Life could be viewed as the world’s wildest roller coaster. The twists and turns, the sudden drops and temporary peaks, the high speed and the rattling of the car. Those life moments are enough to turn your stomach inside out. Then you add on all the daily tasks like dishes and laundry and making meals and going to work and going to the doctor and keeping up with family and hanging out with friends and caring for children and answering that text from three days ago and oh yea, you forgot your kid is going to a birthday party and needs to get a gift. It goes on and on and on.
The overwhelm of just living daily life can be utterly and completely paralyzing. We get it when it feels like there is just not enough space in your mind and capacity in your being to add another thing to your plate. And you are not alone. The feeling of being isolated and unable to do anything is common, and dare we say a symptom or even the goal of many of the established systems in the United States and world.
The first step is action.
And we’re not talking about going from doom scrolling and distracting ourselves from real life to leading a protest or calling state reps everyday. Slow your roll. Change is hard enough to think about and enact.
We’re talking about finding small ways to gently rattle us out of our learned norm.
Our point is that you don’t have to totally change and uproot your regular routine to take action. Learning is action. Small changes are action. Questioning how you got to this routine in the first place and why it’s so dang difficult to change IS action.
A dear friend at Michiana Voices once shared a phrase that stuck with them after hearing it. That phrase has become something of a mantra for us as our neighbors, near and far, continue to call out for help.
Take. Imperfect. Action.
All of us will struggle and make mistakes. Take action anyway.
We will say the wrong thing. Own it. Learn from it. Take action anyway.
Our voices will grow hoarse, our bodies weak. Step down. Take care of yourself. Come back. Take action anyway.
When fighting for human rights, remember that you, too, are a human. And like all humans, you deserve grace and joy and love and empathy and validation. So, we ask you to be kind with yourself when doing the work of research, learning, and reflection. You are not alone.
Here are a few ways to build action into your daily life.
Instead of checking out the daily news from your go-to Western source, try looking into Al Jazeera or The Middle East Eye or one of the many independent journalists on the ground. We like Bisan, Motaz Azaiza and Rami Younis.
If you’re part of a book club, bring up the idea of using one of our recommended books for your next pick.
Check out our Reading Groups page!
Looking for a good podcast? You can find our recommendations on the Resources page.
Let’s Talk Palestine is one of our faves.
Looking for some new clothes, accessories or gift ideas?
Check out Wear the Peace!
They have some pretty awesome designs and have already donated over $1 million to Gaza alone. Plus, they collaborate with kids and artists.
Image on Left: A new design by 10 year old, Renad, from Gaza, entitled “Self Portrait”.