Dr. Carlton E. Green and Sarah Lipton welcome you to this latest episode of GENUINE, the podcast! If you are anything like them, you could be feeling a little drained and fatigued right now. Not only from surviving the pandemic but also from living day-to-day with everything that’s been going on in the news recently.

Derek Chauvin was found guilty of the murder of George Floyd last week. Sixteen-year-old Ma'Khia Bryant got shot and killed by police in Columbus, Ohio. And the use of Johnson and Johnson vaccines got put on hold due to the possibility of deadly side effects. Not to mention an increase in suicide mortality rates, mental health diagnoses related to Covid-19, and the mass shootings in the United States in the last month.

With all of that going on, Carlton and Sarah decided to check in with you, the listeners, today. In this episode, they offer their thoughts on how to be present amid the turmoil of the times. They reflect on how they are doing and share how they are trying to be.

Sarah and Carlton hope you will enjoy hearing their conversation today. They urge you to pause, take a breath, and be present in this moment. And remember that now more than ever is the time to listen, spark, and ignite.

Show highlights:

• Allow yourself to tune into your body breathing. Still your mind, and let your heart stay open.
• We need to give ourselves permission to check in with ourselves and with each other.
• Carlton helps people to connect in community and carry the burdens that communities carry. All of that feels quite oppressive for him right now.
• Sarah sees the opportunity for learning, understanding, and growth in all that has been going on recently.
• Growth can feel tiring.
• Sarah talks about living beyond hope.
• Carlton defines hope.
• Learning to reside and cope in this place, with all the burdens and pain. And learning to stay with all your experiences, regardless of how painful they are.
• Sarah and Carlton talk about pain. And letting go.
• Carlton shares a powerful quote from the book, Against Racism by Valerie Kaur.
• Stress can be exhausting! Focusing on your breath can help you relax.

Links and resources:

Rate, review & share GENUINE, the podcast: https://sarahlipton.com/blog/podcast/intro/

Thanks to Carlton’s Alfred Street Baptist Church Choir for the music: https://www.alfredstreet.org/

Book mentioned:

Against Racism by Valerie Kaur