🔥 Pull, don't push: In Community #60

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“I’ve learned [so much] in the past hour about life that I should’ve known but didn’t know.”

Laverne Cox attributed this to Norman Lear when describing his response as Cox pitched him the idea for her new show. Lear, the producer and writer known for his groundbreaking work infusing social commentary into entertainment, was 96 years old at the time.

When I wrote about raising your voice last week, knowing how and when to use your voice – and the power of our collective voices – was essential.

Lear’s work used not only his voice, but it brought together diverse voices to help drive societal change at scale. Cox has taken a similar approach.

What both have been able to do as they came into the spotlight is to shine the light on what’s often left in the dark – the stories and lived experiences of those of us at the margins.

They’ve helped bring the margins to the mainstream.

👉🏽 How did they do it?

One way was to pull, not push.

Think about what it’s like to ride a bike. You can push hard on the pedals to move yourself forward and ultimately hit fatigue fast, or you can pull your legs up in motion to let momentum do the heavy lifting.

When you do the latter, you’re able to get farther faster and have greater stamina for the road ahead.

By showcasing the stories that bring to life our humanity – not the perfectly curated or overly sensationalized images of us – both Lear and Cox have drawn people in.

It hasn’t just been pushing narratives or singular agendas. It’s been about showing the reality of our experiences individually and our experience as a collective, including the impact that decisions at all levels have on us.

As viewers of their work watched, they learned – and they had fun while doing it. It caused stirs and conversations that otherwise would have not happened at all. 

Families, coworkers, and communities were pulled in, and as a result, they pulled together. That’s how barriers break down. That’s how bridges are built.

Ask yourself these questions:

👉🏽 What barriers am I trying to break down?

👉🏽 What bridges do I need to build?

👉🏽 Where can I pull – draw people in to my cause – rather than just push?

Figure that out, and that’s when you’ll begin to see a path forward.

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In community,

Fahad