Waking up the day after the 2025 Inauguration, over coffee and during my meditation, I thought about what I would have needed to hear as a young queer person that morning. Or, as a young Black person, young immigrant, young person struggling with their mental health, or generally, as a human being in America right now. As someone questioning – what does the future under this administration hold? Am I safe? Can I be myself? What will happen to the people I love?

Below are the words that flowed through me that morning that I hope can be nourishment for your soul.

It is so cold outside I can see my breath

My inner heat and fire made real in the air

It is in you too

Know that you are not alone

You are meant for great things

To inspire and impact the world

Believe in yourself as I do

In your value and your worth

Stay strong during these times

That can feel scary and overwhelming

You will make it through

You are part of the change that is needed

You are part of our community

I stand with you

We are in this together, all of us

Don’t let them dim your light

Don’t cover who you are because they are afraid and uncomfortable

They lack vision and foresight

We have always and will always be here

Beginning and end

We are creation, we birth new worlds and new ways of being

Don’t forget who you are

Let yourself be open to becoming

The brightest, most beautiful version of yourself

You are embraced by the cosmos

Part of the divine tapestry of existence

Loved and cherished

I am proud of you, all that you are

Strength and scars, tender openness

Your self-confidence and courage are needed in the world

They are a reminder that we are here

We are community

We are everlasting

No one gets to tell us who we are

Find your community, your people, your practice

Be an accomplice with those who are targeted

Be strategic together

That is how we turn the tide

There will be many challenges ahead

But don’t sacrifice who you are at the altar of limited acceptance

Not everyone has the vision and expansive wisdom to see it

But I see you, all that you are

For you move through the world with love

Remember your why, that you can make positive changes for future generations

That they may experience a new level of freedom and existence

Be what you didn’t get to see

The main character in the movie of your life

Be sunshine and glacial waters

As Rumi said, “Be the sky and the clouds that create the rain, not the gutter that carries it to the drain.”

Be hope everlasting

Your ancestors are with you

Your spirit guides are by your side

In this moment, here and now

You are past, present and future

Grieve what you need to grieve

Feel what must be felt

You cannot bury your feelings and be the change that is needed

Rest when you need to rest

Remember that it is together we change and shape the future

Many small actions creating ripples through time and space

Your allies are all around you

Don’t assume you know who they are

Or what they look like

Be open, let empathy be your guide

Our liberation requires collective action

Sustained strategic engagement

Open your mind and your heart

Listen to your vibes

Trust your intuition

Remember, you have choices

You get to choose who you are

You get to write the definition of your existence

What you believe

Who you support

How you vote

The way you show up

Who you love

What you value

What religion you embrace or spiritual practice you adopt

Who you are – as a human, as a being on the planet with hopes and dreams

And how you think about the future

We may be in dark and troubling times

But we are stronger than their hate and their fear

The time has come, you are ready

Move hand in hand in community

For we can create the world we are worthy of, together.