Woke up this morn to a DM from someone who’s become a close friend – US gold medalist in swimming from the Sydney Olympics, Samantha Arsenault Livingston. If you look at the next slide➡️, you’ll see the simplicity of her note.
It was a share from Ted, related to this line (1st slide) abt how what’s happening to our nervous systems – self care (or something we call a Gym for the Brain) is very good for, but caring for each OTHER is a necessary ingredient in the healing puzzle.
Sam wrote me this bc she has a thriving biz: teaches athletes/high performers how to get to center…to do the internal work…& go on their healing journeys (it’s one of the reasons why we’re kindred spirits…we geek out on strategies to help others).
But she’s also shared w me, & obv this is humbling, that something like SameHere is missing in society, & needed to tie us together, in community, bc w/o it, we’re racing a million miles a minute, even when we HAVE strategies, in DIFF directions.
Diving deeper, she works w high-level HS & college athletes, coaches, ADs, etc…& she’s shared numerous times w me, what’s missing is community & consistency. Right now – “one/a few kids struggle”…they get singled out for “help”…we have to send them somewhere for special attn & care…the language btwn the coach, player, parent, MD, therapist, sports psychologist – it’s all different. There’s no common language. There’s no community feel to the healing process.
Just bc one person’s struggling “more” at a specific time, doesn’t mean others aren’t struggling to varying degrees. But we treat it like there are the: “affected, sick” members of the group, & the “healthy” ones.
Until we acknowledge we all struggle…that burnout is a possibility for all of us…that what’s called disorders are symptom clusters of dysregulation manifesting in slightly diff ways, it’s very hard to find true healing.
I’ve been on the road the last 2 wks on a hellish schedule. What’s kept me semi-centered’s been sharing my story, & having ppl come up & say: “you just shared my story.” That’s more healing than ANY self care work I can do. Even if it’s ONE other person…we NEED each other.