On Friday, I heard a guy named Cesar Buitrago talk about the work he does with a group called Harbor House in East Oakland. I'd been to the facility for meetings... but that's besides the point.
One of the points of his talk was that before we transform the world, we need to transform ourselves. Its not a new sentiment, (I've been told that Biggie even says it in his recently released biopic) but it still deserves revisiting.
It may sound corny, but I really believe that if we're not committed to our people/communities/causes out of love, then we really can't make any positive change. If I advocate for justice, but I'm driven by the need for revenge and anger and bitterness, then can I really be fair? How can I make sure that the change I'm trying to bring to my people doesn't hurt someone else at the same time?
And we need to love ourselves as much as we love our work. I see a lot of folks on campus over-committed to too many orgs, falling behind on readings to keep up with meetings, and the like. Burn out is good for nobody.
Happy Valentines day.
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