Video of Competency #4
If you prefer to listen and see me click here!
Written version of Competency #4
Welcome to Leading-Within Wednesdays. Every other Wednesday, I will share a little bit about one of the 10 competencies introduced in the book, Leading Wihin Systems of Inequity in Education: A Liberation Guide for Leaders of Color.
Today….
Practice Self-care.
The term “self-care” has become a big buzzword of late but the root and purpose are still important to embrace.
In the past few years, we have many fighting against injustice die young. Many were catapulted into the work due to a loss of a loved one from gun violence. This is not a new phenomenon. Trauma seeps into our bodies and if untreated, it can lead to pain, suffering, and loss of life.
This is why self-care is so important. Care will look differently for all of us but having the pieces of:
Physically-Are you treating your body as if it’s the only one you have?
Mentally- Are you tightly connected to the thoughts and feelings running through your mind?
Spiritually-Are you feeding your soul?
Although this competency says SELF-care, it is important to recognize the importance of care within the community. We need to care of ourselves so we can take care of each other.
Some reflections questions to help you think about this competency:
Reflect on your current self-care practice. Is it feeding you physically, spiritually, and mentally?
How are you moving your self-care practice into a collective care practice?
More explanation of this competency, how to practice it, and additional reflection questions and resources are in Chapter 4 of the book.
In closing…
If you started reading the book, here are a few ways you can spread the word:
Post about the book on social media using the hashtag #leadingwithin. Even better if it includes a picture of you WITH the book!
Host a book club with your affinity/ERG group. Two study guides are also available on the ASCD website - one for leaders of color and one for white co-conspirators that are perfect to start a group conversation. For book clubs with participants who have purchased and committed to reading the book, please reach out to me so I can support your journey!
Connect with me to speak to your organization or group about topics covered in the book, like ‘practicing love and rage’, ‘building a coalition’, and ‘taking a stand’.
Go to Amazon and rate or review the book there! Reviews are a great way for others to see that this book is worth the time to read.
Thank YOU so much for all of your support!
See you next time when I give a brief preview into Competency #5: Engage in authentic dialogue.
If this is your first time reading, please go back and read my Introductions post.
Thanks for stopping by! Let me know what you think. If you like it, please share it with your network!