You can find work-life balance while doing the work you are passionate about.

To shift pace, start with a breath.

Breathe in. Breathe out.

My body is used to a fast pace. Going from meeting to airport to training. That cycle is so ingrained in my body that my feet often start out running before walking.

My pace is ancestral. My ancestors were on the move to survive. And I learned to keep moving as an artist, organizer, and entrepreneur.

But in my hustle, I running to not be caught as an imposter, to have other people say I’m doing good work, to make sure I fit someone else’s idea of who I should be. I’m running because that’s how I learned to live.

Breathe in. Breathe out.

A friend who knew my fast paced life asked me, what am I running from or to. That’s when I realized that I’m making a choice to continuing running. My ancestors didn’t have the same choice. But as a middle-class Black person in the US I have a choice.

I do my most resonate work when I slow down. And I believe you can too.

Notice your feet in contact with the floor.

When you start actively slowing down, you may feel more emotions. I felt exhaustion, overwhelming sadness, and eventually depression. I was scared that these feelings would swallow me.

But slowing down allows you to move through those big emotions. Feeling the lows, helps you be present in the highs. Your laugh may change. When I slow down, I let a snort roll out.

Breathe In. Breathe Out

Slowing down, you can act from a place of alignment, where your words and actions meet. So in 2020 slow down and tend to your healing processes so you can serve others. That’s one way you can continue transforming our world.

Smile.
Let the ends of your mouth be gently pulled up.
Breathe.