Challenging Times Needs an Adventurous Mindset

Stacey Newman Weldon
3 min readJun 2, 2020

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As I write this, it’s #blackouttuesday, a day before publishing my weekly Adventure Wednesday’s blog. My gut says today is not the day to explore a “white woman of privilege’s” journey and adventure. Serious change is happening, and it takes a certain mindset to not be afraid of it.

Life has been so challenging lately, it’s easy to become overwhelmed, and not feel like ‘life’s an Adventure.’ I know I have. We are smack in the middle of some really huge global changes — the pandemic, floods, locusts, earthquakes, a potential Depression, and now the rage from those who have been oppressed for way too long.

For readers out there who are BIPOC, I hear you, and I am trying to listen more. I stand with you. When I can, I will speak up for you. More importantly, I’m glad you are here to be adventurous.

How can I help? My mission in life is to guide you to developing your adventure attitude, an outlook that helps you be resilient in challenging times. One of the principles I follow is “ABC” = Always Be Curious. The thought leaders in the Black Lives Matter movement state that intentional awareness and education is an important way to creating a better world for all.

It’s okay to make mistakes. Mistakes mean you are reaching out, trying and letting go of doing it “perfectly.” I know I make mistakes. I want to be a better white ally. These times call for having courage to make more mistakes “fail forward”, so that we all learn.

With these things in mind, here are some resources for you. As you read and learn, I want you to remind yourself it’s okay to feel uncomfortable. Change doesn’t happen when you’re at ease. Keep being curious and asking the questions to elevate your own awareness.

“A rising tide lifts all boats.”

RESOURCES (no particular order):

The Great Unlearn

Rachel Cargle

The BIPOC project.org

Undoing Racism® The People’s Institute for Survival and Beyond (PISAB)

Black Women’s Blueprint

The Antiracist Research & Policy Center (ARPC)

The Audre Lorde Project

Color of Change

Scott Woods, Poet/Writer

Austin Channing

The Conscious Kid

Ibram X. Kendi

Check Your Privilege

Layla F. Saad

Rachel Ricketts/Spiritual Activism

“Race Demystified” by Milagros Phillips

White Fragility: Why It’s So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism by Robin DiAngelo

What If I Say the Wrong Thing? 25 Habits For Culturally Effective People by Verna A. Myers

FILMS/SHOWS

Netflix: 13th American Son Dear White People See You Yesterday When They See Us

Hulu: If Beale Street Could Talk The Hate You Give

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And from my research for the adventure blogs I wrote:

CHOCOLATE

Vimeo: The Chocolate of Peace

The Chocolate Slaves of the Ivory Coast

Washington Post Hershey, Nestle, Mars and Cacao’s Child Labor

The Intertwined History of Chocolate and Slavery/

HEMP

Slaves and the History of Hemp

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Stacey Newman Weldon
Stacey Newman Weldon

Written by Stacey Newman Weldon

Life’s an Adventure, & no exotic travel needed to shift your perspective. Join Stacey, your Adventure Mentor, to Find Your Fun! www.adventurewednesdays.com

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