Dear men of the community I sometimes forget that others see me as a man. I’m often more aware of my femininity, my colour and my neurospicyness. But I am seen as a man, and I need to pay attention to what comes with that. This week, a dear friend sent me the image below. Please download it. 🔽🔽🔽 Some of its words stopped me. It reminded me that, however I understand myself, I have a responsibility to face the harm men cause. I have caused harm. I have used male entitlement, sometimes without...
17 days ago • 2 min read
Dear community I’ve been sitting with Lara Sheehi’s phrase psychic militancy. It has hit my heart hard and rocked how I think about my “career” (loose career!). As I understand Sheehi, it is a practice of noticing how power shapes our thoughts, and refusing to let it decide what futures are possible. The question underneath it feels familiar: What happens when systems of oppression start to live inside the way I think? How much have I lived true to my vision of an anti-oppressive future? How...
20 days ago • 2 min read
Dear amazing community As the earth turns towards a new season, I’m wondering what feelings are present for you right now? Overwhelm? Anxiety? Drive? Groundedness? All are welcome. As many of you who work with me will know, we often talk about how we are not our feelings. We are the ones who can witness them. That being said, let’s talk events! Rise in Our Roots 📍 London 📅 24 September 🕙 10am If you’re feeling the need to reconnect with yourself, your identity and your sense of agency, and...
24 days ago • 1 min read
Dear community I truly believe in a different, more interdependent approach to being and seeking social justice. What if we accepted ourselves as incredible human beings, capable of love, rather than judging our worth by our performance and outputs? I believe that could change how we show up, and perhaps even help change the world. Deep in my bones, I feel this begins with identity. When we reflect on who we are, together, we can become a powerful source of change and healing. And with...
about 1 month ago • 1 min read
Dear community Sharing some of the tools I explored with my amazing clients today. They are showing up with courage amid uncertainty. They are holding the tension of trying to be within a capitalist world while bringing relational and long-term approach. They are making space for fear and creativity at the same time. My approach to decolonial practice is rooted in compassion, service and relationships. The congruence between my clients and me is that we care deeply about justice and creating...
about 1 month ago • 1 min read
Dear amazing community, Thank you for some amazing conversations this week. We covered loneliness, parenting, overwhelm, demotivation, and the tension between doing all the things and remaining purpose-driven. Like you, I sometimes find myself in a fog, unable to see exactly where the path leads. Then something lifts it. A conversation. Something I read. A moment when I’m reminded that I am exactly where I’m meant to be. Here are some questions I’m sitting with this Sunday as I write my to-do...
about 1 month ago • 2 min read
Dear community For years, I worked relentlessly for social justice overseas. We called it “aid”, but it felt deeper when we supported people to strengthen their individual and collective voice and agency amid huge uncertainty. I served with all my heart. Sometimes I couldn’t let go of my frustration or see other people’s perspectives. I definitely struggled to prioritise my health, friendships and marriage. When in doubt, another hour of work always felt more tangible. Classic male behaviour:...
about 1 month ago • 2 min read
Dear amazing community As I speak with senior leaders this week, we talked about doubt a lot. Is this the right decision? Which decision needs to come first? What about the future and all its uncertainties? I'm really demotivated by these tough decisions ahead of me. Doubt can lead to freeze. A deep demotivation unfolds in knowing that one big decision will simply be followed by another. An isolating feeling that every decision is “on me”. I feel this in both my professional and personal...
about 1 month ago • 1 min read
Dear community, As I delve deeper into decolonising my own work and life, I find myself holding the tension of living within capitalism while trying to live in ways that are healthier and cause less harm. I certainly don't have the answers yet and sit with the tension. Whilst I wrote this, I had flashback to meetings and conferences in countries across the Global South, where traditional dances and rituals were performed. At times, they felt fake. Not because the traditions themselves were...
about 2 months ago • 3 min read
