Explorer’s Blog 11: Addressing Fear in this Moment
“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” – Martin Luther King, Jr.
I cannot in good conscious ignore current events. What is happening right now in the United States – where I currently live – is shocking, barbaric, criminal. We are witness today to blatant systematized violence, the same that brought a racial reckoning after George Floyd’s murder in 2021. We are aghast, as we should be. And yet this way of governing is not new.
How is this present moment reminiscent of previous years? America – celebrating 250 years as a country in 2026 – was founded on systematized violence, first against forcibly displaced and massacred Native Americans and then imported and enslaved Africans. Fear and uncertainty were rampant among Japanese Americans, interned in camps during WWII. Our non-White neighbors, those of the Global Majority, are all too familiar with the legacy and impact of systematized violence against fellow humans.
These governing decisions, the same decisions encouraging masked ICE recruits to kidnap people off the streets, are made from a place of fear – fear of the other, fear of losing power (real or perceived), fear of being wrong, of humiliation, financial ruin, death, election loss, etc.
Fear itself is an excellent teacher. It signals to us what we value, things we believe to be important. It can, however, create a false narrative. Fear can drive a sense of ‘othering’, of division, driving behavior even if its basis is not rooted in reality.
As a coaching student, I was taught – from the Staci Haines school of thought – that all humans need 3 things – safety, belonging, and dignity. Fear will tell us that these are limited resources, that either I can be safe or you can be safe, but we cannot be safe together. Either you belong or I do, but we cannot both belong here together.
Of course, safety, belonging and dignity are not limited resources, not even things we can quantify. And yet we can manage them, rob others of them, and make them scant if it serves us.
In this moment, we are experiencing deep fear and uncertainty – unsure of what will come next, watching others fall, wondering when our turn will come.
I work with clients regularly on how to move through fear and uncertainty, how to lead when the path is not clear. We review resilience practices and agree on an approach that will work for the client. Today is no different – we must find a way to lead through the fear, to find stead ground amidst uncertainty. What practices do you find effective during such times?
Many of us are facing the dualism of “normal” life ongoing in one place while the government hunts its people in broad daylight elsewhere. The concept of adaptive normalcy comes to mind – maintaining typical routines during a crisis, not as denial but as a coping mechanism. Our ability to hold two truths simultaneously – crisis and routine – is an active and intentional resilience practice, a way to integrate new situations into everyday life, almost creating a “new normal” as you self-regulate during periods of heightened stress.
Remember the famous line, echoed by so many in their own words, that courage is not the absence of fear but the decision to move with fear. I am reminded of the Somali women who, despite being not only immigrants at risk but also specifically targeted by the President and his cabinet, have showed up at protests in Minnesota with homemade food to feed those protesting. Theirs is a powerful example of moving with fear.
This month in America we honor the legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr. whose words keep rising in my mind. In his 1968 speech ‘I’ve been to the Mountaintop’ he addressed fear as driving selfish action, challenging us to reframe our worry. The question, he posed, should not be, “’If I stop to help this man, what will happen to me?’ But … ‘If I do not stop to help this man, what will happen to him?'”
What is your relationship with fear?
How do you live and lead during this moment?
What actions are you taking to maintain your energy?
How are you showing up for your team, your community, your family during this time?
⭐️ I am deeply invested in you being the best leader that you can be, and partner with clients on three things:
✅ Bringing calm to the chaos
✅ Having clarity in decision making
✅ Maintaining confidence in their leadership
That’s what you get when you work with me - ✨ calm, clarity, and confidence. Interested? Curious? Know someone who might benefit from this work? Let me know and let's explore, together.
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