~Nuance~Empathy~Context~Honest~Gratitude~Vulnerability~Freedom~Balance~
I love these bracelets. I don't leave the house without them. I bought the left four bracelets (which I used to call my "remember bracelets" or my "conversation bracelets") in September of 2018, and the right four bracelets in the following October.
Before I get into the significance of these bracelets in my life, I'll link here to Amazon where I was able to get them engraved if you're interested (they were pretty cheap).
So the reason that I called the left four bracelets my "remember bracelets" was because these four have the word "remember" engraved on the back. I called them my "conversational bracelets" because they help me to engage in discussions or debates respectfully. They're like keys to a good conversation:
🔑 Empathy helps me to beg the question "what if I'm wrong, and they're right?" I then care more about listening to the other party's argument and understanding the issue in the way that they understand the issue. Examples: What if the dress isn't blue and black? 👗 What if the recording did say "laurel" and not "yanny"?
Understanding how the other party came to their conclusion is important. Another way to examine an issue with empathy is to visualize the problem from the POV of people who are most affected by the problem; Or better yet, ask them yourself (research is fun!). 📽📖📈
🔑Context helps me to situate the problem at hand into its historical, sociological, political, racial, gendered, or possibly economic context. Example: We can't talk about why marijuana is illegal in the United States without talking about the War on Drugs, the Prison Industrial Complex (video here), and the history of racism in the US.
Contextualizing problems are important when trying to get to the root of an issue.
🔑Honesty should be pretty self-explanatory. If you don't know something, be clear about your ignorance and address it (in oppose to lying). If you are having a conversation to showcase your knowledge on a topic and assert your academic superiority, then you aren't being true to the conversation. If you are not committed to empathizing with the other parties involved or contextualizing the problem, you are not respecting the issue at hand. If a conversation makes you uncomfortable and you feel as though you can't express your ideas freely, try anyway (obviously this is better said than done but we're all going to die soon; allow yourself to be vulnerable and courageous if the space is not too dangerous).
🔑Nuance helps me to remember that everything is on a spectrum, and that I should strive to give issues the complex and complicated discussion they deserve.
The next four bracelets are a bit more personal to me, and each has something different engraved on both sides:
Gratitude/ Honor reminds me to look back when I kill the game. Do not be too prideful. Acknowledge the people who got you to where you are today and honor them because they deserve it.
Vulnerability/ Courage reminds me to try and be a little more open everyday. Society largely dictates what we keep secret and what we can be open about. Look at yourself as an individual outside of your society and be courageous enough to speak up when no one else is, share your narrative when it can help someone else, lose the fear of judgement because people will judge you regardless.
Freedom/ "To be" reminds me to exist the way I'd like, and fight for what is just. The fact that white men put my ancestors in chains still boggles my mind. The fact that they remained enchained until a little over 150 years ago (around 120 years ago in Brazil's case) is wild. I cannot wrap my head around that. And now white men have the nerve to tell black people that we are not allowed to access our full humanity? That is wicked! Men have the nerve to say that as women, we are not allowed to wear certain clothes, speak too loudly, control our bodies? LGBTQ+ folk cannot love who they love? This world, is screwed. I am reminded by this bracelet that nobody is going to tell me how I should spend my waking hours on this earth.
Balance/ Center yourself reminds me to breathe when I am too happy or too sad. I don't want to live a life of highs and lows. Waking up, looking at the phone, seeing a unjust tragedy going on somewhere in the world, and allowing that to impact your mood for the day is how a lot of people begin their days. Some believe that this routine fuels their fire for justice, but in the process it can destroy you. Vice versa, getting an ego boost from the "likes" on your Instagram comments is also not too healthy. This bracelet reminds me to recognize myself in the greater scope of the cosmos, and realize that in the words of Alicia Keys, "nothing really matters." On another note, this bracelet reminds me to take care of myself. Finding a healthy work/sleep/school balance during my undergrad years was unsuccessful per usual, and towards the end of it all, I felt like I really dropped the ball when it came to my health. This summer, I am working to find a balance that works for me and stick to it.
If bracelets aren't your thing, find something that can remind you of a few important tips that will help you to live your best life.