After over a quarter of a century of being fully engaged in the social justice movement, we found ourselves feeling defeated. Despite years of marching, protesting, fighting the systems and often each other for the cause, we kept seeing the same headlines, and hitting the same roadblocks, again and again. We were trying to dismantle power, but we weren’t coming from a place of power in ourselves.

Our social and political disempowerment became personal, as well. From depression to addictions to financial problems to toxic relationships, we all found ourselves drifting further from our potential. We realized that we had to search out the cause. We found there to be a conflict in our consciousness. Psychologists refer to this as cognitive dissonance. In other words, our self awareness was not merging with our social awareness.

We decided to change that.

Over time, we began to see our social consciousness and self awareness as one. As a result, we became physically healthier, began healing relationships with ourselves and others, found new love, outgrew addictions and became better and more present parents to our children. We also began to breach divides with people we never thought we would understand, and found common ground in a vision of human solidarity.

In essence, we began to live fully in our power.