"We’re the POWERFUL American Majority. Anger, fear and cynicism benefit Republicans. Don’t use Republican language, or repeat their positions, even to negate them. Frame using ideas you believe and real facts contextualized and morally framed ... Frame all issues from a progressive moral viewpoint. Take the viewpoint of the public good, not corporate profiteering. Take the viewpoint of the impoverished and weak, not the rich and powerful. Take the viewpoint of preservation, not the destruction of nature." - George Lakoff, UC Berkeley Professor of Linguistics)
RECONNECT TO NATURE: Gaze at the sky. Step outside and inhale. Take a hike in nature. RESPECT ALL LIFE: Honor your personal time/energy boundaries. Invite others to join in your mission. Choose your reaction. REGREEN THE PLANET: Create a garden. Bring house plants inside. Plant seeds from wild plants. REVAMP OUR SPENDING: Shop more sustainably. Swap one spending habit for a nature-connected event. REPLENISH OUR RESOURCES: Take a hot bath. Savor a favorite beverage. Gather in community. - The Resilient Activist
"Every major religion incorporates several other branches of the tree, including storytelling, music, and serving our communities. It behooves us all to think deeply about our own traditions and preferences, as well as the assumptions we might be making about other groups and individuals." - Catharine Hannay, Mindful Teachers
"To abandon facts is to abandon freedom. If nothing is true, then no one can criticize power, because there is no basis upon which to do so. If nothing is true, then all is spectacle. The biggest wallet pays for the most blinding lights." - Timothy Snyder, On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons From The Twenieth Century
"Make eye contact and small talk. This is not just polite. It is part of being a citizen and a responsible member of society. It is also a way to stay in touch with your surroundings, break down social barriers, and understand whom you should and should not trust. If we enter a culture of denunciation, you will want to know the psychological landscape of your daily life." - Timothy Snyder, On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons From The Twenieth Century
History grounds us and braces us against threats. History teaches us how to protect our freedom. History teaches us ethics and how to see our place and responsibility in the present moment. Timothy Snyder
Psychologist Ethan Kross describes on Hidden Brain how music, along with a variety of emotion regulation skills (thinking in advance what you will do in a challenging situation, positive self-talk, mental time travel, expressive writing, engaging all of your different senses with emotion regulation, strategic avoidance, exercise, talking with friends and elders), can help you manage and shift emotions to help you constructively get through intensive feelings.
"In a government by, for, and of the people, there is, or should be, no distinction between the public and the government. The consequences are: Empathy: government should care about, and for, the public; Transparency: government should inform the public truthfully; Freedom and Opportunity: the private depends on public resources, both for private enterprise and private life. For example, if you’re not educated, you’re not free. If you have no health care, you’re not free. If you’re impoverished, you lack opportunity." - George Lakoff, UC Berkeley Professor of Linguistics)
The Serenity Prayer: “God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can and the wisdom to know the difference.” Notably, that prayer comes from theologian Reinhold Niebuhr as he was watching the rise of Nazis in Germany. - Waging Nonviolence
"Keep up your friendships abroad, or make new friends in other countries. The present difficulties in the United States are an element of a larger trend. And no country is going to find a solution by itself. Make sure you and your family have passports." - Timothy Snyder, On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons From The Twenieth Century
"John Pavlovitz is a 25-year veteran in the trenches of local church ministry, John is committed to equality, diversity, and justice—both inside and outside faith communities." John Pavlovitz's Posts.