Today was a perfect day: I took the day off, read for pleasure, went to therapy, took a shower, and got a massage. And so, with my heart full, my body at ease, and my spirit drawn to bed, I offer this reading reflection. But first, a reminder, in case you did not have the perfect day: You are a miracle. We, being together in this moment, are a miracle. Revel in the miraculousness of humanity and remember all that has been accomplished. 

Now, come and receive this invitation to be an active part of this world, warts and all, as we embrace...

Emergent strategy: Shaping change, changing worlds by adrienne maree brown. "Emergent strategy is how we intentionally change in ways that grow our capacity to embody the just and liberated worlds we long for" (p. 6). "A mushroom is a toxin-transformer, a dandelion is a community of healers waiting to spread… What are we as humans, what is our function in the universe?" (p. 12). "We had a vision for the kind of world we wanted to see, but we weren’t modeling that internally" (p. 63). "The heart is a front line and the fight is to feel in a world of distraction" (p. 112). "We must become the systems we need—no government, political party, or corporation is going to care for us, so we have to remember how to care for each other" (p. 116). "Our lives are our life’s work" (p. 195).

With hope restored and possibilities acknowledged, dream. Go inward and reacquaint yourself with your body, mind, and soul. Get cozy. Delight your senses. Unwind and open your eyes. Reject the lies and expectations that shrink you. Take up space, retreat to your favorite space, for...

Rest is resistance: A manifesto by Tricia Hersey. "If we are not resting, we will not make it. I need us to make it. We must thrive" (p. 8). "We ignore our bodies’ need to rest and in doing so, we lose touch with Spirit. In our bodies we have our temples. It is the only thing we own. Our bodies are a tool agent for change. A site of liberation. Our bodies know: The time to rest is now" (p. 12). "How does it feel to know your human body is viewed by a capitalist and ableist culture as existing only to make profit?" (p. 38). "Begin to heal the individual trauma you have experienced that makes it difficult for you to say no and maintain healthy boundaries" (p. 83). "It can be easier to believe resting is simply about retiring to your bed when you are tired instead of beginning the messy process of deconstructing your own beliefs and behaviors that are aligned with white supremacy and capitalism" (p. 122). 

Rage, but don't stop there. Carry the lessons of the natural world and your bed with you, into community. Learn in community, grow your community. Pause. Feel. Heal. Act. Remember to...

See no stranger: A memoir and manifesto of revolutionary love by Valarie Kaur. "Joy is the gift of love. Grief is the price of love. Anger protects that which is loved. And when we think we have reached our limit, wonder is the act that returns us to love" (p. 4). "If you ‘see no stranger’ and choose to love all people, then you must fight for anyone who is suffering from the harm of injustice. This was the path of the warrior-sage: The warrior fights, the sage loves. Revolutionary love" (p. 92). "I could not see the wound in them until I tended to the wound inside me. And that required me to access my rage" (p. 130). "It is a rhythm: Step away to rage, return to listen, and reimagine the solutions together. It becomes a kind of dance—to release raw rage in a safe container, in order to send divine rage into the world, like focused fury. The way of the warrior-sage is not only loving-kindness but loving-revolution, or revolutionary love" (p. 134). "To undo the injustice, we have to imagine new institutions—and step in to lead them" (p. 172).

From knowing who you and finding your people to claiming your power and sharing your power; from finding ease to choosing discomfort. Are you where you want to be? Are you with the people you want to be with? Reorient and try...

Leading from the margins: College leadership from unexpected places by Mary Dana Hinton: "While one might think a leader from the margins seeks the center, I argue that a leader from the margins seeks to move across that space and reach individuals and circumstances in other margins" (p. 11). "Being in the margins grants the permission needed to not play the same games that are played in the center" (p. 78). "Just because someone is slower on the path or complaining about the way forward doesn’t mean you get to walk away from them. It’s at those moments when your relationship matters even more. You have to be a fellow sojourner. You must be a partner, not just a leader" (p. 146). "You will have moments when you feel excluded, othered, and unworthy, but you must take a step back and remember the unique strengths you bring to this gathering" (p. 156). "Those of us from the margins find and support each other; we create little islands of belonging within the lonely ocean that is the center" (p. 169).

You are still you. You are still a miracle. Listen to yourself, trust yourself. How far you've come. How beautiful this life. How loved we are. There is strength in community, but there is strength too in you. Is this the world you choose, or do you...

Defy: The power of no in a world that demands yes by Sunita Sah. "Dare to imagine a life lived in accordance with your actual values. Dare to reclaim your agency. Dare to make decisions that align with your innermost principles, no matter the external pressures (p. 23). There is no perfect environment for defiance—no failsafe formula of risk, impact, and safety that can tell us exactly when and where to defy. But we can do more to ensure that we see a situation for what it is. Through preparation and practice, we can progress: the repeated exercise of our defiance muscles helps us better recognize when it’s time to defy, better understand our environment, and better appreciate when a True No is no longer just our preference but our responsibility" (p. 166).

As my therapist says: Don't let someone else's inaction dim your light. And if you're feeling tension right now and aren't sure how to defy safely, connect with some disabled family, friends, or colleagues. We disabled, neurodivergent, and chronically ill folks are experts at naming barriers and finding ways forward in spite of them. We haven't had a choice. And that disability innovation (what Hamraie and Fritsch call crip technoscience) may just be what we all need to change this world for good.

Sending love and light to you and yours. In solidarity.