How do you face daily fears without ignoring reality or burning out?
We just came back from winter break last week visiting grandparents in Arizona. I don’t watch the news and instead take action for the world I want to live in than get utterly depressed. However, big news makes it way through the grapevine.
The grapevine got very loud while on vacation. My in-laws are heavily involved in humanitarian aid hiking miles into the vast dry desert to do water aid drops for those who would otherwise die. They’d shared water drop routes they take, our conversations got learning about desert victims are mostly seeking asylum escaping violence or reuniting with families.
Helicopters hovered close above us patrolling the border with loud, militant drone sounds drowning out lunch conversation. Watching wildlife at an oasis, the border wall’s presence loomed above us filling us with unease. No matter how far we drove, you could still see the wall’s presence inescapable driving for miles. Texts came in from colleagues who lost their federally funded job or DEI work.
At one point my teenage son looked into my eyes pleading with a mix of rage and desperation. “I can’t handle this, no more politics!” But politics has become insidious in what used to be non political areas of life. To escape the conversation feels futile. Instead, you face the fear first to lead beyond the fear.
For example, my husband tried to ban political talk for his mental health, but soon every conversation was like walking on a minefield. We couldn’t talk about anything since I was being impacted left and right in life by decisions made by the current administration. Over many conversations, he’s now faced his own fears and is able to have a new level of power in conversation.
Our vacation included attending a friendly, peaceful protest in Ajo, AR–a good reminder in solidarity and that power is in the people, not who’s in office or who’s the wealthiest. Each night in honor Black History Month, our family read and discussed a chapter from “Uncomfortable Conversations with a Black Boy. As a person of color and privileged ally, I was taking actions for what I believed in. But as I learned from the book of what atrocities continue for black people today, at one point, the stress was unbearable.
How do you stay informed without it impacting your well being? How do you stay resilient while fighting for what you value?
Here’s what helped me calm down the fear and rage inside is taking action for what I want in the world, doing forgiveness work within, and boldly celebrating my culture. Explore what works and let me know in the comments any other ideas you have.
Focus Taking Action Towards the Future You Want
Understand that fear and reaction can be used as a weapon to paralyze you into despair, divide people, and overwhelm you into non-action.
“Shock and awe” tactics to throw huge changes all at once, or in this case, chaos and confusion to cripple efforts and willpower that force people into survival mode to only look out for their own is another trick of oppression. Rise above it.
Instead, reflect and journal: What IS a future worth fighting for that benefits ALL of humanity–especially ones who have nothing in common with you or voted differently?
Collective Visions to Fight For
- Check out my teacher’s book A New Humanity Now for inspiration. Or in this blog, learn about the New Humanity Pledge. Change is inevitable and being ready to create a new story. Below are proposed actions.
As members of a New Humanity, we commit ourselves to the following actions:
- Caring for our own physical, mental, and emotional wellness naturally and proactively whenever possible and helping others do the same.
- Living in harmony with nature by reducing our carbon footprint, conserving energy and water, and protecting natural habitats and biodiversity.
- Promoting peace and harmonious coexistence by fostering dialogue, respect, and understanding across cultures, religions, and nations.
- Supporting mindful use of technology and sustainable and equitable economic development through responsible consumption, production, and investment.
- Educating ourselves and others about the urgent need for change, the opportunities for action, and stories of success, and encouraging others to join us in the effort to save the planet.
Living Manifesto for a New Humanity
- Here’s a collective Living Manifesto for a New Humanity I put together from many people’s dreams attending the Conference for Global Transformation by Landmark’sWisdom division.
Focus on what parts of these visions resonate most for you (or better yet, add to it!), then put your head down, chop wood carry water toward that future, un derailed by news around you.
- This substack newsletter Chop Wood, Carry Water, by activist Jessica Craven refers to keeping your head down, taking your daily action, and keep your peace within–no one can take that from you. She shares 5 minute actions you can take daily that collectively make a huge difference. Regardless of which way you voted, its an example of leading beyond fear by focusing on positive news. At the end of this sample weekly roundup of positive news, she shares a video by Jamyl Cannon who demonstrates leading beyond fear:
“Leaders and everyday people who were imprisoned and persecuted by the government acted with conviction and poise because they had a positive vision of the future to pursue.
When you don’t have a positive vision to pursue, you live in survival mode, you fixate on the threat, so you’ll always have something to flee but nothing to run toward.
The way out of survival mode is to imagine and pursue a positive future or follow someone who does…”
There is hope in action.
Collectively, taking action on shared future vision is key to leading beyond fear without burning out. The vision will guide you of what actions or inactions to take. That helps you stay resilient for the long haul, rather than burn out from reacting all the time from one fire to another.
Now that have you have a shared vision to follow, next up in this series of Lead Beyond Fear Without Burnout is:
- Part 2: Mastering Emotions
- Part 3: Boldly Celebrating Culture
Take the Next Step
Take the 5 Day Boost Your Energy Challenge here.
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Anna Choi is an Author, TEDx speaker, and Founder of SolJoy, where she helps female founders and high-performing leaders 40+ feel more vitality to look and feel 20 years younger.
At 40, she became a Taekwondo Black Belt, Certified Qigong Energy Master, and Performance Artivist teaching thousands of global students—from 7 figure CEOs, NFL players, Harvard neuroscientists, and platinum artists to King County government employees, teachers, parents, and students. She distills ancient wisdom into modern day somatic practices of movement, mindfulness, and meditation.
She loves cooking plant based Korean meals, singing and songwriting on the piano, hip hop dancing, or relaxing in nature. Her proudest accomplishment is water birthing her son Eli, now a teen. She’s married to her sweetheart Leo of 21 years living off Miller Bay in Poulsbo, WA with their cat Max.
If you want to look and feel 20 years younger, book a discovery call here.
