Amplify RJ (Restorative Justice)
Restorative Justice is often framed as an alternative to punishment in criminal legal and education settings, and but that’s only part of the story. Join host David Ryan Barcega Castro-Harris to learn how to apply Restorative Justice philosophy, practices, and values in your everyday life.
Amplify RJ (Restorative Justice)
How to Find Your Place in Justice Work During Polycrisis
In this episode, I’m joined by the newest Amplify RJ intern, Kylie Chen to check in about how we're navigating the heaviness of ICE raids happening in my city, to the overwhelm of polycrisis, to the exhaustion of being a young parent trying to balance it all, and how we both wrestle with showing up for justice in ways that are sustainable.
We talk about building community where you are, the nonlinear journey of figuring out your role, the tension between needing to survive and wanting to do liberation work full-time, and the imperfect path I’ve taken trying to balance all of that myself.
If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed, disconnected, unsure of your place, or wondered how the hell to keep going, I hope this conversation lets you know, you’re not alone.
Also, real talk if you appreciate this work and want it to continue, join our community, take a course, or bring me in to work with your school or organization. That’s how I feed my family and keep this work going.
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Speaker 0 00:00
Welcome to the Amplify RJ podcast. I'm David Ryan Barcega Castro Harris. All five names for all the ancestors. And today we're doing something a little bit different. We're calling it the Check in. Sometimes restorative justice is about a process where we're asking questions like what happened, who was impacted and how, and what needs must be addressed in order to make things right or as right as possible, and who's responsible for meeting those needs. Sometimes, especially when I think about restorative justice holistically, I think about leaning into Indigenous values of interconnection, building and strengthening relationships rooted in equity and trust, and of course, repairing relationships when harm occurs. But sometimes, as one of my great mentors on this worksheet Graves shared, sometimes restorative justice is just asking the question, how are you? And what do you need? And so today I have with me the newest Amplify RJ intern, Kylie. And we're going to ask each other those two questions. And in that I'll be sharing some of the things that I've been doing from the Amplifier J perspective as a person living in LA or in the greater Los Angeles area, as these ICE kidnappings have been happening and things to come with Amplifier J. And maybe you get to know Kylie as well. I want to give Kylie an opportunity to engage in this practice and ask me how I'm doing.
Speaker 1 01:25
Okay. How are you doing today?
Speaker 0 01:29
Well, first of all, the deep sigh should be indicative of so many things that are happening in this moment and today. Today I just shared with you that that part of me is really happy and excited because I lost my phone on Friday and I was finally able to track it down at somebody's house whose quote, unquote friend found it and they were happy to give it back to me. So I'm celebrating that win. I'm also celebrating that my child, my oldest child, slept until 6:30, which is a win, right? Because that really hasn't been the case. And you know, I'm perpetually a tired parent. But you know, outside of those wins, personally, I felt a lot of things, definitely fatigue just from everything that's happening in the world. I felt shame that I haven't been able to do enough specifically to stop people being taken in my community. Shame that I have not been in community in the ways that I've wanted to be. So, like when a moment like this comes, I have, I'd be able to organize a little bit better at moments. In the last couple weeks, I felt physically ill when I was chasing Around ICE agents, right? Patrolling neighborhoods, watching people get taken, watching smoke grenades getting thrown in like our local shopping centers. It's been a really, really hard time. And there have been elements of despair where it's like, hey, we as a community are not organized enough to combat all this. And they've been planning this for years. And what am I supposed to do now? Like, there's no like quit or defeat in there, but like, there's despair with like the enormity of this challenge. There's also hope because right now I'm feeling a lot of connection to people in my community who I wasn't connected to before. And we're starting to organize some things, whether that is mutual aid and food delivery to people, whether that is like the beginnings of community patrols, like based really locally, not necessarily through the nonprofits and bigger organizations that are creating rapid response networks across Southern California. Like, that's all good. But I'm feeling really connected to community and have been on calls this morning with a couple people as we've coordinated that I'm also feeling really determined to not only continue to do work to protect my community, but to continue to do this work of amplify rj. Because when I think about doing the work that I do teaching people about restorative justice through a lens of anti racism, abolition, decolonization, it lends itself to helping us address circumstances like we're going through right now. And like, I'm talking very specifically about what's happening in Southern California and other places in the country where we're coming up against ICE and border patrol and the bounty hunters that have been contracted. But I also know that we're in poly crisis where there's an ongoing genocide in Gaza, there's. We're on the brink of war with Iran and like the climate crisis is ongoing and like, there's so many things that are like piling on top. But those were a lot of feelings. And you know, that sigh maybe expressed like some of the multitudes of what was going on there. And it feels kind of unfair to turn it back around in this moment. But Kylie, how are you feeling?
Speaker 1 05:36
Definitely. I'm definitely feeling, I think a lot of things that are similar to what you shared. I think for me a big thing is a feeling of like, maybe, maybe disconnect in the sense that I'm in college. And so when I went to school, I think I found a community where I was able to kind of try doing some of the like, organizing work that I wanted to do. But now obviously that has Kind of stopped over summer break, I think, one, because we're just, like, not together in person, and two, because there's definitely a lot of burnout. And so now that I'm home, it's. It's like a very different environment where I'm seeing all these things that are happening in the world and I'm not sure where to go because I just haven't been super connected with, like, my community at home. And I think also maybe part of that stems from the fact that, like, I come from a pretty privileged area. And so I think that I don't. I don't know where to start to find the people that I want to, like, find who can help me figure out what to do and, like, how I can help. And so obviously, like, there's a lot of different spaces online where I've been trying to, I guess, figure out if there's something that I can do to help other than, you know, just, like, repost something on Instagram. But, yeah, I guess maybe this general feeling of, like, lostness and inexperience and me seeing all of these horrible things that are happening in my state in our country, in. In the world, and feeling kind of overwhelmed by everything. But at the same time, it is nice to, like, be home, be with my parents and my brother again and spend time with them. I've been, like, going out on hikes with my. My mom and my aunt and kind of spending time in nature. And so that has been a really nice break just from all of the stress that is happening from, again, everything that's going on in the world.
Speaker 0 08:04
Yeah. And we do contain multitudes. Right. I also this weekend, this past weekend, was able to get out in nature with my family. And it was a hard decision to go and leave that when my direct community was in crisis. But, you know, in conversation with some fellow fellow organizers and activists on the ground, it's like, no, like, this was planned. You need to take care of your family. Like, the fight will continue and you can jump right back in. And, you know, I did right back on Monday. Right. Getting back on the calls, getting back into meetings. And fortunately, there was not a lot of ice activity over the weekend in our specific community. And so, like, I'm able to rest easy about that. And, like, I was able to in some ways disconnect and enjoy being with my. Enjoy being with my family. I say, like, going on vacation. I and many other parents of young kids say, like, going on vacation isn't like vacation. It's like watching your kids in Another location. So there was definitely that dynamic and that chaos there. But you're right, we do hold multitudes and I think a lot of people might relate to the feeling lost and not knowing how to connect to the work that you want to do in your community. You're in Silicon Valley in the southeast LA suburbs, and there are definitely in some places pockets of people who are organizing and doing radical community based work in the cities and in the surrounding cities that I live in. In my city, there aren't. And I've only been here for five years. And like, part of that was the beginning of COVID so it was hard to make connections. Part of that is being a young parent and not really going out and connecting in that way in community. But I've also been here with my eyes open and understood the political landscape of the city. Not to be that engaged in that way because people aren't upset about things because their lives are pretty good, right? And when people are snatched from our shopping centers, apartment complexes, you know, Starbucks, like that angers people. And you know, there's community protests and it's like, oh, actually like my neighbors to my left and my right and across the street, we're all at this protest and we've never really had political conversations, but I was talking to one of my neighbors and saying, yeah, in our city, like all the kids go to like this one high school, they don't prepare us to engage in our community in this way. And so people don't. There's a lot of people who like, are angry and upset but don't know where to channel that energy. And so what it's been like for me to have my experience in organizing and activism on the ground, not being here in my community, being when I used to live in Chicago and being involved in communities there, that's a hard thing to deal with. Because so much of what I've done over the last few years has been based online, right? Sharing and educating and connecting with lots of really cool people, but very few of them living within my, within geographic proximity. Louisiana is a big place. And so, yeah, there are people who I've connected with in LA who are very much doing active things. But when it comes to, you know, the eight square miles, that is my community, right? That is my city. What is it here that I've built? And so one of the things that's been helpful for me is to actually like go get on the ground where people are doing things, right? Mr. Rogers says, you know, always look for the helpers. There's there's also the adage of, like, you know, you don't have to go and reinvent the wheel. There are people doing things and over the last couple weeks, that has looked like showing up at a specific action at a place where protests were happening. Right. I'm sharing this publicly, so I'm not going to get into specifics of that, but connecting with people who are doing things that are aligned. Looking at, like, when you go to actions like that or protest rallies, there are a lot of people out there who are expressing anger. But you can. I can observe. I can sit back and observe the people who seem to be moving with strategy and with intention and making those connections and then getting plugged into some of the more intentional actions that are going on. Whether that is mutual care, whether that is rapid response, whether that is community education, whether that is, you know, like, hey, we're cutting and folding zines and then distributing them. There are lots of ways to help out. It's really hard to make that those kinds of connections online because people are just behind screen names and it's hard to build trust that way. And so I know that online activism can be effective in some ways. I've engaged in it. I've made connections that way. I've been able to build community and really support people in that way. Like, I know I have. People have told me I've held space online in ways that, like, have been really supportive for folks. And when we're facing things that are happening on the ground in our faces, sometimes we need that direct intervention to protect our community. And I'm not saying the only way, but, like, the best way to do that is to get on the ground, find people and build. And, like, it doesn't happen just like that. Right. You have to move at the speed of trust. You can't just show up and be like, hey, here I am with all this energy and enthusiasm, and these are my skills. Like, let's solve all these problems. But, you know, starting to build relationships rooted in equity and trust. Coming to people like, hey, human to human, these are my values. These are the issues that we're facing, and these are some of my skills. How can we put them to work? Or what are the ways that, you know, that I could be leveraged following the leadership of people who are already engaged in those work. So you're not having to reinvent the wheel can be super important because if not, you feel this disconnect, like, oh, I'm doing. If you don't, if you don't show up on the ground, you're going to continue to feel the sense of disconnection, isolation, that, like, you might have to start something, you might have to, like, do it alone, and you're really not. It's clear to me that most people listening to this podcast, you are ready to be active on the ground doing something that might not be reflective of most of the population. I think most of the population is unhappy with things as they are and don't know what to do. But for you who are listening and are ready to engage and do something to protect your community, to show up, to make change, to build the world that we want to see, that is more just, that's more equitable, that's more compassionate, that's more caring, that's actually meeting people's needs. There are people who are already doing those things, and we need to figure out how to build community together. Of course, there are political differences between groups and ideological differences between groups on the left and like, the way that people work in the ways that they're funded and versus volunteer, nonprofit versus government. And like, you're going to have to find what lane works for you. But getting on the ground and making that first step is how you figure out where you fit and how you can contribute.
Speaker 1 15:37
When I'm. When I'm trying to apply that to my own life and I guess my, like, community that I'm existing in right now, I'm just. I guess I'm trying to think of, like, where would I go? What types of places should I be looking for? What are the types of organizations that would be places or spaces that I could actively participate in. And I think on my part that means trying to do some more active research and like, looking for that. But yeah, I guess I'm also in a place where I'm like, I care about so many things and I feel like a lot of. And maybe, maybe I'm wrong and this is just like my impression that I've gotten from somewhere. But it feels like so many organizations are very issue specific. And I'm like, oh, well, that means that I have to choose an issue first too. And so honestly, I think a lot of it on my part is just like, I need to be more active about seeking out these spaces. And maybe, maybe some of it is just like, maybe I'm kind of scared to take that first step in terms of. I think again, it's just like the feeling of inexperience and being like, oh, like, what if I mess something up for someone? Or, you know, like, that Sort of thing where it's like, I know in my head that's like, totally dumb and I should, I should just go for it. But I think there is something to be said about maybe, maybe it was a thing of like, being able to be with student organizers specifically was a little more comforting because I'm like, these are people who I can for sure identify as my peers and who are kind of in similar. In a similar space with me of like, we're trying to organize and within our community, but we're also at the same time trying to learn because we all are pretty inexperienced. And so we're kind of in that boat together and growing together. And I'm sure that happens in, like, community organizing in general. But it definitely feels a little more intimidating when, you know, like, oh my gosh, there's going to be people who are so much more experienced and they're going to look at me and be like, what? What are you doing? Like, But I think it's kind of a mental block for me that I know is silly and that I should get over and I just haven't yet. But I'm hoping, or I'm trying. I'm trying.
Speaker 0 18:27
Yeah. I mean, I think that's relatable to a lot of people on so many levels. I think, like, that for one of the first parts that you talked about being about, you know, I care about so many things and I'm going to shout this person out because there's no way they're going to listen to this podcast, I don't think. But Jerry Kelman is someone who most people don't know, but he was Barack Obama's mentor when he first became a community organizer in Chicago. Um, Jerry Kelman is also a graduate of Loyola University, where I got my master's in social justice. And so in 2014, when I was, you know, idealistically going to like, grad school to stop mass incarceration, like, with like, those ideals or like, fix like, big, big problems. I reached out to him and he answered the phone and, um. Or oh, he called me back because I left a voicemail and was like, okay, well, like, what specific issue is it that you're trying to work on? Because, like, you can't take it all all on. And I was like, oh, but I feel like I can. And like, the enthusiasm of, you know, 23 year old at the time versus, like, like more experienced elder and organizer was met with like, kindness, but also like, well, hey, maybe read some of these things. Here are some organizations that you might Think about connecting with and like, that's where he left it. But I think most people in organizing space recognize that we need people like you with your energy, even if you don't know everything. Like, everyone had to start somewhere. Right. I got into restorative justice and you know, some people in the audience know this, I know you don't specifically, but like, I got into restorative justice specifically through this idea of ending mass incarceration. Right. And so what that led me to is like an internship with the Cook County Sheriff. I was actively working in Cook County Jail, both doing mental health screenings for people who were arrested for felonies. And, you know, so many people who are arrested, like, have serious mental health issues. And so use, like my role as an intern there was, you know, screening people so, like, they. That data could be used to a get them services that they needed, but to like, advocate on their behalf. Then it was, you know, getting connected to other community organizations only because, like, I had started in that Cook county internship that were doing things that were more aligned to restorative justice. Going to trainings. Right. Learning more about the ways that I didn't want to work. And then, you know, but it starts with like, you know, showing up somewhere and asking like, hey, I like, for me it was like, hey, I'm a grad student at Loyola. Is there a way that I could intern and support? And, you know, the person who I talked to is like, oh, yeah, call this number and they'll get you set up. And like, that sent me on my trajectory. Sometimes it is like I was saying, get on the ground and show up and connect with the people. And the first place that you end up, like, might be like the happiest fit and like your lifelong organizing home. But it, if not, it will be the next step. It'll be the first step on the journey that will take you to people that are more values aligned, a place where your skillset is specifically needed. And that's super helpful. Yeah.
Speaker 1 22:17
I'm wondering, I don't know, I don't know if this is something you can share. But, like, what were some of the. I mean, you said Cook County Sheriff, what were some of, like, the first organizing community that you were part of and like, how did you go about the process of obviously trying everything but figuring out what was the best?
Speaker 0 22:38
Yeah. When I was a graduate student, I had the luxury of being a full time student. Like, I ubered on the side. Like, for those that don't know, I was also an X ray tech and I Like did on call shifts overnight. But like, for the most part, my days were just about school and trying to learn. And so like I did have the ability to get connected with organizations. One was called One Northside Chicago. I don't know what it's called right now. I know they went through a name change and that looked like going to a city hall meeting or a district meeting and then like talking to an organizer who said something that I agreed with and then having a one on one with them and then showing up to actions based off of that and building community that way. It looked like learning about this organization called Circles and Ciphers in Rogers park, which I know still exists, and showing up saying like, hey, I learned about this. Can I sit in and observe? And they were like, yeah, it looked like connecting with an organization called Community justice for Youth Institute, knowing that they had a training and sending an email saying like, hey, I know this training is like next week and it says it's full, but like, do you have space for me? And showing up there and like building relationships with the late great Orisshu and then Cheryl and Pamela Purdy and then getting connected with people at Precious Blood Ministry of Reconciliation and then getting tapped into like the Greater Chicago Restaurant Restorative Justice Network, which is not like actually a name of an organization. It's just like the people in Chicago doing restorative justice work. And that led me into employment with an organization called Alternatives Supporting Chicago Public Schools directly. But it also led me to connections with people who are doing this work from indigenous perspectives. Right? People who are doing restorative justice work specifically in community settings, both as violence intervention and as like community building. And so I know like you go to school in Chicago adjacent Evanston. And so like, I know part of this conversation for you is like, oh yeah, like, what are some of those organizations to check out? But like, I want to share that. Like, it's, there's, it's not like a straight path to like, finding where I am uniquely, like set to do this kind of work. Where that's led me to now, you know, when I moved back into, when I moved back From Chicago to LA, it was 2019 and I was starting to get my footing and get connected to some organizations. And because of the pandemic and because of becoming a parent, like, I had like forgotten some of those connections. And this last couple of weeks I've reached out to some of those people and it hasn't been like, where have you been? We've needed you exercise. It's like oh, good to see you. Good to connect. These are some of the things that I've been doing. These are some connections that I can make for you to, like, help you get plugged in. And, like, I'm still in the process of doing some of those things. So shout out to Arthur, shout out to Shannon. But, like, also being reminded by Kalyan Mendoza, who's been on this podcast multiple times. Your protest safety Kuya online. For those you don't. Who you don't know, like, in my conversation with him, it was really about recognizing that, you know, in this moment of crisis, like, there are parts of it that are unique. And we've been here before, right? It is not your David's responsibility to organize community patrols, set up mutual aid, communicate to politicians. Like, it's not my job to do all of that. I see the need for those things happening in my community, but what is my superpower and what can I offer community? Part of it is just my work. And one of the things that I've recognized in myself is I've done most of my talking about my work online and not in my community. It's hard to introduce yourself as the restorative justice guy because nobody knows what that means. And then it's a long walk to get people to anti racism, abolition, and decolonization at, like, school pickup or at a birthday party, or like, when you're having an exchange in a coffee shop or the grocery store, it's not always that. Or at the gym. Right. It's not that easy. But part of that is, for me, like, no being more known in my community for that and, like, sharing more of those things about myself. And, like, hopefully that leads to some connections that has looked like showing up at places that are aligned with those values and ideals and offering support. And if you're in the greater Los Angeles area and you're in need of someone to help facilitate space for you and your community in these chaotic times, facilitate restorative processes, offer training on restorative justice processes and practices. You know, get coaching for your teachers, team, whatever, holla at your boy. But, you know, it's looked like this very nonlinear journey to get to building this skill set. And now I'm just trying to figure out how to plug it into, like, my geographic community in a way that is both sustainable for me as a young parent and my family, and in a way that, like, is of service in meeting the needs of people around me.
Speaker 1 28:11
I feel like I can see why it would be nonlinear just because I'm, like, I'm thinking of even just what I've done since I've gotten to college, and I guess just the general of, like, life being a little bit nonlinear. Like, I feel like I've been all over the place and trying to decide what to do with my life. So it's like, yeah, I think from everything I've seen, it's hard to decide on one specific thing that you want to do. I mean, it's definitely something that I feel like you're encouraged to do is, like, find the one thing. Because, you know, when you're a kid, you're like, oh, what do you want to do when you grow up? But I'm kind of in a space where I'm like, maybe I don't need to just do one thing. I'm also just thinking of, like, how do I sustain myself while wanting to do something that is, like, within the organizing space, which is not necessarily gonna be something that helps me make money so that I can, you know, live life? I'm only gonna be in my second year of college. Like, I. I have. I have a few more years. But just thinking about, like, once I get out of school, when I have to worry a lot more about money, just trying to think of, like, how does that fit with, like, what I'm actually passionate about? Because I think that what I am passionate about, which is equity, which is justice, which is journalism, but not. Not necessarily in the way that we're seeing it in mainstream media, those aren't necessarily things that will sustain me. And I'm like, what am I going to do? I guess maybe my question for you is, how do you balance that of, like, this isn't something that you do for profit, but you still have a life and you still have a family that you have, even though your main goal isn't to make money.
Speaker 0 30:28
So now is a perfect time to plug that. If you are looking to learn a little bit more about restorative justice or how to practice these ways. Amplify. RJ has lots of courses that you can get access to for a monthly fee of $49 in our All Access membership. Our Intro to RJ course is in there, which is about three hours. The foundations of restorative justice, which is a lot longer. It's like six different modules of content. Like, will really teach you how to, like, both facilitate restorative justice processes, but, like, how to approach it from a place of values and, like, understanding, like, the impact that you show up in. Sorry, the impact of the way that you show up in your body at the intersections of your identity and like how to communicate and hold space in that way. Please feel free to sign up and both support and learn. Right if that is too intense for you right now. I'm also introducing for the month of July, 31 days of restorative practice, 31 prompts that will just have you think about how to move in more restorative justice ways. So if you want to participate in that, links to that in the notes of wherever you're watching and or listening and you know, it's for your learning and for the sustaining of the Castro Harris family and the things that like I try to do in the world. I say all of that to you, Kylie, as one, give yourself some grace because you are going into your second year of college and two, I'm still actively figuring it out and my relationship with doing this work as a business has changed over the years. I used to work in a non profit way doing this work, getting paid pennies, relative pennies, not a living wage to for doing this like life this work that is like my life work that I'm passionate about. I've also done this work in a community facing way in times where you know, you're just taking $500 here, 1500 dollars there, gas money here, a Starbucks card there. And like that's. Those are things that I got to do with when I was single and or without kids right now that I am a parent, married, have the bills to pay as it were, student loans to pay back. I've had to get more strategic. And so again plugging. If you have an organization or a school that is interested in living these values in the way that you engage with each other, your clients, your students in a way that is centering relationships and valuing people over profit, addressing conflict without punishment, right. Leaning into accountability with care, holla at your boy. Lots of ways that I can support that. And so it's looked like making offers like that I've done it imperfectly. I know so many people in similar positions to me who are struggling through that and continue to struggle for decades. And so like I hope like that's not discouraging but I'm here, we're connected in this way and I don't know that there's ever a moment where like it is all figured out. You just have to take it one day at a time, one step at a time. So like what I would say to you is like yeah, you don't have to pick the one thing that you're going to do for the rest of your life. But you do have to pick a thing for right now, right? And part of that thing is this internship, right, which you're devoting a lot of hours of your day to. Part of that is like the tutoring that you're doing, which is like, money, because you need to make money. And I'm wondering if there's something local ish. That like, hey, let me check that out. That like. Because, like, at least it checks this box and this box. For me.
Speaker 1 34:42
In terms of community organizing, I think maybe, and. And maybe this is kind of similar to what you shared earlier about it seeming like people don't care, at least before the ICE raid started. It feels a lot to me that people in my community, I wouldn't say don't care, um, because they put signs out and things like that, but maybe don't care enough or don't have the capacity to, or haven't felt the need to. I'm not really sure. I don't want to, like, assume for them, but to go out and do something. And I think what helps with that kind of, maybe complacency is that, like, we haven't been seeing, like, the ICE raids, for example, happening within our own communities. Like, we've seen them on television, obviously, but within our own space that hasn't been happening. And so I'm like. I guess that is part of my struggle where it's like, there's nothing that I've seen that's super visible within my community specifically. But that could also be an issue of, like, I'm not tapped into the specific networks that would kind of bring that to light for me because I get most of my news from, like, journalists, I guess, that are like, in either, like, just mainstream, I guess, or national.
Speaker 0 36:19
Right. And so not necessarily covering local news.
Speaker 1 36:21
Yeah, national. And the local news that I do see tends to just be more coverage of, like, events or celebrations or things unless of. I. I don't see a lot of issue focusing. So I think, again, it's a situation where I need to specifically go out and seek that. And that's something that I haven't put the time into, but something I, I should and I want to do. So that's definitely my action item for after.
Speaker 0 36:50
Yeah, I mean, and we'll do some of that together offline as soon as we end this recording. But for people listening, right. If you find yourself in a situation similar to Kylie one, you're in Silicon Valley, like, I don't know if it has crossed your mind, but, like, or if you know of any organizations, but go to Oakland, go to Berkeley, go to organizations there and ask them what's happening over here because they'll know, Some people will know. There's also something to like Google words like mutual aid, community care. If there are bipoc or queer owned bookshops, those are also like really place, really good places to go, like as community hubs. And so like if there are like immigrant rights organizations or centers or culture centers, like those are also places where people often gather to do things in community. Not always necessarily justice and equity or radical politic value aligned, but those are places to start. And so for those who are thinking and listening and thinking about those things, like those are some things that I would Google either things in adjacent, bigger cities and then you know, some of those keywords in your, in your local area. This was different from our normal dynamic on this podcast. So thank you all for sticking with us. How are you? We covered that. What do you need is I guess what we'll close with. We've touched on some of those things. But Kylie, I'll ask you what do you need? And then you can ask me in return.
Speaker 1 38:36
Honestly, I think this is really helpful. Just like talking out my feelings and there's a lot of rambling. But I guess a big thing and a small thing, I need the world to be better and I guess a small thing I need to probably spend more quality time with the people that I love and try to, I guess nurture those relationships more. I think that would be good for me. All right, what do you need?
Speaker 0 39:11
Like, similar to you, like, I need ice to get the fuck out of my city and California. And like I need Trump not to be president. But like, you know, some of those things I can organize towards some of those things that I can't. Some of those things, like, I can get support towards some of those things I can't. But for the things that are like most directly related to me, Kalyan Mendoza did this holistic check in with me and if you want to see the full version of that, you can join our free community and I'll post the video of us engaging in that. But one of the biggest things that came up was like, I need to rest and take care of myself. Both like getting more sleep, which is like my perpetual struggle as a young parent, but also like taking care of my body. Like, I have shoulder issues and I should be doing my shoulder exercises and I don't always do that. It looks like going to the gym, which, like, I haven't done in two weeks since like all of this has happened just because no bandwidth. I need to lean into my superpowers in this work for my community. And so showing up and telling people about, like, how I can support and offering that not in a like you need this way, but as a like, hey, I'm here and I can help kind of way. And then I also need more people to support Amplify RJ financially because, like, the reality is like, there are hundreds of dollars in the Amplify RJ bank account and I haven't paid myself since much, much, much earlier in the year. And so again, a way to plug if you've got an organization who needs the support or if you're an individual who is looking for learning and community, there are links to do that in the description or bio wherever you're watching this. Of course, like subscribe, share, all of those things. Rate us to continue to amplify this work. But Kylie, thank you so much for engaging in this experiment on, you know, your third day of this internship. We're going to talk a little bit more about some ways that you can connect. But thanks for being game for this and I'm excited for the future. To our listeners, may you be safe, may you be happy, may you be healthy, may you live with ease, and may you work for a world where that is true for everyone. Peace.
