This course is based on the book, When Saving the World is Killing You: An Activist's Guide to Overcoming Burnout and Leading with Vitality. It is designed to assist you in assessing your internal landscape and putting some practices in place that will support and enhance your leadership from the inside out. The modules are a road map and a sure fire way to become the change you want to see in the world.

We have provided a Free Ebook that you can read and use as you go through the modules.

Chapter 1: When Saving the World is Killing You

So, you’re exhausted, burned out, probably somewhat apathetic, maybe disillusioned, and most likely angry, if not enraged, yet you still have the burning desire to selflessly serve. There are moments when you don’t understand yourself or why you’re willing to go to such lengths to do what you do, but you’ve set out to a make difference in the world and create a meaningful life. You see what’s going on around the globe, and the injustices make you sick. You’ve courageously taken personal responsibility to fight for those who cannot fight for themselves, and you use your voice to speak the words for the voiceless. You lovingly show up for those who are denied and unseen. You save the rainforests, you change the laws, you protect our wildlife, and you speak for human rights. You feed the hungry, you fight for equality, you stand for peace, and you help the lost find their way.

I understand the lengths that you will go to, the determination you have, and the perseverance that runs through your blood. I know the journey you’ve been willing to take and the sacrifices you’ve been willing to make. You are one among millions, yet, at times, you feel so desperately alone in a world that doesn’t understand your true servant’s heart.

Although you’ve had triumphs, they have often seemed short-lived because there’s always so much to do. Up until now, your resilience was impeccable, but now your dynamism is dulled by the never-ending obstacles, and there has been little return on your energy investment. You’ve lost in court, you didn’t get the funding you needed, the bill you helped initiate wasn’t passed, your team fell apart, your project blew up, or you were verbally attacked at a protest. Perhaps a relationship with your teammate is strained, and the entire crew has personality conflicts. You’re rarely acknowledged with a kudo, and instead of being treated as the hero you are, you’re often treated poorly, even by those you love.

To some, you are an annoyance. You represent a voice that needs to be silenced or a topic that people fear to see. You knock on the doors anyway – sometimes on the doors of those who have no ears and are denied a place of logic and reason. You work entirely too hard and have bouts of passion fatigue. Now, because of your unwavering commitment, you’re emotionally and mentally spent.

I know what you’re up against. I know what you face, and I know nothing will stop you. However, right now you are tired, and you need to take a rest. I’d never try and stop you from fighting for your cause. On the contrary, I want to support you in maximizing your potential, because the world needs you and your valuable contribution.

You suited up to lead in a patriarchal system that is unbalanced and unfair. The system is set up and designed to rob you of your life-force while perpetuating oppression and control. The use of force and violence on those engaged in civil disobedience is an outrage. And, the same system deprives those who seek peace through nonviolent and connective communication, which benefits the whole rather than the agenda of a few.

The leadership of the divine feminine is now a necessity to offset the stronghold of the masculine domination. Our energies must be integrated and used differently in order to survive the changes necessary for us to avoid cataclysmic consequences. We have forgotten the divine feminine that is soft, nurturing, comforting, loving, and fluid. Using your masculine energy is not wrong, but when used alone, it is definitely not effective.

Here’s the thing I want you to know – the problem of losing your energy is not a character defect. You haven’t done anything wrong, you’re not a failure, and there is no shame in this game. If you are at the point of berating yourself for not being able to function, stop immediately, as that too is draining your life-force.

Suffering from exhaustion is simply a way of rerouting your trajectory. It’s nudging you to discover what is blocking your energy flow so that you can regain your motivation and do what you do best. It’s a time to reset and re-strategize, committing to your own health and well-being. There are those who are counting on you, and staying in this cycle is costing you your livelihood. It’s costing you your joy. Additionally, it’s costing your team their leader, a person they count on to pave the way for them. It’s costing the world a genius, a trooper, a solider, a mother, and a friend. It’s costing you your dreams, and it’s costing the world the change we want to see.

Every time you board a plane and listen to the stewardess’s monologue on the emergency procedures, you are clearly told to put your oxygen mask on first. You can’t save the person beside you if you’re gasping for oxygen yourself. The solution to your problem is comprehensive, yet easy to obtain should you focus your energy in the correct direction and align yourself in your body, mind, and spirit with what truly serves you and the people around you, beyond your beliefs and your societal conditioning.

Within these pages, I’ll help you discover areas that are depleting your energy and find where you can make changes that help you regain your strength, restore your power, and lead more effectively. You will gain insight into why your energy is constantly depleted, strengthen your ability to respond instead of react to the challenges you face, obtain greater mental and emotional clarity, maintain healthier personal relations, and stand with a stronger sense of self, rock-solid in your personal power. Making pertinent tweaks in the way you show up will put you in alignment with your purpose, and making conscious choices about how you use your energy will skyrocket your success. In essence, there is a solution.

You may want to come up with a million excuses as to why you don’t have the time, but the fact of the matter is, if you don’t stop and listen to your body, you’re wasting time – time that you could use to be out on the front lines, be with your loved ones, and breathe in the beauty of life again.

Although you are a warrior, you must remember that you’re not a victim. A victim will stay stuck, deny, and give up. You are much more than that. You are worthy. You are seen. You are loved. And when you remove the blocks that are in your way, you will prevail in the glory of your personal story.

You do not have to believe in the underlying essence of all there is to know or believe that there is more than what you see. There is a higher truth, there is a bigger picture, and there is a pathway designed especially for you to achieve all that you want to achieve in serving the greater good of all while loving yourself beyond measure.

When saving the world is killing you, I offer you a place to come home.