Prevent Child Abuse Arizona Executive Director Claire Louge recently shared this article highlighting her perspective on a different way to approach life when the world feels unsettling.
A month ago, I decided to join a self-defense workshop at the Healthy Families Institute that we produced in partnership with the DCS Office of Prevention. I know very little about physical self-defense, but I’ve always admired the discipline of those who practice martial arts. At the workshop, we learned a simple technique on how to free ourselves from an aggressor. We practiced (gently) on each other.
It was fun, but it wasn’t intuitive. Our instructor, Scott, explained that if someone is grabbing you, your first impulse is typically to pull away, but that pulling away actually gives the aggressor more leverage. The way to throw off the aggressor is to first lean in. Leaning in gives you the leverage to free yourself.
I couldn’t help but see a broader metaphor.
I’ve written several times this year on the unsettling nature of our time. When we experience threats to our values, our jobs, and the people we care about, our bodies and minds might react by pulling away. Or turning inward and blocking out. Hunkering down. Insulating ourselves. Disconnecting. Of course we do this. We need to protect what we love and what we need to survive.
But what if the way to free ourselves from the threat was to do the opposite of our impulse? What if in times where everything seems to be constricting, we need to be outrageously expansive in our thinking?
I’ve seen scarcity pit people who care about the same things against each other. One person fights for the liver while the other fights for the lungs while another fights for the heart. But it’s the same body – we need to fight for the whole.
What if this is the time to think bigger, rather than smaller? What if this time was the time to push for everything we want for children and families, without apology, rather than ask for little pieces?
This is the time for architects. For dreamers. For being all in. For doubling down on what we care about. Let’s match this moment with the vastness of our care and creativity.
It’ll take practice to lean in rather than pull away. But it’ll be easier if we all practice together. And way more fun. And a far, far more powerful force of freedom.
Editor’s Note: look for the Strong Families, Happy Kids column in every issue of Prescott Woman Magazine. It’s designed to support parents with actionable tips and strategies they can use to create optimal environments for their children to thrive. To learn more about Prevent Child Abuse Arizona’s mission and resources visit www.pcaaz.org