Dear Connie,

Updates from our movement:

• Don’t miss our newest episode of Radical Heroes featuring Movement Partner and retired professional boxer Ed Latimore, where he shares his wisdom, experiences, and inspiring compassion.  🥊 💪🏾
   
• Watch this outstanding interview with Movement Partner Deke Copenhaver on the Heather Parady Podcast. Deke beautifully illustrates that it Starts With Us (and throws in a little shoutout to Movement Partner Tony McAleer as well). 🤲🏻 

Remember to Stretch

Have you ever watched kids squeezing in and out of playsets at impossible angles and thought, “I wish I could still do that!” Rigidity, tension, and stiffness naturally come with age. Adults have to work at being flexible; we can’t just take it for granted that we will be able to bend, reach, and crawl. It’s not just kids’ bodies that are limber — it’s their brains, too. Research shows that children’s minds are most flexible and adaptable in the first 5 years of life. During this time, children learn social and emotional skills that determine their future abilities to relate and interact with others. 

Cognitive inflexibility is strongly linked to polarization. Essentially, it makes us really good at operating within our in-group and pretty bad at dealing with members of our out-groups. That means the road to depolarization and resilient minds starts with rolling out our social and psychological yoga mats and spending some time stretching.

So, what does “stretching” look like? Start by implementing three simple practices: do something you know how to do, but do it differently (and often); pursue new challenges and experiences; and meet new people. The next time you’re heading home from work, just on the verge of zoning out, take the less-traveled route to keep you engaged. Instead of doing the same gym session you do every Wednesday, try a different class. Go out of your way to connect with a stranger, whether it’s complimenting a fashion choice or asking how their book is.

If interacting only with your social group leads to inflexibility, then it’s pretty clear where we need to start to be more flexible. Go out of your comfort zone and do an old activity in a new way; try something new, and do it with people who are new to you. In this case, new really can be better — or at least more resilient and less polarized.

Make It A Habit:

We’ve talked a lot about resilience lately. Nurturing resilience in the next generation is essential for creating a more depolarized and cohesive world tomorrow. Here are some ways to foster resilience in young people: 

Starts With Us is a growing movement to overcome extreme political and cultural division in our country. We use media and technology to foster independent thinking and constructive communication across our differences, inspiring and empowering our community to practice curiosity, compassion, and courage every day.