Inner Work to Make Your Community Thrive with Chantel Rhodes – Episode 106
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In this episode, we have invited Chantel Rhodes. She is a child advocate for Golisano Children’s Hospital in Fort Myers, Florida, and has been involved with human rights campaigns her entire adult life. She first joined the Black Lives Matter movement while studying to get her master’s degree at Georgia State University in Atlanta. Chantel is passionate about expanding awareness regarding social issues, increasing cultural competency, promoting equal opportunity, fostering mental health, and decreasing social and health disparities.
Key Takeaways from my chat with Chantel:
Chantel’s most curious outside her work: Chantel is very curious about her current position in international travel. She feels blessed to be able to travel to 34 countries. Traveling is one of her passions, and connecting with different people, observing and appreciating everything about the experiences.
The impact Chantel is making in the world: In the summer of 2020, Chantel led a “resistance movement” in southwest Florida. During the pandemic, she and her friends did not expect to protest police brutality in support of Black Lives Matter and want justice for George Floyd’s death at the hands of a police officer. She then thought of her next move and decided to run for the city council in Fort Myers, Florida
Where Chantel is finding success at the moment: Chantel finds success in the people’s reactions. She finds success in the appreciation of the people for her advocacy work. She has also received success in the education component and conversing and presenting the latest information about the issues often ignored in society.
Recovery is Possible: Accept that the pieces may never fully come together. You may not always have everything you need, but you can get yourself into a place where you can feel functional. Talk to someone about what you are experiencing so that your level of functioning can return to normal. If you haven’t laughed or cannot live, talk to professionals who can get you to various resources. Though not everything can come together, you can function and still live a delighted life.
Learn to Rest: Rest is an essential part of the recovery process. Grief can make you tired and wear you out. Know that it is okay to rest. It’s time to be bold and say, “I’m going to spread my wings beyond what I’m used to to get what I need for myself.” Make sure you take the time you need to heal, feel and rest.
The Inner Work to do the Outer Work: Reflective work starts with self-awareness or an assessment of self. “Who am I? Who do I want to be?” Spending time with these questions means just having a conversation with a person who can push some of that information off back to you. But it starts with understanding who you are as an individual and accepting the flaws. Know that some things can never be fixed or can never be changed. So just start giving yourself grace and the ability to rest. It is not a race or a competition. Love yourself and that inner child inside of you who desperately needed attention or be that person to yourself. From there, you’ll find the strength and the wisdom to go in the direction that you need to go.
Chantel’s big professional goal: Chantel’s big professional goal at the moment is stepping into the political arena. It is her first time running for public office for the city council in Fort Myers. It is a big leap of faith for her, and that message of vulnerability comes along with it.
Book Recommendation: Chantel recommends The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck by Mark Manson. When she first encountered the book, she thought it was just telling you to just screw what everyone else in the world thinks and just be your own person. But once she explored the book, she found a life-changing message that challenges your value system. She realized that much of what she was pursuing was based on a low-quality value system. The book helped her with her inner work, and it is full of information, depth, and personal stories
.Chantel’s Advice: Embrace and love yourself. Those imperfections lie down with you at night, holding you, having the most understanding for you. Don’t wait for the AHA moment to come and find you. It will occur when you begin to seek yourself. You are worth understanding and pondering what went wrong. Love yourself a little bit more. Life is short, and nobody wants to go through life feeling like they hate themselves or are displeased with themselves. Do the work it takes to create yourself that you want to see.
Learn more about Chantel’s Work: Website | Facebook Page
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