An Intentional Pause

Hi folks,

We took some time away from social media, paused non-urgent projects and decided to to do some soul searching, research to educate ourselves, and imperfectly begin having conversations about racism, prejudice, privilege, microaggressions, and the importance of acknowledging it in our homes, our families and in ourselves.

We’re discovering new ways to do our part to help our communities heal and grow as so many, including our loved ones, grieve, share their stories of exhaustion, pain, sacrifice, loss, and most of all hope.

And there is so much more we need to learn and know.

As tensions rise, voices clammer over one another to be heard and unsilenced, we've also seen so many step outside of their comfort zone to speak out against injustice, rally to educate themselves, their families and their respective communities in solidarity and in support of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color. A flood of resources, soul-baring Op-Ed's, videos, literature, art, and stories have been shared by so many of our friends, followers, and partners as well as extraordinary organizations and individuals we're getting the opportunity to learn more from-- it has been uplifting and inspiring.

We know this has been a highly sensitive subject to discuss and watch unfold -- reading and hearing how this has divided family members, friends, loved ones, and individuals from their workplace (that values culture) has been sobering to discover.

There are things that we've experienced that has left us in shock and deep sadness. It has also identified just how much mutual pain has been triggered.

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When we speak of having empathy, compassion, patience, and love for all, we truly mean all. As difficult as it has been and it will be, we know how much work lays before us as we continue to practice Love and Compassion In Action. We will however stand against injustice and we will not accept hateful language, acts, or illustrations of bigotry to dwell in the space we've collectively created to connect us and help each other heal and grow.

Our neighbors are worn out, our families are exhausted, and words have been misconstrued to continue dividing us all from each other and the common goal of peace and equality.

We do not believe that all law enforcement officers are corrupt. We do believe that there are systems in place (we are called to change/ break) that were built to protect and serve the corrupt (cops, authorities, and politicians) and misguided policies and laws that have led us here.

We do not take joy out of small business owners losing their life's work and savings. We do understand the symbolism behind property being valued over lives as the focus of looting and rioting flood our news feeds.

We do not villainize all white people for the acts of those who have caused so much harm over hundreds of years that BIPOC have experienced. We do believe that all people-- white people as well as BIPOC -- are called to take a deep soulful look on their implicit biases, understand the importance of empathy (at it's purest form) and believe that this isn't an attack, this is an opportunity to unlearn harmful micro-aggressive responses, pull racist and prejudicial rhetoric from our hearts, communities, and our families so that we do not commit the same mistake of complacency and believing all the work had been done after the rise of the civil rights movement in the '60s.

No, we're simply going to move forward to help facilitate bringing forth change through Love and Compassion In Action. We are going to be catalysts of change to bring about the restoration of dignity and faith within our communities as we recognize our very own (pre)conditioned responses that perpetuate these prejudices.

We will speak words of love and hope without weaponizing those very words to pacify those who seek to be seen/heard/ and not feared because of the color of their skin, the person they choose to love, or for their request/ demand justice for undisputably heinous acts of racism or bigotry.

If this makes you uncomfortable, we invite you to look inwardly at your implicit biases and ask why. If you are unclear on what that means, we're more than happy to be a part of the conversation with you. We do not villainize you but we do ask that our Soul Wave Project Community members understand the importance of true empathy, the opportunity to do better and be better moving forward today.

We cannot ask for hearts to be moved or changed if we're not willing to accept those whose hearts once spoke misguided or vitriolic words of judgment.

This is the time to let our actions be felt and heard louder than our promises. This is the time our humanity must see the pain that may be anchoring each of us to the depths of centuries worth of "tradition", to acknowledge these triggers in ourselves and others, to shove our ego aside and see the forest through the trees.

It's never too late to hold the hand of the person you once [ insert verb you've experienced here ], it's never too late to have a change of heart, to understand someone you never thought you'd feel a kinship with, it's never too late to wake up and see the world differently.

So, we will pause intermittently, continue to research, educate ourselves, and share these findings with you while we work out sustainable ways to facilitate change-- because we believe and have already seen that action is the best form of love and compassion.

This is an open conversation- we welcome your thoughts and ideas with love and gratitude on the ever-evolving approach we take to amplify the voices, support, and empower our neighbors as we work on being a part of the healing in our communities, our families, and each other.