March 21, 2025 • 19 mins
What happens when the cost of having your voice heard threatens your wellbeing? In this raw, unplanned conversation, we explore the painful reality many professionals face: choosing which battles to fight and which to walk away from.
The discussion begins with a triggering incident in a professional setting where unprofessional behavior created a hostile environment. From there, we unpack the specific challenges faced by those with "dynamic disabilities" – conditions that aren't immediately visible but significantly impact daily life. "But you look fine" becomes a phrase that dismisses real suffering and forces many to function with what we call "acceptable pain."
We dive deep into the question that haunts many advocates: Is it our responsibility to endure microaggressions and dismissive behaviors so our voices can be heard in important spaces? Or do we prioritize our health by walking away? There's no simple answer, but we offer a framework for deciding which hills are worth the toll they take on your wellbeing.
A powerful cancer metaphor emerges – becoming "the forefront on holding that cancer so it doesn't spread" while ensuring you don't perish from that same cancer. This captures the delicate balance between fighting for change and self-preservation. We examine the disconnect between decision-makers and frontline workers, the financial burden of maintaining wellness while advocating, and the radical notion that rest itself can be a form of activism.
Share your experiences with us and help us see the good being done amidst what sometimes feels like overwhelming darkness. Remember – you're not alone in this struggle to make a difference while taking care of yourself.
A Hero's Welcome Podcast © Maria Laquerre-Diego & Liliana Baylon
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Maria Diego (00:00):
Okay, Hello everyone.
Welcome to an unplanned,unscripted episode of , and I'm
joined by my lovely co-host.
(00:31):
Liliana Baylon and we startedactually, it was unplanned, as
Maria just shared- because itwas sharing an experience and
how the political environment isdictating the way that we
respond.
And then we're noticing onemore time all those biases that
we Would you agree, Maria, thatI always say that we can be
aware of trauma, yet most of usare actually causing trauma in
spaces?
all, as professionals, have,even in mental health, which I
think that's why it's so hardfor all of us to make sense of.
(00:58):
Yes, yeah.
So part of what triggered ourinitial conversation was an
unfortunate incident andsituation that you found
yourself in, but isn't the onlytime you have found yourself in
that situation, nor is it theonly time that, in a
professional setting,professionals behave really
(01:19):
unprofessional, but let's justsay disgusting, towards each
other and the toll that it takeson you deciding whether that's
a space you need to remain in ordo you walk away.
And so what we ended up sort oftalking about was this idea of
is it our responsibility and ourduty to take on the discomfort,
(01:44):
the stress, the toll that ittakes being in situations where
we are attacked, where we arequestioned, where we are
dismissed and belittled by otherprofessionals?
Do we need to take that on sothat our voice is heard and that
those groups are not surroundedby, yes men, yes women, or do
(02:10):
you choose, for the bettermentof your mental health, to not
engage in those spaces, and whatdoes that mean for you, but
also for the larger profession?
Yeah, so all of it is true,right?
No-transcript.
(02:46):
How are we going to do that asa Latina migrant mental health
therapist who is constantlydealing with microaggressions
but also is dealing with dynamicdisabilities that are being
dismissed in our field becausebut you look fine.
Liliana Baylon (03:06):
Right.
Not only do you look fine,Liliana, you have a voice and
you're not, you're not quiet.
I think that's anotherassumption about dynamic
disabilities and those peoplewho are quote unquote sick is
that if you don't look sick,then you're not sick.
And if you're, if you'reshowing up to meetings and being
vocal, then you're not sick.
And those of us, and those ofus, our listeners that live with
(03:29):
chronic conditions, we know wehave to do those things anyway,
we have to show up anyway, weall live with a degree of
acceptable pain or illness andstill have to function.
And do you need to decide Imean you specifically, Liliana,
(03:49):
for this situation, but I, youknow, our listeners in general
we have to decide is this worththe toll on my health?
Because sometimes the answer isgoing to be yes.
Maria Diego (04:00):
Yeah.
Liliana Baylon (04:01):
And sometimes the answer will be this is not
the battle I'm willing to fightany longer.
And how do you make, how do youmake that decision?
Which battle do you pick?
And then, how do you get rightwith yourself for the ones that
you walk away from?
Maria Diego (04:17):
So I think, for listeners right in this moment,
either pause, pause the podcastand then write down what are the
heels, what are the values,personally and professionally as
mental health therapists, thatyou are willing to become an
ally and to fight for, and notthe ally of hashtag, because
(04:40):
that became really popular.
George Floyd, which a lot of alot of people tend to dismiss
because it's a trend.
Right, like using certain wordsor, but don't tell me you're an
ally when you witness thingsand then you're quiet.
Yeah, don't tell me you're anally by going and putting a
hashtag or something on yoursocial media.
(05:03):
What is truly the work thatyou're doing?
Right?
So Maria and I talk about howwe hold each other accountable
or like okay, I said this, giveme your perspective, what are my
blind spots?
Right, but that's therelationship that you and I have
, where we can call each other'sbullshit or lack of humility
(05:25):
and it's necessary.
Liliana Baylon (05:27):
Part of the conversation was also we cannot
surround ourselves with peoplewho only think and agree with us
.
Maria Diego (05:33):
No.
Liliana Baylon (05:35):
That's not growth, that's not safe, that's
not healthy, that's actuallyreally dangerous, right?
Because then we become siloedand we believe that we're the
only ones that are right andwe're getting that feedback.
So that becomes really, reallydangerous.
So, thinking about you, knowyour values, the hills that
(05:55):
you're willing to notnecessarily die on, but you're
willing to do the work, you'rewilling to acknowledge the
sacrifices that you have to taketo be on that hill and you find
that there's value enough inmaking that choice.
Yeah, because you can't be onall the hills.
Maria Diego (06:12):
You can't by the way, shout out to norca, one of
my friends here in colorado.
So I have a lunch with her andshe says the world is good, is
dealing with cancer, and I loveher analogy in that moment.
And she said and you'rebecoming, uh, the forefront on
on holding that cancer so itdoesn't get spread, which is
(06:36):
beautiful work, and how are yougoing to take care of yourself
so that you don't die from thatcancer?
I was like damn damn girl, Idon't even know how to answer
that right now.
But that analogy fits perfectlybecause we're living in an
environment right now where wehave given permission to
(06:56):
belittle people, to discriminateagainst people, and we have
given permission for people tosay really hurtful things about
others.
So there's no, I see you, asthe human is, research says, or
the administration says, uh,those are the common language
(07:17):
that I keep hearing over andover again yeah, we're losing
touch with our humanity.
That's exactly it, right?
So you and I, maria, are knownfor talking about the human
aspect of how will this impactyou?
So I think, as mental healththerapists, we understand,
because of our clients, theimpact that it has from that
(07:39):
dynamic disability, a politicalenvironment, social status,
financial status, like it's.
All these things that we'redealing with, and what I'm
becoming aware, and tell me ifit's the same for you which I
think it is is that not everyonedeals with the populations that
we deal with.
Actually, there's a lot ofmental health therapists who
have leadership positions andtherefore they're not having
(08:01):
this experience, this sharedexperience of working with
clients, and that's where thedisconnect happens.
Yeah, right, absolutely, youand I are in it, and therefore
this empathy is highlighted,which is beautiful, and it sucks
yeah, yes, because I think it.
Liliana Baylon (08:19):
You know we've we've talked a little bit before
about how the the place andwhere the decisions are being
made.
They're being made by peoplewho are not in the front lines,
and that disconnect has beenmore and more evident over the
last year, but even more so inthe last couple of months.
That decisions are being madewithout truly understanding the
(08:40):
impact on the frontline workers,their clients, their caseloads,
and that lack of empathy andhumanity comes through when it
feels like decisions are beingmade without context.
Maria Diego (08:55):
So, with all of this being discussed out loud,
right, the invitation to ourlisteners is not everything is
so dark, feels like it.
It's so dark, feels like it,and you know what is it that is
coming up for you, what is itthat you're becoming aware of
Because we can talk about.
I have these privileges, yeah,great.
(09:17):
And then what?
What is the follow-up with that?
And if you don't haveprivileges, okay, great, and
then what comes down after that?
We all have voices.
The difference right now is thatwe have a podcast, so we have a
platform for you and me also.
We have privileges theprivilege of our profession, our
(09:38):
education, it can be theirfinancial.
All of us are still working, soobviously we're not rich.
There will be signs, peoplewhen mariana, but we're not
telling you that will be.
But there's all these layers ofprivileges that we may have.
(09:58):
Yet we're still impacted eitherbecause of current policies
that are being in place, by bybeing born females, by having
disabilities, chronic issues, bynot being in those rooms where
those decisions are being made.
Now that we have to be invited,there's others, but when those
(10:21):
decisions are being made andtruly a diversity of voices are
not there.
Liliana Baylon (10:26):
Yeah, absolutely yeah, so it's.
I mean, the question is for you, liliana, but also for our
listeners you have to decidewhich battles you're willing to
take on and come up with aself-care plan to continue to
keep yourself healthy whilebattling these cancers that
you've decided to target.
Maria Diego (10:46):
Yeah, right, so I was sharing with Maria and
hopefully all of you are doingsome of your own work.
What would that look like?
It's different for everyone,okay, but in my work it's not
only attending all the medicalappointments, that if you're
dealing with chronic, most ofour agendas are doctor's
appointments.
It's insane.
If you look at our agendas soit's attending to doctor's
(11:09):
appointment.
And then in me, in this case, Iwas sharing with Maria and
that's why this prompt is adoctor appointment that I had
yesterday told me, can youmonitor your stress?
Which that's why Maria and Istarted laughing, because now I
have to monitor my stress level,which all of us should do, plus
other things that I have tomonitor my stress level, which
all of us should do, plus otherthings that I have to monitor,
(11:31):
and in that, deciding what roomdeserves me at the table.
That sounds very cocky.
Yet what room in my volunteering?
Because most of theseleadership positions you fucking
volunteer.
They give you lessons, so theydon't pay you your income, they
(11:57):
said, but it will add to yourresume.
I'm sorry, my resume is sofucking impressive, maria says.
Well, and that's not humble,I'm very aware of it, but I'm
going to take Ileana here whenshe called me out and say can
you not be embarrassed of yourresume?
Say, can you not be embarrassedof your resume?
(12:23):
So what room deserves us, whatroom for our listeners deserves
you?
Not because they agree with you, but because of the values and
the growth and the decisionsthat are being made.
Yeah Right.
So for me, I'm truly debating.
Do I continue the tables thatI'm sitting on, not because
(12:45):
they're not agreeing with me,but because the level of stress
and microaggressions that I'mdealing with?
Liliana Baylon (12:53):
Yeah, absolutely , and I think that's a
continuous conversation.
Right now, as new opportunitiesarise, you have to kind of take
stock in is this going to beworth the toll on my health, on
my mental health, on my income?
And we need disruptors, rightLike we need those voices at the
table, because if everyonewalks away, and only the yes men
(13:17):
and yes, women are left.
Things get worse and maybe,maybe, only taking on two rooms
at a time, a room at a time,whatever is manageable, because
you can't be in all the roomsyou can't be on all the hills
while still trying to like, havea life and a functioning body
(13:38):
and mental health that's, youknow, better than the world on
fire.
Yeah, and in encouraging ourlisteners that a lot of the time
the sacrifices can be worth it,because your voices do need to
be heard, you do need to have aseat at the table and sometimes
the costs outweigh the benefits,and that's okay, to acknowledge
(14:01):
that and to take good care ofyou.
Maria Diego (14:03):
Yeah, which, for all of you who are listening,
this is Maria talking to me,because I tend not to listen to
that part Because I'm like I cando it, I can go fight, and
truly it's because my whole lifeI've been an activist and I
have to learn to rest.
Some of you are familiarbecause I have shared this over
and over again.
I listened to Dolores Huerta.
She's an activist and she's theone who's telling us learn how
(14:27):
to rest, and I do not know howto rest.
Liliana Baylon (14:31):
No, it's a, it's a difficult.
I mean, that's a whole notherepisode to unpack all of that
difficult and that's a wholenother episode to unpack all of
that.
But it is a difficult lessonfor us to learn on so many
levels.
And rest is activism, becauseif you burn out or if you make
yourself so unwell that youcan't keep doing what you're
doing, then you're not good toanybody or the cause yeah, and
(14:53):
financially.
Maria Diego (14:54):
Oh my god, all the doctor's appointments and not my
therapist, because she loves mebeing pissed for what I'm
sharing.
Liliana Baylon (15:05):
It's expensive.
It's expensive to be well inour country anyway.
If you have a healthy body,it's expensive to be well.
If you don't have a healthybody, it's really expensive to
try to be well.
And again, that should be fuelfor the decision of which rooms.
Am I going to take that seatand take the cost of being there
(15:29):
versus yeah, this is not worththe toll it's taking on my
well-being worth the toll it'staking on my well-being.
Maria Diego (15:42):
So obviously, with this spontaneous podcast episode
, we don't have the answers foryou.
Uh, we don't even have theanswers for ourselves.
We are exploring this out loudwith all of you, but our hope is
that you take time to explore,to you know, integrate this
information and then evaluatewhat are the rooms that I need
(16:04):
to be a part of in order tocreate change, especially when
you have privileges.
Two is, what is the work thatyou're doing to truly become an
ally in those rooms?
Doing to truly become an allyin those rooms, not to the
privileges and not todiscrimination, but to make a
(16:27):
difference, especially in ourfield.
And then, hopefully, you'llreach out to us and share your
experiences, which we're prettysure they're not that
indifferent than the ones thatwe just share, especially in our
field, not only because whatyou're listening and containing,
especially in our field, notonly because what you're
listening and containing, butbecause you're aware of what is
happening and if you're notaware, man, I want to be in your
life, but it's an invitation of.
(16:49):
Can you share your experiences?
Can you share what is it thatyou're finding out in regards to
what you find about you, youradvocacy skills and then the
rooms that you are being a partof, in order for us to see the
good too right.
Not everything is so dark.
(17:09):
Help us see the good, help ussee the light.
Liliana Baylon (17:12):
Absolutely.
There's a lot of good beingdone.
It's easy to get out,overshadowed by all of the dark,
but there's a lot of good beingdone.
It's easy to get outovershadowed by all of the dark,
but there's a lot of good beingdone.
They're just, they feel reallysmall and everything else feels
so big.
Find support, even if you'renot in the room with you.
(17:39):
Find support to say like Ican't believe this just happened
.
How do I address this?
How do I fill my cup?
Because that meeting was sodepleting for me.
You don't have to do it alone,even if you are alone at the
table yeah, beautiful, beautiful.
Maria Diego (17:53):
so thank you for listening to us in this
spontaneous episode, as we weresharing and we're like this is
an episode.
Liliana Baylon (18:03):
We also recognize this is a universal
experience.
This is not just our experience, and some of the feedback we
have gotten about the podcast isit's just nice to know that
they're not alone in this.
Maria Diego (18:13):
Yeah, we're going to start singing Michael Jackson
.
You're Not Alone.
If you got stuck on your mindis because that's the next I
think in this.
Yeah, we're going to startsinging Michael Jackson.
You're Not Alone.
Liliana Baylon (18:23):
If you got stuck on your mind is because that's
the next, I think in songsBefore Lilliana breaks out into
song, we'll let you all go, butyeah, please take a couple of
minutes to decide for yourself.
And it's okay to decide.
Oh, I said yes to this, but Ineed to change it to a no for
now and take good care ofyourselves until next time.
Maria Diego (18:44):
Thank you, We'll see you next time Till then.
Okay, Hello everyone.
Welcome to an unplanned,unscripted episode of , and I'm
joined by my lovely co-host.
(00:31):
Liliana Baylon and we startedactually, it was unplanned, as
Maria just shared- because itwas sharing an experience and
how the political environment isdictating the way that we
respond.
And then we're noticing onemore time all those biases that
we Would you agree, Maria, thatI always say that we can be
aware of trauma, yet most of usare actually causing trauma in
spaces?
all, as professionals, have,even in mental health, which I
think that's why it's so hardfor all of us to make sense of.
(00:58):
Yes, yeah.
So part of what triggered ourinitial conversation was an
unfortunate incident andsituation that you found
yourself in, but isn't the onlytime you have found yourself in
that situation, nor is it theonly time that, in a
professional setting,professionals behave really
(01:19):
unprofessional, but let's justsay disgusting, towards each
other and the toll that it takeson you deciding whether that's
a space you need to remain in ordo you walk away.
And so what we ended up sort oftalking about was this idea of
is it our responsibility and ourduty to take on the discomfort,
(01:44):
the stress, the toll that ittakes being in situations where
we are attacked, where we arequestioned, where we are
dismissed and belittled by otherprofessionals?
Do we need to take that on sothat our voice is heard and that
those groups are not surroundedby, yes men, yes women, or do
(02:10):
you choose, for the bettermentof your mental health, to not
engage in those spaces, and whatdoes that mean for you, but
also for the larger profession?
Yeah, so all of it is true,right?
No-transcript.
(02:46):
How are we going to do that asa Latina migrant mental health
therapist who is constantlydealing with microaggressions
but also is dealing with dynamicdisabilities that are being
dismissed in our field becausebut you look fine.
Liliana Baylon (03:06):
Right.
Not only do you look fine,Liliana, you have a voice and
you're not, you're not quiet.
I think that's anotherassumption about dynamic
disabilities and those peoplewho are quote unquote sick is
that if you don't look sick,then you're not sick.
And if you're, if you'reshowing up to meetings and being
vocal, then you're not sick.
And those of us, and those ofus, our listeners that live with
(03:29):
chronic conditions, we know wehave to do those things anyway,
we have to show up anyway, weall live with a degree of
acceptable pain or illness andstill have to function.
And do you need to decide Imean you specifically, Liliana,
(03:49):
for this situation, but I, youknow, our listeners in general
we have to decide is this worththe toll on my health?
Because sometimes the answer isgoing to be yes.
Maria Diego (04:00):
Yeah.
Liliana Baylon (04:01):
And sometimes the answer will be this is not
the battle I'm willing to fightany longer.
And how do you make, how do youmake that decision?
Which battle do you pick?
And then, how do you get rightwith yourself for the ones that
you walk away from?
Maria Diego (04:17):
So I think, for listeners right in this moment,
either pause, pause the podcastand then write down what are the
heels, what are the values,personally and professionally as
mental health therapists, thatyou are willing to become an
ally and to fight for, and notthe ally of hashtag, because
(04:40):
that became really popular.
George Floyd, which a lot of alot of people tend to dismiss
because it's a trend.
Right, like using certain wordsor, but don't tell me you're an
ally when you witness thingsand then you're quiet.
Yeah, don't tell me you're anally by going and putting a
hashtag or something on yoursocial media.
(05:03):
What is truly the work thatyou're doing?
Right?
So Maria and I talk about howwe hold each other accountable
or like okay, I said this, giveme your perspective, what are my
blind spots?
Right, but that's therelationship that you and I have
, where we can call each other'sbullshit or lack of humility
(05:25):
and it's necessary.
Liliana Baylon (05:27):
Part of the conversation was also we cannot
surround ourselves with peoplewho only think and agree with us
.
Maria Diego (05:33):
No.
Liliana Baylon (05:35):
That's not growth, that's not safe, that's
not healthy, that's actuallyreally dangerous, right?
Because then we become siloedand we believe that we're the
only ones that are right andwe're getting that feedback.
So that becomes really, reallydangerous.
So, thinking about you, knowyour values, the hills that
(05:55):
you're willing to notnecessarily die on, but you're
willing to do the work, you'rewilling to acknowledge the
sacrifices that you have to taketo be on that hill and you find
that there's value enough inmaking that choice.
Yeah, because you can't be onall the hills.
Maria Diego (06:12):
You can't by the way, shout out to norca, one of
my friends here in colorado.
So I have a lunch with her andshe says the world is good, is
dealing with cancer, and I loveher analogy in that moment.
And she said and you'rebecoming, uh, the forefront on
on holding that cancer so itdoesn't get spread, which is
(06:36):
beautiful work, and how are yougoing to take care of yourself
so that you don't die from thatcancer?
I was like damn damn girl, Idon't even know how to answer
that right now.
But that analogy fits perfectlybecause we're living in an
environment right now where wehave given permission to
(06:56):
belittle people, to discriminateagainst people, and we have
given permission for people tosay really hurtful things about
others.
So there's no, I see you, asthe human is, research says, or
the administration says, uh,those are the common language
(07:17):
that I keep hearing over andover again yeah, we're losing
touch with our humanity.
That's exactly it, right?
So you and I, maria, are knownfor talking about the human
aspect of how will this impactyou?
So I think, as mental healththerapists, we understand,
because of our clients, theimpact that it has from that
(07:39):
dynamic disability, a politicalenvironment, social status,
financial status, like it's.
All these things that we'redealing with, and what I'm
becoming aware, and tell me ifit's the same for you which I
think it is is that not everyonedeals with the populations that
we deal with.
Actually, there's a lot ofmental health therapists who
have leadership positions andtherefore they're not having
(08:01):
this experience, this sharedexperience of working with
clients, and that's where thedisconnect happens.
Yeah, right, absolutely, youand I are in it, and therefore
this empathy is highlighted,which is beautiful, and it sucks
yeah, yes, because I think it.
Liliana Baylon (08:19):
You know we've we've talked a little bit before
about how the the place andwhere the decisions are being
made.
They're being made by peoplewho are not in the front lines,
and that disconnect has beenmore and more evident over the
last year, but even more so inthe last couple of months.
That decisions are being madewithout truly understanding the
(08:40):
impact on the frontline workers,their clients, their caseloads,
and that lack of empathy andhumanity comes through when it
feels like decisions are beingmade without context.
Maria Diego (08:55):
So, with all of this being discussed out loud,
right, the invitation to ourlisteners is not everything is
so dark, feels like it.
It's so dark, feels like it,and you know what is it that is
coming up for you, what is itthat you're becoming aware of
Because we can talk about.
I have these privileges, yeah,great.
(09:17):
And then what?
What is the follow-up with that?
And if you don't haveprivileges, okay, great, and
then what comes down after that?
We all have voices.
The difference right now is thatwe have a podcast, so we have a
platform for you and me also.
We have privileges theprivilege of our profession, our
(09:38):
education, it can be theirfinancial.
All of us are still working, soobviously we're not rich.
There will be signs, peoplewhen mariana, but we're not
telling you that will be.
But there's all these layers ofprivileges that we may have.
(09:58):
Yet we're still impacted eitherbecause of current policies
that are being in place, by bybeing born females, by having
disabilities, chronic issues, bynot being in those rooms where
those decisions are being made.
Now that we have to be invited,there's others, but when those
(10:21):
decisions are being made andtruly a diversity of voices are
not there.
Liliana Baylon (10:26):
Yeah, absolutely yeah, so it's.
I mean, the question is for you, liliana, but also for our
listeners you have to decidewhich battles you're willing to
take on and come up with aself-care plan to continue to
keep yourself healthy whilebattling these cancers that
you've decided to target.
Maria Diego (10:46):
Yeah, right, so I was sharing with Maria and
hopefully all of you are doingsome of your own work.
What would that look like?
It's different for everyone,okay, but in my work it's not
only attending all the medicalappointments, that if you're
dealing with chronic, most ofour agendas are doctor's
appointments.
It's insane.
If you look at our agendas soit's attending to doctor's
(11:09):
appointment.
And then in me, in this case, Iwas sharing with Maria and
that's why this prompt is adoctor appointment that I had
yesterday told me, can youmonitor your stress?
Which that's why Maria and Istarted laughing, because now I
have to monitor my stress level,which all of us should do, plus
other things that I have tomonitor my stress level, which
all of us should do, plus otherthings that I have to monitor,
(11:31):
and in that, deciding what roomdeserves me at the table.
That sounds very cocky.
Yet what room in my volunteering?
Because most of theseleadership positions you fucking
volunteer.
They give you lessons, so theydon't pay you your income, they
(11:57):
said, but it will add to yourresume.
I'm sorry, my resume is sofucking impressive, maria says.
Well, and that's not humble,I'm very aware of it, but I'm
going to take Ileana here whenshe called me out and say can
you not be embarrassed of yourresume?
Say, can you not be embarrassedof your resume?
(12:23):
So what room deserves us, whatroom for our listeners deserves
you?
Not because they agree with you, but because of the values and
the growth and the decisionsthat are being made.
Yeah Right.
So for me, I'm truly debating.
Do I continue the tables thatI'm sitting on, not because
(12:45):
they're not agreeing with me,but because the level of stress
and microaggressions that I'mdealing with?
Liliana Baylon (12:53):
Yeah, absolutely , and I think that's a
continuous conversation.
Right now, as new opportunitiesarise, you have to kind of take
stock in is this going to beworth the toll on my health, on
my mental health, on my income?
And we need disruptors, rightLike we need those voices at the
table, because if everyonewalks away, and only the yes men
(13:17):
and yes, women are left.
Things get worse and maybe,maybe, only taking on two rooms
at a time, a room at a time,whatever is manageable, because
you can't be in all the roomsyou can't be on all the hills
while still trying to like, havea life and a functioning body
(13:38):
and mental health that's, youknow, better than the world on
fire.
Yeah, and in encouraging ourlisteners that a lot of the time
the sacrifices can be worth it,because your voices do need to
be heard, you do need to have aseat at the table and sometimes
the costs outweigh the benefits,and that's okay, to acknowledge
(14:01):
that and to take good care ofyou.
Maria Diego (14:03):
Yeah, which, for all of you who are listening,
this is Maria talking to me,because I tend not to listen to
that part Because I'm like I cando it, I can go fight, and
truly it's because my whole lifeI've been an activist and I
have to learn to rest.
Some of you are familiarbecause I have shared this over
and over again.
I listened to Dolores Huerta.
She's an activist and she's theone who's telling us learn how
(14:27):
to rest, and I do not know howto rest.
Liliana Baylon (14:31):
No, it's a, it's a difficult.
I mean, that's a whole notherepisode to unpack all of that
difficult and that's a wholenother episode to unpack all of
that.
But it is a difficult lessonfor us to learn on so many
levels.
And rest is activism, becauseif you burn out or if you make
yourself so unwell that youcan't keep doing what you're
doing, then you're not good toanybody or the cause yeah, and
(14:53):
financially.
Maria Diego (14:54):
Oh my god, all the doctor's appointments and not my
therapist, because she loves mebeing pissed for what I'm
sharing.
Liliana Baylon (15:05):
It's expensive.
It's expensive to be well inour country anyway.
If you have a healthy body,it's expensive to be well.
If you don't have a healthybody, it's really expensive to
try to be well.
And again, that should be fuelfor the decision of which rooms.
Am I going to take that seatand take the cost of being there
(15:29):
versus yeah, this is not worththe toll it's taking on my
well-being worth the toll it'staking on my well-being.
Maria Diego (15:42):
So obviously, with this spontaneous podcast episode
, we don't have the answers foryou.
Uh, we don't even have theanswers for ourselves.
We are exploring this out loudwith all of you, but our hope is
that you take time to explore,to you know, integrate this
information and then evaluatewhat are the rooms that I need
(16:04):
to be a part of in order tocreate change, especially when
you have privileges.
Two is, what is the work thatyou're doing to truly become an
ally in those rooms?
Doing to truly become an allyin those rooms, not to the
privileges and not todiscrimination, but to make a
(16:27):
difference, especially in ourfield.
And then, hopefully, you'llreach out to us and share your
experiences, which we're prettysure they're not that
indifferent than the ones thatwe just share, especially in our
field, not only because whatyou're listening and containing,
especially in our field, notonly because what you're
listening and containing, butbecause you're aware of what is
happening and if you're notaware, man, I want to be in your
life, but it's an invitation of.
(16:49):
Can you share your experiences?
Can you share what is it thatyou're finding out in regards to
what you find about you, youradvocacy skills and then the
rooms that you are being a partof, in order for us to see the
good too right.
Not everything is so dark.
(17:09):
Help us see the good, help ussee the light.
Liliana Baylon (17:12):
Absolutely.
There's a lot of good beingdone.
It's easy to get out,overshadowed by all of the dark,
but there's a lot of good beingdone.
It's easy to get outovershadowed by all of the dark,
but there's a lot of good beingdone.
They're just, they feel reallysmall and everything else feels
so big.
Find support, even if you'renot in the room with you.
(17:39):
Find support to say like Ican't believe this just happened
.
How do I address this?
How do I fill my cup?
Because that meeting was sodepleting for me.
You don't have to do it alone,even if you are alone at the
table yeah, beautiful, beautiful.
Maria Diego (17:53):
so thank you for listening to us in this
spontaneous episode, as we weresharing and we're like this is
an episode.
Liliana Baylon (18:03):
We also recognize this is a universal
experience.
This is not just our experience, and some of the feedback we
have gotten about the podcast isit's just nice to know that
they're not alone in this.
Maria Diego (18:13):
Yeah, we're going to start singing Michael Jackson
.
You're Not Alone.
If you got stuck on your mindis because that's the next I
think in this.
Yeah, we're going to startsinging Michael Jackson.
You're Not Alone.
Liliana Baylon (18:23):
If you got stuck on your mind is because that's
the next, I think in songsBefore Lilliana breaks out into
song, we'll let you all go, butyeah, please take a couple of
minutes to decide for yourself.
And it's okay to decide.
Oh, I said yes to this, but Ineed to change it to a no for
now and take good care ofyourselves until next time.
Maria Diego (18:44):
Thank you, We'll see you next time Till then.
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