Going Forward

Some personal guidelines for what is to come

I wanted to be here today, at the beginning of all that is to come, because it seems important that no one feels alone. I also want to talk about the big picture.

I was reminded recently that humans have been on earth some 200,000 years and the dumb hierarchical, patriarchal system we live under has only been around for 3,500 years—a small fraction, really. I am reminded every day that we can do better. This time seems like an invitation to buckle down and give it our all.

Last night, before I went to sleep, I wrote down some guidelines for myself, to help navigate the years to come. I thought I’d share them—in case they spark some ideas for you—and to remind us all that we have choices. I was very politically active through the first Trump term, but it was action fueled by fear. I can do better this time. I think we all can.

Here is what I am resolving for myself:

• Use my energy in productive ways: less fear, more problem solving; less reaction, more creation.

• Lean into joy: as a fuel, as an act of resistance, because this is my one wild and precious life, because dark forces may take over politics but they don’t get my heart or my mental health.

• Get creative: think big about our problems, try new things; the old ways weren’t necessarily good ways, let’s build something better.

• Do it together: grow community, find others, ask for help, fight isolation, don’t leave anyone behind.

• Remember what matters to me: a healthy ecosystem, happy children, racial justice and gender equality, thriving communities, protection for the vulnerable. Let my values guide my choices.

• Do not let the BS grind you down. Look for the light. Do not let what you cannot change destroy you. Find the ways to make a difference. Take good care.

And a few resources to share:

My internet pal Marisa Renee Lee wrote a beautiful and powerful essay for today, available on her Substack (highly recommended). This was exactly what I needed to hear today.

If you’re looking to get involved, here are two options:

Red, Wine, and Blue—a women-led organization that works on specific campaigns (political campaigns, but also issue-based campaigns like gun control or protecting birth control/IVF) and also serves as a hub for many local groups across the country. If you’d like to take action in community, check out their website and sign up for more.

They also have a podcast. I really liked this episode (the guest segment is great).

Chop Wood, Carry Water—one of the best resources for independent progressive action is Jessica Craven’s weekly newsletter, which gives steps you can take, calls you can make, and even provides scripts. Excellent if you want to do something but don’t know where to start (she’s also on Instagram with an active and informative feed).

And if you have resources or personal resolutions you would like to share, I’d love to hear them in the comments. I am reminded of how many people I met, how many new friends I made through the political activism I’ve done in the past—fun, smart, engaged people. I’m excited to be making connections like that again.

As always, the best way we get through this is together.

Happy Martin Luther King Jr. Day. I’m going to close out with the words of Dr. King from a speech he gave the night before he was killed in Memphis in 1968, at the age of 39.

“…the world is all messed up. The nation is sick. Trouble is in the land. Confusion all around... But I know, somehow, that only when it is dark enough, can you see the stars.”

Sending best to us all,
—Tara

**card image by Brandi Kincaid.

I have another newsletter. It’s about fostering joy and self care and pleasure and delight—because those of us grappling with hard stuff need to balance it out with fun. You can check it out. And if you sign up for a paid subscription here, shoot me a note and I’ll gift you a complimentary subscription to enJOY.
This is all about balance: work and play, dark and light.