Episode 107: Balancing Discomfort

Protests over police brutality being met by police brutality. A global pandemic. Coming to terms with the fact that not being racist is not enough--we need to be anti-racist. All of these things can lead to a lot of discomfort. In this episode, Shannon and Janine discuss balancing the discomfort with the need to take action and the need to take care of ourselves. Discussion topics include: • The difficulty of knowing how to respond to the greater events of the world • How our perceptions of racist behavior are shifting • That it’s not enough to not be racist; we need to be anti-racist • The discomfort of talking about this stuff • Figuring out how we can make a difference • Our desire to encourage people to look at things from a different perspective • Using kindness when speaking up • The language Shannon used on social media when she spoke up about a (perhaps inadvertently) racist comment • How hard it is to know what the right thing to do is • Self care during this difficult time • Keeping up with events without letting it take over your day • Productive discomfort vs debilitating pain • Finding the balance of taking care of emotions while still taking action • Getting conscious of where your discomfort is and pushing against those boundaries a bit • Extending grace to others