Podcasts Education Mind Revolution On Racism, Integrity, and Taking a Stand

On Racism, Integrity, and Taking a Stand

Published: June 11, 2020, 7 a.m.

I normally steer clear of potentially sensitive topics. It’s important to me that my clients feel safe with and respected by me, so it serves me and that “safe space” well for me to not go there. I have clients from all walks of life, on all spectrums, and I honor and respect them all. 

You all know what’s going on in the world post-George Floyd’s death. People have taken to the streets to protest the biases that exist in our world against Black people.

One of those protesters is my 23-year-old son. 

My son schooled me this week on why it’s important to speak up. How saying “all lives matter” is hurtful. And how right now, it’s important that we highlight the importance of the lives of our Black neighbors, friends, coworkers, and family members. 

I raised my boys to not consider the color of a person’s skin. I didn’t want to be distinguished on that basis, and I didn’t want my boys distinguishing or classifying others by skin color.

But now I realize that color matters because it’s part of what makes up their reality — our realities — and pretending like it doesn’t matter is contributing to the problem.

So today I’m speaking my truth. I’m sharing stories about how skin color has impacted my own family — especially my brother (who has darker skin than I do) and my son —  and the tension in my household as my own biases towards the current administration AND towards Ron for being a former Trump supporter bubbled up to the surface. The emotions are raw and real. And I had to speak up.

In NLP, there is a technique, called perceptual positions, designed to create understanding, flexibility, sympathy, and empathy. Our world could use some of that now, don’t you think?

The technique goes like this…

  • First look at a situation from your own perspective. Notice your beliefs, emotions, ideas, and frustrations.
  • Second,  take the opposite perspective and do your very best to put yourself in their shoes, and imagine their experience at an emotional level to try and identify the beliefs, emotions, ideas, and frustrations from that perspective.
  • Finally, take the position of a third-party observer, someone who can objectively view multiple perspectives simultaneously. 

The more we can practice this technique, the more we’ll increase the sympathy and understanding in the world. Join me in that, won’t you? 

 

Thanks for listening!

 

To share your thoughts:

 To help out the show:

  • Leave a positive review on iTunes. Your ratings and reviews help, and I read each and every one.