Last week, I shared some thoughts about grounding ourselves during challenging times and invited you to share how you’re meeting this moment. The responses were thoughtful, diverse, and inspiring—each one a reminder that we’re not alone in navigating these complex times. I’m deeply grateful for your willingness to share your practices and perspectives.
Prioritizing Self-Care
In my newsletter, I wrote about the importance of self-care as a foundation for showing up in the world. Many of you shared your own grounding practices.
One reader described a beautiful morning ritual: “I make a big cup of tea every morning, then I sit down and pull a tarot card. The tarot card helps me start the day introspectively which translates into a journaling practice. I will read some poetry or something inspirational and then it’s time to greet the day.” They continue this intentional presence into the afternoon with a “mental health walk/fetch session” with their dog in the Wissahickon.
Another reader shared a crucial balancing act: “My desire to stay informed is in direct conflict with my desire to stay sane! I’ve leaned into spending less time watching the news. Spending more time in conversation with family, close friends and people I admire and trust… somehow makes the burden of these times feel less daunting.” This reminds me that connection itself can be a form of self-care.
And with refreshing honesty, one reader added: “The best that I can do is remember to take my antidepressants every night.” Sometimes our personal emergency kit includes medication that helps us show up as our best selves—an important reminder that self-care looks different for each of us.
Finding Light in Art and Connection
Several of you mentioned finding sustenance in creative expression and the arts. One reader wrote beautifully about how they are “spending even more time engaging with art and artists. They are the light, they are the story tellers, they are the problem solvers. We just need to be quiet long enough to hear them.”
This reader shared Leonard Cohen’s timeless wisdom:
“Ring the bells that still can ring
Forget your perfect offering
There is a crack in everything
That’s how the light gets in.”
The image of light finding its way through the cracks echoes Amanda Gorman’s words that opened my newsletter: “There is always light. Only if we are brave enough to see it.” In challenging times, art helps us locate that light—and sometimes become it.
Engaging Across Generations
One reader shared how they’re “leaning into the opportunities that teaching undergraduate and graduate students gives me to listen to and learn from younger people.” They find hope in their students’ “clear analysis and recommitment to their ideals around inclusivity, environmental and climate justice and more,” adding that “their energy, thoughtfulness and honesty helps me remain hopeful and energized about the future.”
This intergenerational perspective reminds me that when we create spaces to listen across generations, we often find unexpected wisdom and renewed energy for the work ahead.
Taking Action
One reader shared a practical tool for meeting the moment through civic engagement. They recommended the app 5 Calls, which makes it easy to reach your members of Congress and make your voice heard. In a time when many feel powerless in the face of large challenges, this reader found that regular, focused actions helped transform anxiety into agency.
I appreciate this reminder that meeting the moment can include direct civic participation. For many, having a structured, accessible way to take action—even just five minutes a day—creates both personal grounding and meaningful impact. This exemplifies how small, consistent actions can accumulate into significant change.
Rethinking How We Give
The Dan Pallotta TED Talk I mentioned resonated with several readers.
Another reader reflected on their philanthropic approach: “Our thinking about giving and philanthropy continues to focus locally. There is so much need and many lessons to learn here in our own backyard. I believe strongly that taking care of your local community and ecosystem provides lessons for other communities and initiatives around the world. As well as finding examples globally that we can replicate here at home.”
This approach beautifully illustrates the “rippling outward” metaphor from my newsletter—starting where we stand and allowing those circles of impact to expand.
Moving Forward Together
What strikes me most about these responses is how they embody the “5 Ts” framework I shared:
- Time: Creating intentional morning rituals, walking with pets, engaging with students
- Talent: Teaching, mentoring, bringing professional skills to community issues
- Treasure: Thoughtful approaches to local philanthropy
- Ties: Deepening connections with trusted friends and family, bridging generational divides
- Testimony: Sharing stories and perspectives that help others feel less alone, making calls to representatives
One reader shared a quote from Mitch Albom that feels especially relevant to this collective effort: “You can’t separate one breeze from all hate, any more than you can separate a breeze from the wind.” Similarly, our individual actions to meet this moment—however small they might seem—join with others to create something more powerful than any of us could manage alone.
As we continue navigating these complex times, I’m grateful to be in community with such thoughtful, intentional people. Your responses remind me that we don’t need all the answers to begin—just the courage to take that first step, right where we stand.
What practices or perspectives are helping you meet this moment? I’d love to continue this conversation.