirms the inherent dignity of every human life. Our comments will never demean an individual or an entire group of people.
- We are here to share our ideas and learn from each other so that we can help our nation heal and remember our shared humanity. We are not showing up with the goal of drilling home our point or winning a debate.
- These discussions are a place to have fun, gain fresh perspective, and connect with other people. We show up with a willingness and commitment to take up space in such a way that all three are possible for all who gather here.
If you’ve stumbled on this discussion page and are interested in joining us for the UBUNTU UNITY CHALLENGE, there’s still time to join the crew! Just head on over to the UBUNTU UNITY CHALLENGE info page, enter your name and email, and click “I’m up for the Challenge!”
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4 Comments
My new mantra is “God meets all people exactly where they are at.”
C, I love the simplicity and depth of your new mantra! My own mantras ended up being a long list, but I admire how you have ONE solid mantra that you can return to and bring to mind when you need it. Thanks for your courage to show up and share your new mantra with us!
There are a few points that I wanted to touch on within this discussion. First, I would like to comment on the mantra shared above. “God meets all people exactly where they are at.” I love that so much and thank you for sharing. I could see in my own reflections that I was aiming in that direction but didn’t quite nail it down as you did. One of the mantras that I had written down among many was that “ones difference in belief in something to be true is an invitation to unlock a new perspective or even adventure.” Their realities, experiences, joyous moments, traumas, even delicious meals shared or eaten alone has culminated into what one could call a truth. This is something I believe no one can fault, even if I have experienced something different. Instinctively though, I often resort to my own judgments or defenses or battle stance to combat that truth, rather than simply listening or finding excitement in exploring more about where their truth blossomed from. I wrote down and brought back to the surface a lot of weird prejudices that I have for this challenge and I am not going to lie; I was quite disturbed on how quickly they came into thought while putting it on to paper. My response to this discomfort was, “well, might as well keep peeling back and revealing all the ugly!!” Looking into the mirror on a bad day is one thing but this challenge felt more like looking into one of those powder room/ make-up mirrors that zoom in straight to all those blemishes you couldn’t see in the regular mirror. Yes, my figurative blackheads have been revealed, but now I am ready for the next challenge to see if I can keep them in mind while I practice intentional EMPATHY.
I appreciate your reflection and the beautiful metaphor you gave to looking in the mirror and noticing a few blemishes. Your comment on how people come to their own truth is also very profound and gave me something to dive into a bit… it is easier to have empathy for someone else when I am able to understand that their life experiences and how they came to their own truth can vary from my own but are just as real and valid and beautiful. This is challenge for me to see when I disagree strongly with someone, but it is helpful to return to this mantra or baseline so that I can better hear and understand where someone else might be coming from. I love the depth you took with your dare! Thanks so much for sharing.