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Embracing the Uncomfortable
The past week has pushed our ENTIRE country towards a movement that will certainly go down in history books. The murder of George Floyd on May 25th, sent the United States into outrage and a frenzy unlike any other, and how it will all unfold is still up in the air.
Since the death of George Floyd, cities, social media platforms, households, and organizations have come together to bring awareness and justice to the issues at hand: racism, police brutality, and black lives matter.
The Black Lives Matter movement has seen protests (both peaceful and disruptive), #blackouttuesday on Instagram, the sharing of many, many resources, and has heard the voices of many powerful individuals speaking up. There is no doubt that the past week or so has been heartbreaking, inspiring, chaotic, and emotion-provoking all at once.
All of this constant emotion, the hard conversations, the calls to action, the pointing of fingers, can be uncomfortable. My family and I, my friends and I, my coworkers and I all have varying opinions on politics, the movement, and what the best thing to do for our country is. Having those conversations, expressing your opinions, hearing others, can be tough. It can create tension in relationships and even a changing of viewpoint for yourself.
I am far from perfect. I have not always advocated loudly enough for black lives. I have chosen to take the back seat on issues or turned my back when I've gotten uncomfortable. And let me tell ya, I am embarrassed when I think of the times I ran from the uncomfortable. So this week I have worked hard to push forward, embracing the uncomfortable, and advocating for what I believe is right.
I was on the phone with a friend today (shoutout Sam!!), and she said something at one point that really sunk in: often when things are uncomfortable, there is an opportunity for growth. Yes, our country is far from settled right now, but this is an opportunity for us to empower one another in the best way possible, to create change and to settle this unrest. Sam and I do not always see eye to eye on issues and our conversation certainly started out with a bit of discomfort. However, we took the time to listen to one another, to share with one another, respect one another, and together we were able to share our hearts and see that we both want the best for our country and its people right now. If we ALL try and do that with each other, and continue to do that each and every day, think of how much progress we could make.
It is OK to be uncomfortable. I sometimes have to remind myself that discomfort is temporary. I think back to the early stages of my eating disorder recovery and how uncomfortable I was then - probably the most cognitive dissonance I've ever experienced - and I came out of it stronger than ever. I pray and hope that our country can do the same right now. It takes patience, it takes determination, and it takes strong spirits.
I know I personally still have A LOT to work through, to educate myself on, and to improve upon. But as someone who advocates strongly for accepting ALL body types, and promoting body positivity, I want to make a point to include black lives in that today and every day (along with all races, all backgrounds, all cultures).
Today, I wanted to share some posts, articles, and inspiration with you all that I absolutely LOVED and found very fitting for this blog and for BLM!
1) The first article I want to share focuses on black women who are promoting body positivity across our country and in their communities: https://thebodypositive.org/these-black-be-body-positive-leaders-are-changing-the-game/
ADENIKE OMOMUKUYO - a personal favorite of mine from the article, recovered from an eating disorder herself and now works to advocate for mental health and body politics.
2) This next article is a BEAUTIFULLY written open letter speaking to mental health in black women. Some of the statistics and feelings she felt in this were truly eye-opening and heart-wrenching.
3) This one is a great list of books by African American authors! There is something for everyone on this list! Nonfiction, fiction, all genres!
4) These next two are articles on African American women and eating disorders - personal stories, facts, stats, and more.
5) This link will give you 6 kickass black women to follow on youtube for workouts and fitness inspo. I will 100% be adding some of these videos to my weekly fitness routine.
6) Going on Instagram and searching the hashtag #BlackLivesMatter is a great start to finding posts, and connecting with others.
I encourage each of you to read through resources, listen to voices, and watch videos in order to best understand the issue and the movement. There are TONS of resources being posted on Instagram, Facebook, and online right now. There are also many ways for each of us to help, from sharing, donating, educating, providing resources, and more. I am open to having conversations about all of this as well! Please reach out, I would love to talk.
Some quotes I found inspirational today:
"Be not afraid of discomfort. If you can't put yourself in a situation where you are uncomfortable, then you will never grow. You will never change. You'll never learn."
- Jason Reynolds
"Strength training is a fantastic microcosm for life: pushing yourself through discomfort, every single day, is the only way to make measurable progress. It's one of the few ways to grow."
- Steven Crowder
Please feel free to share your own favorite posts and resources in the comments as well! There is SO much out there right now.
Remember to check in on your friends, be kind to one another and spread positivity and hope in these times! Together we can accomplish amazing things!
xxoo
^ bound to put a smile on your face