Feel Better. Do Better.: A Guide for People Who Want to Change the World, but Sometimes Have Trouble Making It to Lunch

By Deb Shine Valentine

Martin Luther King, Mother Teresa, Grandmomma Ruth who was always the first one to volunteer for the church coat drive...

They taught you how to give,

How to make an impact, and how t

• Language: English
• Publisher: Thriving for Equity
• Release date: Oct 25, 2022
• ISBN: 9798986691626

Deb Shine Valentine

Author and editor Deb Shine Valentine is a White, cis-gender, able-bodied life and leadership coach, educator, blogger, and DEIJ consultant who holds a wide range of credentials - from a Ph.D. in Childhood Studies to certification as a Racial Justice from the Heart Facilitator to a Sex, Love and Relationship coaching certification. Her 30+ years of experience as an educator is just as broad, ranging from early childhood education to college. Still, despite her best efforts, she never could find a way to suffer enough to make the world better, so now she focuses her efforts on thriving for equity and helping others to do the same. In this collaborative book project, she is joined by eight esteemed BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Culture/Color) colleagues - Larissa Parson, Trevia Woods, Marquita Davis, David V. Valentine, Tamara Robinson, Kristen Mun, Jennifer Folayan, and Joyce Washington. Each one brings a powerful voice to the conversation from their rich experiences and areas of expertise in varied industries, from theater to visual arts, and social justice advocacy to higher education. To learn more about each of the contributing authors, visit Deb's website at www.thriving4equity.com/book.

Book preview

PART 1

FEEL BETTER

There’s a reason that you picked up this book. I’m not sure what yours is exactly, but I have a hunch that you’re running on empty in some way. That’s why we’re starting with a focus on some changes you can make that will help you start to feel nourished in heart, mind, body, and spirit. These chapters are genuine invitations, not obligations.

You get to say, Yes, or, No, or, No Thanks, or, Not Now, to these invitations.

My hope is that you find that many of them feel like water raining gently on hot, dry, parched land and delicious, nourishing soup on a cold winter day somehow magically combined.

My hope is that they will help you to honor yourself, your body, and your heart. Because I believe that you deserve a depth of love and care that only you can give to yourself. You deserve it because you are created and already loved by the force that creates — Love, God/dess, the Universe, Nature, whatever you call it.

I believe you can give this love to yourself because you have that spark of Love in you.

I could be wrong about the nature of things. And you don’t have to believe in any kind of force bigger than you to find this book useful.

But you will need to uplevel your love for the Amazing One that YOU are if you want to feel better.

And when you do, the whole world will start to sparkle with Beauty and Possibility.

Intrigued? Come with me. I have some invitations for you.

1

YOUR SUFFERING AND EXHAUSTION DON’T HELP ANY CAUSE EXCEPT THE CAUSE OF PATRIARCHY, WHITE SUPREMACY, AND CAPITALISM — EVEN IF YOU ARE WHITE, EVEN IF YOU ARE MALE, AND ESPECIALLY IF YOU ARE NEITHER WHITE NOR MALE

THIS IS AN INVITATION TO LET THEM GO

I did a survey once asking people in my community what children’s books currently represented their lives. One of the options was The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein. It’s a bestseller. And I hate it. I really do. I’m not going to apologize for saying