In a world of chaos, here’s why I feel hope

How are you feeling these days?

The word “heavy” best describes how I’ve been feeling the past month.

We are living in the great unknown. We are living in a state of chaos, where nothing is certain – a global pandemic, hurricanes, wildfires, rising COVID-19 death tolls, social unrest, a divided nation reckoning with racism, the loss of civil rights champion, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, and a looming high-stakes election.

It’s a lot.

These past few months, I have immersed myself in anti-racism work (thanks to partnering with Ellivate sister, Leandra Blei, for Ellivate Aware: An educational series on recognizing racism and inspiring action). This work – acknowledging the collective trauma of hundreds of years of oppression of people of color and discerning what is ours to do – is hard, heavy and overwhelming. It’s also some of the most meaningful work I have ever done.

At times, I feel exhausted, defeated and hopeless. Yet, I also feel hope. I feel heavy and hopeful.

What brings me hope?

Through Ellivate Aware, I am inspired by our women’s willingness to get uncomfortable, unlearn what they thought they knew and see the world through new eyes. We are doing hard things – having uncomfortable conversations, looking within, being honest with ourselves. Collectively and individually, we are taking actions to create change in our corners of the world – sharing what we learn with others, researching and preparing to vote as anti-racists, donating to new causes, talking to our children about race and questioning their school curricula, and signing up to work the polls so that everyone’s voice can be heard.
So many of us are talking about things we’ve never talked about before – at home, with friends and in the workplace – bringing a deeper level of connection and authenticity.
I continue to reconnect with Ellivate’s mission to bring the power of feminine leadership to business and the world. We get to welcome a new cohort of bold women for Immersion today! I got to spend precious time with some Ellivate Dream Teamers in Sedona last month. We are planning a special EVOLVE 2021 that will nourish and support our women. Every day, I get to witness our women being who they are – doing their life’s work – persevering through discomfort and growing beyond it.

Yes, things feel hard right now. We are navigating the messiness of the unknown…and we are living in the potentiality of immense growth. I believe there is a direct correlation between chaos and possibility, which means there are some really big possibilities in store for us.