"The greatness of a community is most accurately measured by the compassionate actions of its members."- Coretta Scott King
SMART TALK: CONVERSATIONS THAT MATTER
Today, I'm sharing a story from my childhood, which has had a profound impact on me.
I was four years old, riding in the backseat of my dad's car in Mobile, Alabama with my sister and her friends. This was the time before car seats and seat belts were obligatory, and the car doors didn't lock automatically.
On this particular day, my dad was driving us and obeying the speed limit. At a stoplight, my sister and her friend dared me to open the car door, assuming I would do it while the car was stationary. But I didn't. However, as the car took off and turned a corner a block later, I summoned the bravery to open the door and fell out, hitting my head on the concrete and tumbling down into a sewer drain.
As my parents have recounted to me, my dad couldn't reach me, and I ended up nearly 15 feet underground. It took the police and fire department hours to rescue me, not knowing the extent of my injuries.
Reflecting on this experience, I've learned the power of ouch and resilience. The bounce-back kid has had this ability to bounce back from adversity and find strength in difficult situations. And this has shaped my outlook on life.
The American Psychological Association defines resilience as the capacity to adapt well in the face of adversity and stress, and finding lessons in failure, to have the capability to recover.
Resilient people inspire me, and I believe that I possess resilience as well. It's a skill that we can all develop, not something we are simply born with. Resilience is about leaning on the support of those around us and being compassionate to ourselves.
One of my favorite books, "The Obstacle is the Way" by Ryan Holiday, teaches us how obstacles can lead to growth and acceptance of change.
If you want to cultivate resilience, remember that it's dependent on the challenges we face. It's about embracing the "Ouch" and using it as a steppingstone for personal growth and resilience.
As for the full story of what happened after I was rescued from the drain, you'll have to wait for my next book, "The Power of Ouch: Lessons in Hope and Hurt," for all the details.
Attention Bias
What is attention bias? Attention bias is our tendency to prioritize certain types of stimuli/information over others. At any given moment, an individual's senses can perceive countless stimuli in our immediate surroundings. Threat-related attention bias refers to the tendency to prioritize the processing of threats over benign or neutral stimuli. Is it no wonder we have biases related to race, ethnicity, disability, and more?
Each of us individually generates more information than ever before in human history. We take in almost 90,000 pieces of information daily, yet our brains can only filter in about 10 percent of that information. The rest, well is stored in our subconscious minds and often when we perceive a threat we act upon it.
How do you perceive the world around you and how can you understand your attention bias?
The WEBB Advisory Group Presents
The WEBB Center For Social Impact was developed and designed from more than 50 years of lived experience as a Black Woman in America.
Focusing on domestic policy specifically, our institute provides a global worldview perspective for black and brown women from the diaspora living in America today.
Using research data, lived experiences, and stories of impact, policymakers and leaders can understand the social impacts various policies have on black and brown children and women, today and tomorrow.
In response to various incidents in our country's recent history, history mustn't repeat itself. Therefore, the WEBB Center For Social Impact strives to provide voter information, information on issues for policymakers, information for community activists, and information for anyone who seeks to understand the social impacts of public policy on individuals and communities.
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Prayer for the Week
Dear God,
Thank you for who you are. Thank you that you make a way when there seems to be no way. Thank you for holding me close to your heart. Build in me resiliency of faith, joy, and hope. Set my feet on your solid rock. Let me not be shaken, but grow in me, faith and hope that sustains me when my world falls apart. I trust you through it all. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
"Inspiring Humans...Changing Communities."
"Smart Talk: Conversations That Matter... is a weekly blog post. We welcome the voices of all people. Are you interested in writing for us? Let us know.
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