Best of Times, Worst of Times
For once I saw someone write a status that got me thinking about what has happened in June. Five years ago I attended a brilliant event called TEDxBrum: The Power of Us. I left inspired and uplifted that if a community came together, we can make many changes for the good. The sad flipside is that its four years since the Grenfell disaster where 72 people died in a fire that was preventable and still without any justice or accountability.
I also see how we’re caught up in this duality, bouncing from pole to pole making our own heads (and hearts) hurt all the more. I can understand some of this, but not all of it. My heart is always reaching across the aisle wanting to just make it work, but my head knows there’s only so much time and energy given unless your opposition wants to meet you halfway.
One of the most powerful anchors in polarisation is groupthink. I noticed this as young as my secondary school days. People who would treat me awfully in school, when separated from the group think and focus completely different on their own. The different was ridiculously stark.
So from there, as a coach I can recognise how people individually can be pushed and pulled by not just their own thoughts but others continually trying to introduce what I call ‘scripts’ for various reasons often for no reason. Some are cultural, some are passed down from generation to generation, some are there for no reason other than ‘just because’.
From there, its all about digging through what other people’s ‘scripts’ first and finding the reasons why they exist, eventually looking into your own as well. Looking deep into the ‘why’ and most of all: what are the ‘scripts’ you want to write for yourself to put things on a better path?
Next time, I want to talk about something that when I faced scared me to death…but I believe in these times will strengthen you.
Will you ‘embrace the grey?’
Until next time, be careful of groupthink.
#HangTight
Aquila Hope is a holistic coach, black trans activist, speaker, podcaster and songwriter. They’re found through Instagram, Twitter, Medium and their own website. Their podcast ‘Grasp At The Root’ can be found on Anchor, Spotify, Google Podcast, Apple Podcasts or wherever podcasts are distributed. Aquila lives on the outskirts of Birmingham, enjoys expressionist art, video games, strong coffee and a well made pizza.
