Punch, Kick, Reflect, Repeat: Opting In (or Out) in the Dojo and Beyond

It’s time to renew my karate membership, so I’ve been thinking about this moment of opting in or opting out.

Renewal is more than a transaction, it’s a pause. A moment to ask: Is this still serving me? Am I still enjoying this? Am I growing? Does this still align with who I want to be? It offers an opportunity to reflect on your commitment and decide to recommit or to release.

This pause made me consider what I’ve been gaining through the practice, and why it still matters. In my martial arts journey, earning a black belt was a major accomplishment. But the real learning and growth has come from the small, persistent moments:

• Showing up to class after debating with myself all day

• Nailing a new drill after weeks of trying

• Feeling humbled and proud, watching my daughter teach a class

• Laughing and connecting with peers

• Leaving class exhausted but energized and grateful I came

  
  

These are the moments that shape me. Not the belt, not the title, but the practice.

The same goes for equity work. The transformation lives in the day-to-day decisions, the embedded commitments, the ongoing practice.

What are you opting into? What might you renew? What might you release? 

“We delight in the beauty of the butterfly, but rarely admit the changes it has gone through to achieve that beauty.”

 — Maya Angelou

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Chanel Grenaway & Associates Inc. is committed to helping leaders, staff teams and boards align with their anti-racism and inclusion goals through continuous learning and practice change. Do you need support to start or accelerate your equity practice and outcomes? Happy to hop on a call with you to see how I might help. Let’s chat.