Share your strengths

Happy belated Labor Day (check out a related article below).  How are you holding up?  It's rough out there.  Makes me even more thankful for your willingness to continue to engage with these difficult issues and look for opportunities to grow.

Speaking of growth, here are some examples for how you can use your unique gifts and abilities to make a difference:

• Expressing clearly in writing -

  • Writing opinion pieces or letters to the editor

  • Writing letters to government representatives

  • Writing position statements for organizations of which you are a part

  • Writing speeches for community events or rallies (even if someone else is planning to deliver it).

• Encouraging Others -

  • Encouraging people's posts on social media

  • Encouraging organizational leadership who are teaching and/or making tough choices enacting systemic change

  • Encouraging other allies in the importance of their efforts

• Working with Numbers

  • Assist with basic tracking of income and expenses for community groups on tight (or no) budgets

  • Create user-friendly graphs and spreadsheets representing published data on social justice topics

  • Provide accounting or tax preparation services for social justice organizations

• Reading

  • Organize a book study

  • Create and share lists of recommended books

  • Compile notes/cliff notes for people less inclined to read the full books

  • Pass along relevant books or articles to others who may not otherwise see/read them.

A special shout out to the idea of creating a SUP-boarding group focused on social justice discussions, perhaps with appropriate signage displayed on the boards and conversation starters with those passing by! :)

In all seriousness, this work is not limited to one location (land or water!) or one type of skillset. I hope that these examples offer you additional encouragement and inspiration for ways you can share your strengths as well as the continued importance of self-care for sustaining the work longterm.

Here's that article I mentioned about Labor Day for anyone who may not have seen it/have access on Facebook. Great perspective! Also, for those non-FB fans (I am among you), I am still working out other options. Please don't give up yet!

You matter. You can make a difference. I'm so thankful you're here.