“DC Tidal Basin Cherry Blossoms 3/26/22
 
 
LD…
 
 Checking 
 
In!
 
Spring has arrived! As I hear birds chirping more regularly now and notice leaves (and cherry blossoms) in full bloom across the DC area, I am reflecting on the growth of this first quarter of 2022. 

Reflection is one of the most powerful tools for growth and development. Yet, it’s one of the things for which we take the least amount of time. When did you last intentionally carve out time to pause and reflect on your growth... your progress toward a particular goal or intention? As we wrap the first quarter, much of this month’s content is geared toward encouraging just that. Consider a goal or intention. What has and hasn’t worked for you these first three months in service of that? Take a few minutes and do the quarterly review below; think of one way you can support BFABW; commit a few minutes a day to your physical health. These are suggestions; do what works for you! 
 
Pick one thing to start, stop, or continue during Q2 that is clearly connected to one of your goals/intentions. Believe me, that one action will spark so much more! Here’s to spring growth!
 
LD Update
 
In 2011, I shifted my career into what was then widely called diversity or anti-bias work; now, known as DEI, REDI, D&I, etc. I served in positions that focused on developing and equipping leaders with the vision, knowledge, and skills to positively engage difference. Previously downplayed as “soft” skills and now respected more as “adaptive” skills, a vital competence in leading equity and liberation is dreaming. I can’t tell you how many equity leaders I’ve talked to who don’t actually see/believe that what they’re working towards can happen. We collectively have stopped seeing the futures we want. In direct response to what consistently emerges in my coaching and strategy sessions, I recommitted to my Dream Manager certification earlier this year and am building a new LD offering around it. Click below for an overview, and stay tuned for updates!
Dreaming as a Liberation Tool
 
 
Staying Relevant
 
The 1st quarter of 2022 is in the books! This is a great time for a quick quarterly review. But instead of just focusing on the goals and intentions we set in January, take stock of the conditions you’ve created in pursuit of those goals. •How have/haven’t you protected your (and others’) time and energy? •What boundaries have/haven’t you set or modeled? •How have you honored/not honored your (and others’) full identities in your process so far? And what might you shift and continue for Q2? 
 
It’s often when we get to the end of the goal that we realize what we unintentionally sacrificed along the way: the people, our wellbeing, our identities. Use this first quarter marker to rest for Q2. Make sure you’re not so busy getting to goal that you’re sacrificing the balance needed to sustain the journey.
 
Shift from ‘busyness’ to balance
 
Walking the Talk
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This month’s “Walking the Talk” is a literal push to walk. Take black history beyond February and prioritize 30ish minutes a day to movement. (Countless studies show how this benefits our productivity and wellness.) Join me in GirlTrek’s Black History Bootcamp, starting this Friday, April 1st. 
 
Founders, Vanessa and Morgan, are on a mission to reduce the leading causes of preventable death among Black women by getting one million women and girls to take a daily walk as a radical act of self-care and liberation. The bootcamp is simple: for 21 days you step away from your computer around lunch time and take 30-45 minutes walk. During your walk, you dial-in to an impactful conversation with thousands others who are also walking during this time. As someone who’s participated in several of these, it’s a gamechanger and a very accessible liberation tool. To learn more about GirlTrek, watch Morgan and Vanessa’s Ted Talk.
 
in pursuit of liberation,
Danielle
 
 
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