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How We Show Up

Reclaiming Family, Friendship, and Community

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How We Show Up

Written by: Mia Birdsong
Narrated by: Mia Birdsong
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About this listen

 An Invitation to Community and Models for Connection

After almost every presentation activist and writer Mia Birdsong gives to executives, think tanks, and policy makers, one of those leaders quietly confesses how much they long for the profound community she describes. They have family, friends, and colleagues, yet they still feel like they're standing alone. They're "winning" at the American Dream, but they're lonely, disconnected, and unsatisfied.
It seems counterintuitive that living the "good life"--the well-paying job, the nuclear family, the upward mobility--can make us feel isolated and unhappy. But in a divided America, where only a quarter of us know our neighbors and everyone is either a winner or a loser, we've forgotten the key element that helped us make progress in the first place: community. In this provocative, groundbreaking work, Mia Birdsong shows that what separates us isn't only the ever-present injustices built around race, class, gender, values, and beliefs, but also our denial of our interdependence and need for belonging. In response to the fear and discomfort we feel, we've built walls, and instead of leaning on each other, we find ourselves leaning on concrete.
Through research, interviews, and stories of lived experience, How We Show Up returns us to our inherent connectedness where we find strength, safety, and support in vulnerability and generosity, in asking for help, and in being accountable. Showing up--literally and figuratively--points us toward the promise of our collective vitality and leads us to the liberated well-being we all want. Communication & Social Skills Personal Development Politics & Government Popular Culture Psychology Psychology & Mental Health Social Sciences Sociology Health Mental Health Family Communication

What the critics say

"Mia Birdsong is one of our most important thinkers and strategists for how we build structures to support the families that we actually have and the kinds of families we would build if we weren't all so obsessed with respectability. This book gives us both the vision and the blueprint for how to do this in ways that feel sustainable, and quite frankly otherworldly. I left this book feeling something I haven't felt in a long time...hopeful. "—Brittney Cooper, author of Eloquent Rage: A Black Feminist Discovers Her Superpower
"Mia Birdsong's deeply personal book calls forth a deeply public truth: that we're all better off when we're all better off. Her search for the meaning of community and belonging will inspire Americans from many walks to show up in a new way."—Eric Liu, CEO of Citizen University and author of Become America
"This is a the book we've all been waiting for about the 'craft'--and that's what Mia Birdsong so insightfully names it--of creating community. She's a master craftswoman herself--gathering stories of such intentionality, honesty, and reliability that you will immediately start living your life more radically and reaping the rewards."—Courtney E. Martin, author of The New Better Off: Reinventing the American Dream
"This book is a blueprint to being vulnerable enough to love harder, dig deeper and be unafraid to redefine and expand our relationships. A beautiful and helpful piece of work. "—Tiq Milan, writer and LGBTQ advocate
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Such a beautiful listen that really made me rethink community and ignite my desire to grow my own

Excellent listen

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This is an inspiring book, about living a connected, loving, and moral life. It explores examples of non-traditional community, friendship, and family dynamics that are truly sustaining for those involved.

It’s not a how-to manual for achieving this vision of interconnected and interdependent life, which is my only criticism. There isn’t much in the way of practical advice, but there are plenty of examples that will spark ideas on how to apply these concepts in your own life.

Fantastic read for anyone trying to find their place in the world

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I loved this book. Mia is an amazing person- I loved the stories, I learned so much. Her voice is beautiful. Read (listen) with an open heart and mind, you’ll be so glad you did!!

Wow

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I really needed this. Being able to listen to so many lived experiences has inspired and motivated me to make the changes I want in my own life to build community and interdependence.

beautiful and soul healing

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such a beautiful look into showing up and being present in our lives; for ourselves, our loved ones, and our communities.

beautiful

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