Now What? Listen, Include, and Change

We, as a nation, are responsible for one another's mental health. That is a radical statement for some, I know. It has long been the foundational thinking beneath Sidewalk Talk, a community listening project I direct. See yesterday's THRIVE Global coverage here.

How we create belonging and care through the way we show up in relationship and in the policies we pass that say "you matter" or "you don't matter" directly impact our collective health.

If we feel alone, isolated, marginalized, displaced by people, policies, and our economy, our nervous systems go into high alert. We are hypervigilant and impulsive.

If in that impulsive and lonely state, we have access to a gun, all hell breaks loose.

I don't believe it is strange for people to fall ill in a culture that is sick in the way it lacks care and leaves people to fend for themselves or die.

Who is sick? The person or the culture?

It is up to us to take action. Outside of bigger policy change, right now we can take action in some small way starting with saying hello to those, not in your circle. Listening to people who are different. Being inclusive on the small scale for starters.

Sidewalk Talk was ignited three years ago by the gun violence in this country. And our project is now global. Today we announce our 2018 On The Road Listening Bus Tour. We hope you will join us. Find out more about the bus tour here.