Think about a time where you felt you truly belonged. Think about your role in that space. Did you feel safe? Accepted? Respected? Were you able to contribute? Were you celebrated for exactly who you are in that moment and not the potential of what you might one day be. But just for you, Just as you are?
Inclusion has been a buzz word for at least a decade. But sometimes we don’t know how to do it properly. It’s not enough to allow someone who is different into a space and call it good. It’s also not about allowing someone into a space and trying to make them “be more like the group.” It’s about seeing everyone as equal contributors to the space, and seeing value in that contribution. Which requires most to take a deep dive into our implicit bias about their beliefs about those that are different than we are. How do we define success? What do we define as hard work? What are our expectations?
When people show up in the world with a different definition of what we believe does not make them ‘less than’ - it does not mean they are not worthy - it’s does not mean they need to ‘do what the group’ is doing. It means a shift in mindset, an examination of bias. It means we need to see US not them. There are not others. There is us and we. And this takes work. Are you willing to do the work?!
Every human has value. Every human brings strength. Every human brings vulnerability and weakness. Every human is worthy, even if that scares us a bit. We belong to each other. We are responsible for each other. We are in this together. Let lift each other up. Let’s create spaces where people belong JUST AS THEY ARE.
#inclusion #contribution #belonging #chfwdsd
Thank you Sarah Jane Doiron Grant & Lindsey Thompson from Children’s First for bringing this message to the community 😘
