Frolic and find out
I'm an independent liberatory facilitator and coach who believes that leadership comes from actions, not titles. Do you want to unearth more creativity and power, especially as you recover from perfectionism? I write about growth, wellbeing, and futures beyond extractive capitalism. 🌳 🌊
What hides under your shiny, cool-sounding achievements? Part II.
In the first part of this dispatch, I encouraged you to tell more humanising stories about your 'shiny' achievements. And I promised to share exciting news with you. Here it is... 🌱 A leading international advocacy organisation has invited me to Nepal and sponsored me. Will I get views like this? Here's hoping. ✈️ It's my first time in Nepal! I'm stoked. I'll learn and create momentum with 19 other international leaders to advance sustainable development with a focus on 🏳️🌈🏳️⚧️+ human rights....
Peak inside for delicious eggs.
How do you infuse play in your day-to-day? Today I'm playing with a new format: I highlight how a few folks in my community are playing and being creative, because I believe that creating is the seat of our power. And it's how we create futures where we are flourishing and accessing well-being. Want me to feature you? To learn how, see the end of this dispatch! 🍄 Monika played with... furniture Monika squats atop a coffee table in a black leather dress. Okay, I know that sounds wrong. But it...
What hides under your shiny, cool-sounding achievements?
What hides under your shiny, cool-sounding achievements? What if we speak about this hidden undergrowth more? It's manure, it helps us grow. 🌱 We rarely see the messy shit under the hood of other people's shiny achievements. And we usually don't show it openly in our movement spaces, masterminds or communities either. Like this recovering founder's confession that she got really, really sick from being successful. She was living an overcaffeinated, panicked nightmare as her greeting card...
I'm not going to teach you anything in Take Your Power Back.
A love note from one of my beloved collaborators: "In collaborating with his playful energies, powerful coaching tools, and guiding questions, Aayaan helped me recognize my power and voice in my writing practice and in my interactions. He enabled me to expand my confidence and creativity, and redefine myself. I began to see my scientific work not as my duty, but as the game I play in service of decolonization which helped me regulate my energies much more." - Neha When you leave Take Your...
Are you coming to Take Your Power Back? August 15.
Hi Reader! I’m writing to you from Leh, one of the highest altitude inhabited places in the world! I’d like to personally invite you to my new online workshop on August 15: Take Your Power Back. These will be the most relaxing 90 relaxing minutes you’ll ever spend on Zoom, I promise. Join us. I’ve woken up with the sun the past 2 days. I’m resting to acclimatise but I’m super energetic! Something is in the air, you know? Being here has made one thing abundantly clear to me: our physical...
When people in power can't stop f**king up.
Hi! 🌱 I'm Aayaan, the founder of Unearth Freedom, an anti-oppressive leadership development enterprise. I have an incredible workshop announcement today. Please join and tell your friends! Reader, I know it's hard to watch global and national politics right now. This run-up to the US Presidential election. It's hard not to feel doomed. People in power just can't stop f**king up. It makes sense to think that power is sinister, self-serving and greedy, right? I get it. But look again. Look at...
Electricity was in the air on Monday.
Reader, Electricity was in the air on Monday. I got off a call that I facilitated. Then these messages you see above unexpectedly landed in my inbox. I didn't think that I did anything special. But as I listened to other attendees rave and feel relieved, I realised... What we achieved in that meeting was, in fact, extraordinary. In an hour, we very amicably resolved 4 important issues that threatened to tank the project. Everyone in this meeting is getting paid a chunk of money now, instead...
Happy Pride Month! 🏳️🌈 🏳️⚧️ 💜💛
Hey Reader! Happy Pride Month! How is my weekend looking?! Well... like this: furiously typing away at my keyboard... Today I managed to submit an application for a LGBTQI+ human rights and Sustainable Development Goals training in Sri Lanka. I'll know in July if I've been selected. I would LOVE to go, learn, and meet some amazing humans. Please pray for me or send me your most supportive vibes! 🤗 And I sent a draft to my editor at Queerbeat, who I think was a bit pissed at me lol. But what...
What's your favourite podcast right now?
Hey Reader, What's your favourite podcast right now? It's been a while since I've heard an episode that has riveted, captured, and delighted me...! Will you reply with the name of a podcast you love? Because I'm looking for cool, new people to listen to and interesting topics to hear about. Caveat: don't send me no horror or true crime stuff! I'm already not sleeping too well. Here are a few of my all time favorites. These episodes have powerful people discussing potent topics. They make me...
What changed for me about Palestine
Reader, This isn't okay or new. Heartbreaking violence is not new to us. I'm guessing atleast 50% of us here have experienced our people getting massacred, killed by state repression, forced into a famine, or gravely hurt in war. Other people are also experiencing heart-breaking violence as we speak. But the genocide in Gaza is right in front of our faces in a way that others aren't -- we've seen the most gruesome images of violence that Israel has inflicted upon Palestinians once again. I...
I'm an independent liberatory facilitator and coach who believes that leadership comes from actions, not titles. Do you want to unearth more creativity and power, especially as you recover from perfectionism? I write about growth, wellbeing, and futures beyond extractive capitalism. 🌳 🌊