You might be a good person, but you can be a better one

Hello!

I heard this quote from Austin Channing Brown in her interview with Brene Brown on Brene's podcast Unlocking Us: "you might be a good person, but you can be a better one." I'm still thinking about it, still feeling it, and still digging in to the ways I can strive toward showing up more fully and powerfully for my fellow human beings. This can happen in so many ways. If you are feeling like you don't know what to do, just start somewhere. Listening to this episode is a perfect place to begin.

I'm currently reading and working through the prompts in Me and White Supremacy: Combat Racism, Change the World, and Become a Good Ancestor by Layla Saad. This work is POWERFUL and progressively peels back the layers of internalized white supremacy. It's a necessary reckoning for all white folks and I very highly recommend it. Have you done the prompts? How has this process changed you? I would love to hear your experiences.

My dear friend Ariel Shumaker-Hammond has created the most comprehensive resource list I've seen for white parents and caregivers. This list includes books, articles, movies, and online courses and trainings to support you in raising anti-racist children. Even if you are not a parent, you probably have children in your life--and learning how to have honest and open conversations about racism is critical to their development (and your growth as a human being). Please take some time to look through this list and challenge yourself to explore and move outside of your comfort zone. That is where learning takes place for all of us.
Finally, I want to check in about how I can best support you in your relationships right now. I recognize that this pandemic and quarantine have deeply impacted many relationships, as well as the experience of witnessing and participating in racial justice uprisings. This may be especially true with people who we now see much more often than we used to. Being in close proximity with our favorite people can be both wonderful and extremely challenging. What is getting kicked up for you? Are you feeling triggered? Overwhelmed? Grateful? For my next newsletter, I am planning to dive back into attachment concepts (it's been a little bit and I'm excited!) that feel pertinent and supportive for you in this phase of life. Please reply to this email to share what might be helpful for you.

I am so grateful for you, as always. I feel especially thankful to be doing this work during this time in history. I feel certain we will look back at this year as one of the most life-changing years we've had so far.

Big hugs,
Elizabeth

P.S. I've been hearing from folks who are interested in taking my online courses that things are tough financially right now due to COVID-19. If you are interested in taking one of my courses but need some support, please reach out and we can work together to make sure you get what you need. As always, if you are a BIPOC and need financial support for the courses, send me an email and I will provide a discount code for you.