Are you ready for slow and steady?
I’ve never seen turtles out of the water on my regular walks at Lake Roland, in Baltimore County, but this guy showed up on the same day I headed out for my first long training run/walk for an October half-marathon. By the time I finished he was gone — slow and steady isn’t the same as stuck!
Hello Courageous Thrivers,
Are you ready for Slow and Steady?
This might seem like a strange time to be talking about going slow.
There are actions that need to happen immediately. Like when a U.S. president sends Marines to a major city to control and potentially harm peaceful protestors.
The individual Marines have to choose how to act—immediately.
The government officials have to choose how to act—immediately.
When ICE agents show up to forcibly remove neighbors, co-workers, family members—or people we don’t even know but see being approached—we have to act immediately. That’s why it’s important to learn your rights, their rights, and how to de-escalate violence. So we can respond when a quick response is what’s called for.
(See below for resources, or contact an immigrant rights organization in your area.)
But/And/Also—this crisis of conscience and clash of values isn’t going away anytime soon. We need to be in it for the long haul.
Some of us are more adept at quick responses. And all of us will be called to act in certain moments. But many of us are also called to slow and steady work.
After decades of riding the get-inspired-take-action-get-uninspired-stop-taking-action roller coaster…
After years of procrastinating and avoiding unsexy daily tasks that reap fabulous rewards when done…
(Hello, compassion for my emotionally sensitive system and brain—please don’t use these words to beat yourself up if you too lack “discipline”)...
I know I’m getting this message loud and clear from multiple sources—including the beloved woods I walk in:
“Are you ready for slow and steady?” they asked me.
And you know what? I am.
I’m ready to take slow and steady action, even—and especially—in the midst of the chaos of this time.
Astrologers predicted that early 2025 would begin a 2–3 year period of upheaval. So far, they seem to be on point.
Sheri Mitchell, in Sacred Instructions, references prophecies from Indigenous wisdom holders…
Many spiritual teachers see this moment as a turning point. A crossroads.
Our fate isn’t fixed, but we do have to choose.
Do we continue down the path of oppression, scarcity, and violent destruction of people and the planet?
Or will we use our imaginations to create something entirely new?
From my perspective, saving democracy isn’t the end goal.
Yes, it’s better than authoritarianism. But democracy didn’t root out racism, sexism, classism, and oppression. So yes, protest. Say no. Stand up.
But also — saving democracy isn’t a big enough vision.
My question is: Will we commit to love?
Will we live as if the world we imagine is the world we’re already in the process of building?
Will we — as I saw one LA protestor do recently — refuse to dehumanize the people who are harming us, recognizing instead that they are afraid, wounded, flawed human beings too?
Will we dissolve hatred and violence with courageous love?
And from the rubble of systems that weren’t working for most of us anyway…
Will we build a new Earth?
Beloved community. Beloved economies.
I’m not very far down that path, but I am devoted to it.
And I am committed to slow and steady action.
Are you with me?
Hit reply and let me know. I’d love to light a candle for you and send courageous loving energy from my heart to yours.
Here’s to thriving and equity,
Deb
Resources
Know Your Rights
ACLU Know Your Rights – If you can, consider becoming a monthly donor as a slow and steady action.
Immigrant Legal Resource Center – Includes printable cards, flyers, and de-escalation tips.
Everyday Solidarity
If you have an immigrant housekeeper or know immigrant families in your neighborhood or community, consider:
Offering your home as a place of refuge
Offering to pick up kids, run errands, or check in regularly
Asking what would help them feel more secure and supported
Joy is Essential
His books: The Book of Delights and Inciting Joy are radical, practical medicine.