The Contagion of Courage.

Real talk for a moment?

Are you tired of the nonstop nervous system roller coaster of these days?

That constant pull into fight or flight…

The chronic hum of anxiety that never fully lets up...

That wired-but-tired state that keeps you spinning in overwhelm?

It’s no accident that so many of us are feeling this way right now.

In times like these, our nervous systems are being continuously activated – by fear, uncertainty, the sheer volume of crises, the sense that our voices won’t matter, the overwhelming swirl of “what now?”

It’s an effective tactic: keep people scared and dysregulated, and they won't have access to their power, their clarity, or their voice.

(Note: this applies in micro form in relationship dynamics, and in macro form in sociopolitical situations)

Here’s the thing: a periodically activated nervous system is brilliantly designed for survival.

But a continually activated one?

It takes a toll – physically, emotionally, mentally, spiritually.

It clouds our vision, flattens our courage, hijacks our breath, and makes it difficult (in some cases nearly impossible) to take grounded, wise action in the direction we feel is right.

Leading in extraordinary times, with courage

Over the past couple of weeks, I’ve been hearing from from friends and colleagues around the globe – checking in, offering solidarity, reminding me (and us) that they've lived through these kinds of fires before, and the collective activation.

And then, early last week, something extraordinary happened.

You might know this already – but just in case not, Senator Cory Booker took to the Senate floor last Tuesday and spoke for over 25 hours straight.

He was responding to the urgent moment we’re living in. His constituents had been asking him to do something different, to rise to the moment – and he did. With courage, moral clarity, and compassion.

I’m not bringing him into this love note to talk about politics. That’s somebody else’s area of expertise.

I’m bringing it up because what Senator Booker demonstrated so powerfully – in the face of opposition, overwhelm, exhaustion, and intensity – was how to show up, stay self-regulated, on purpose, and relational.

(He also did some serious biohacking in order to stay standing, alert, and on the floor the entire time, which I was delighted to learn about, but that’s a different love note.)

He showed what embodied courage rooted in the social nervous system looks like. And that matters deeply for how we meet this moment too.

What does this have to do with the nervous system?

Here’s what struck me as related to the nervous system:

• He wasn’t alone. He had a close friend and colleague by his side – someone who he’d supported in a previous moment of taking a stand, and who showed up for him for this one. That kind of co-regulation is medicine.

• He was supported with strategy and other allies. Other senators stepped in to ask questions, give him room to breathe, to pause, help him stay centered and on the floor – literally and figuratively. He also had devoted staff members who fielded calls, prepared and strategized with him, wrote volumes, and worked late nights with him for days (and weeks) prior. The final 25 hour outcome was a result of the work of many.

• He humanized every interaction. When colleagues addressed him to ask questions, he responded with honoring, respect, and connection. He acknowledged the person, their relationship, referenced their contributions, any collaborations, and their shared values. He grounded the conversation in connection. This wasn’t performative – it was relational. Nervous system to nervous system.That kind of relational presence helps everyone’s nervous system feel safer. And helped him keep going.

• He was inclusive, not partisan. Over and over, he reminded us that he was speaking not for one political group, but for the people – for all people in the country (in the world, really). That inclusivity is nervous system regulation, especially in times where people have been encouraged to be divisive.

• He made a call to the people. His voice wasn’t just for the room. He was asking the public – all of us – to join him, to find their own version of extraordinary and courageous response to these extraordinary times.

That’s what courage looks like when it’s contagious.

And that’s what healing can look like in action.

It was powerful. Not just in content, but in embodiment.

Another extraordinary happening.

Cory's embodiment echoed something I witnessed/ experienced this weekend: Another extraordinary moment.

This past Saturday, I witnessed that same medicine in motion – a fierce, clear, courageous showing up – a collective of people (en masse) taking a stand for what matters.

People who were afraid and came anyway. People who had never done something like that before. People who are already engaged in lots of ways. Community members. Medical professionals. Teachers. Therapists. Veterans. Public servants. Entrepreneurs. Parents. Elders. Youth. Activists. Folks with jobs on the line, or who've already lost them.

And I watched as their (our) presence – together – shifted the collective nervous system from fear, isolation, and overwhelm into something else: connectedness, clarity, and courage.

This is what happens when our social nervous systems are engaged.

When we remember that we are wired for connection, and that connection paves the way for courage. And brave action.

And when we find our power – not in the frenzy and the chronic activation – but in each other.

This is not a political newsletter. But it is an invitation to step out of chronic survival mode – and into something more regulated, resilient, and real.

An invitation into the contagion of courage.

Now you.

So let me ask you...

• How’s your nervous system these days? Are you feeling the pull into fight or flight?

• What are you doing to find steadiness in the storm?

• Where are you being called to step forward – and what’s in the way?

• What would help you feel steadier, braver, and more anchored in how you want to show up – personally, professionally, societally?

Now imagine:

You walk into work, or log onto a call, or go out into the world, and instead of being swept up in and distracted by the chaos – you feel rooted. Clear. Ready. Courageous.

And you ripple that out.

That’s what we’re cultivating over here.

And I’d love to invite you to take a first step.