The Crisis Capitalism
With the news lately, you know, the Orca revolt, Canada being on fire, and billionaires drowning with more attention than the hundreds of refugees seeking safety amidst so many other things. The disaster that is capitalism continues to be top of mind.
Of course, this is not new; we are living through the crisis of capitalism.
I've wanted to write about the crisis of capitalism for a while but always felt like my words weren't quite right. And recently, in working on leaning into imperfection, I realized that I have to start somewhere, with an openness to keep learning and growing.
I am working on fully accepting that I can be imperfect AND still support my clients to make significant changes in their lives.
(I mean, of COURSE I am imperfect, I am human!!)
But this is one of the wild lies that have been sewn within us since our early years, growing up and living in a capitalist society, that we must strive for perfection.
We are taught that our worth is directly tied to our proximity to perfection and our productivity.
Capitalism was built on the oppression and exploitation of marginalized bodies. Those of marginalized identities are affected more than I could ever know, but we all are affected by capitalism being the dominant social relations we are living within.
Capitalism reduces us to machines, disconnecting us from our own depth of knowledge, our joy, and our interconnectivity as a society.
It has created a society of isolated, exhausted, and disconnected humans.
I have been considering WTF can I do?
WTF can we do?
And I have recognized that within my coaching practice, one of the things I am already doing with my brave, beautiful clients, is supporting them to unravel the ways in which they have internalized capitalism.
At first, I thought this was too ‘silly’ to share, but I am learning that it is loads of the little actions put together that create change.
What does ‘unraveling from internalized capitalism’ mean?
What does this look like in practice?
No, we do not spend endless time discussing political theory, but rather this perspective informs what is acknowledged, the starting place, the influence of what is actually going on around us.
We certainly do not do any of that positive by-passing bs; we work on fostering deep joy from a place of acknowledging the sticky/ messy nuances of day-to-day life under capitalism.
We release perfectionist ideals that lead to the endless sense of never being enough/ not being worthy.
We foster time for PLAY, curiosity, and self-compassion.
We let go of the idea that our rest must be earned, and lean into the idea that there is a middle ground, a space between having an impact and caring for yourself that capitalist binary thinking wants to you forget is possible.
We dream we imagine possibilities, and we bravely explore how to embody these, how to invite in those we love, and to live as an example of what's possible.
We learn to ask for help, foster connections and communities of support, and let go of the idea that we are better, stronger, or more successful if we do it all on our own.
We accept that our emotions are valid, that they are there to help us understand what is unfolding for us, and do not need to be squashed, or ignored to maintain productivity.
I truly believe that we need to have the energy, the spaciousness, and the connections to be able to dream of new ways of being. To see it modeled for us, and to witness that it is possible.
Do I think my little community will be the undoing of capitalism, lol, of course not!
But in lieu of being able to join the Orca movement, I hope to support you to create spaces of resistance.
✨ Spaces where you feel deeply connected to yourself, trusting yourself again, and creating meaningful relationships and communities of support with others.
✨Spaces where you feel deep joy.
✨Spaces where you foster the energy to stand up for and create the things you believe in.
In short, I want you to have the energy to lead a joy-filled life that inspires others to do the same, shows them what's possible, and invites them in.
So where can you start?
What can you do right now?
My loving invitation is to begin with awareness, notice when judgment, self-criticism, or bully-yourself-to-get-it-done energy creeps in.
Noticing is a brilliant first step!
(Remember, this is the conditioning we have learned over a LIFETIME, it will be an ongoing practice of unraveling and relearning!)
If you feel you have the capacity, you can also consider:
Who stands to benefit from this way of thinking?
Would I speak to someone I love this way?
How can I be kind and supportive to myself?
Loved this but want more? Don't worry!
I am sure it will come as no surprise that my new workshop taps into these themes!
Learn more here!
Alternatively, if you want some more tailored 1:1 support I have two places opening for 1:1 Coaching starting in July!
(FYI a number of my clients have had their work help pay for coaching as professional development!)
As always, happy to answer any questions or hear your feedback, it is a joy to do this work, thank you for being part of this community xx
With love and gratitude,
Stephanie
