Give yourself grace right now

Beauty is everywhere. Even now.

Everyone, please, give yourselves grace.

So many folks are still holding themselves to impossible productivity standards, as the world burns: Total productivity at work and at home...no email unanswered, no crumb un-vacuumed. Earning enough, being responsible enough. And of course, being thin and "fit" enough.

WHILE THE WORLD BURNS.

Now, don't get me wrong. When I say, "while the world burns," I don't actually mean that I think things are worse than they've ever been. I've come to believe, in recent years, that the "human mess" (a phrase I use lovingly) is thus: people acting from fear, and people acting from love. All the time, everywhere. Rinse, repeat.

Some are tempted to look back on the good old days, but in truth, they were never good for everyone. Similarly, some are tempted to say we're living through humanity's darkest timeline — but there is still so much love, generosity, and beauty in this world. The light is abundant, alongside the dark.

So when I say the world is on fire, what I mean is that a spark has been lit and a major conflagration is underway as old systems meet their end. So many paradigms that we've accepted as gospel and built our lives around are proving untenable — patriarchy, for one — and they are going up in flames as they fight their demise. They're fighting hard, because that's what entrenched power does. But I truly believe that what comes next is a new world order. I know so many amazing humans who are daring imagine how things could be and who are bringing a decentralized, love-fueled vision into being every single day.

You can't "win" in our current world order unless you have a very specific kind of privilege. So, rather than take that as evidence that we're doomed to a life of misery, let's choose new success metrics that don't give our power to broken, capitalist, patriarchal, white supremacist systems. That's what sovereignty looks like, and we get to be sovereign, no matter what. If you are living in integrity with yourself and your values, I believe you are succeeding. If you are consistently doing your best, with "your best" meaning not "perfection" or "balls to the wall" but "the most I can do without compromising my physical/mental/spiritual wellbeing"... then my friend, I believe that is success. It's certainly the kind of success I prefer.

For example, Jordan Hirsch and I are a two-entrepreneur household. We live with a lot of financial uncertainty that does not look like the "financial stability" we were raised to seek. Suffice to say, we won't be offering a "how to earn 7 figures in a fortnight" master class any time soon! But we both do work that we find meaningful, that we consistently hear from people makes a real difference in their lives, and that we love. We are raising a remarkable human. Our lives are, by my measure, joyful, creative, and generous.

This is the kind of success that matters, and that I want for you.

So go easy on yourself, please.

You are glorious.