Unpacking My Box

Did you post a black box on your social media on Tuesday?

I didn’t, but it was not an easy decision.

I had planned to launch my new blog that same day, but that didn’t feel right.

My gut said not to post anything and I followed my gut, but I wasn’t sure why. I knew that I wanted to be part of the dialogue, but I did not know how.

Now it’s a few days later and, in retrospect, I’m positive that my hesitation was a good thing and I’m glad that I embraced the resistance.

Resistance isn’t comfortable, but it’s where you grow.

Instead of posting the box, I spent the week trying to engage in activities that helped me learn and grow.

I stopped. I watched. And I read.

I went to a community vigil.

My son, who lives in inner-city Detroit, and I discussed both short term and long term solutions to the problem. We addressed both police issues and socio-economic impact.

I reached out to a black peer to understand what she was feeling after she posted a poignant post on social media.

My thoughtful and deliberate actions feel more authentic and genuine. They satisfy the urge I had to do something, but my actions were not reactionary, where, I feel, posting the box would have been for me. The box was too quick, and I wasn’t ready.

Sometimes, I purposefully take a little longer to process events. But, in doing so, I wrestle with the missed opportunity of doing something “in the moment.”

And that is where the true growth came in for me…stopping and being deliberate in my actions and thoughts felt right to me.

Not everyone feels that way. There were a lot of black boxes on my social media feed on Tuesday. Some may have been thoughtful actions, some may have been reactionary. Either way, it’s critical that each person does what feels genuine to them.

Doing something to match your comfort level is critical to growth.

I am comfortable with my first social media blog post now. It is true to me. It helped me grow. I hope that you can learn something from it too. Perhaps, see a bit of yourself and think about your own decisions to “be involved.”

Resistance for me always feels deflating and defeating, forcing out positivity in a giant, loud whoosh; but I know with time and learning, my intuition kicks in and I arrive at the place I am supposed to be.