What if Staying in a Child's Place Was Sacred?Reimagining Reverence, Wonder, and Honesty as Leadership Tools

Apr 5

Hey, Collective,

This week’s headlines call us deeper into complexity. From the continued complicity in the genocide in Gaza, dehumanizing immigration policies, assaults on higher education, and the economic toll of tariffs to flickers of hope realized in the Wisconsin and Florida elections. But no moment captured both the weight and potential of this time more than Senator Cory Booker’s 25-hour and 4-minute speech, which was a record-breaking stand that surpassed Strom Thurmond’s filibuster against the Civil Rights Act of 1957 by 46 minutes.

Just pause for a moment and think of the symbolism of a Black senator from New Jersey shattering a record held by a proud racist (others use a more euphemistic term “segregationist”) senator from South Carolina. It truly was poetic justice. Booker reflected on this significance during his interview on the Rachel Maddow Show soon after his historic speech:

To be candid, Strom Thurman’s record always kind of just really irked me…that the longest speech on our great Senate floor was someone who was trying to stop people like me from being in the Senate, so to surpass that was something I didn’t know if we could do, but it was something that was reallly, as we got closer, it become more and more important to me.

His speech wasn’t just symbolic. It was spiritual. An inflection point. A response to the voices of constituents, and what Booker heard was he needed to get into “good trouble, necessary trouble” and catch up to the ordinary yet extraordinary Americans who want to “redeem the soul of America” in the urgency of now.

I do really credit consitutents who are impatient, who are demanding, who are scared, who are angry, and very understandably, taking that anger out on Democrats who have to take some responsibility for being where we are in American history right now. —Cory Booker

This is the both/and of leadership. As Lynae Vanee reminds us, we are called to give energy not only to critique, but also to the moments of alignment we’ve prayed for. This moment isn’t perfect, but it is historic. And perhaps it’s also a lesson in relational transformation. A reminder that even the vessels we side-eye can still be used for good. That hope, not cynicism, might be the more radical choice.

A post shared by @lynaevanee

I said time and time again that it is our job to vocalize our concerns, to get pushback where it’s needed, but we also got to be willing and ready, for that matter, to give just as much energy when the going gets good. This was a historic moment, a sacrifice made in the interest of millions of Americans…the strategy cannot just be to wait until we can get a party that’s bigger and better…And I’m gonna call my good sister Hope again, if you forgot about her, but she has to be the one to guide you in this moment, not contempt, not contrarianism. I‘m not asking you to forgive. I’m asking you to be constructive. This is the kind of behavior we have been asking for just because it comes from a vessel that you don’t see fit doesn’t mean God don’t mean it for good. I can tell you right now that is most of our testimonies, so if everyday people are capable of changing their minds and shift in this trajectory, we gotta give our leadership the opportunity to do the same. —Lynae Vanee

If hope is a radical choice, childhood is a radical framework.

The same way a child dares to believe they can be anything they can imagine or speak truth to adults with trembling honesty, choosing to believe our elected officials can grow, change, or rise to the moment is a risk. And yet, it’s a risk rooted in the kind of sacred courage children carry naturally.

Emma and I talked about that this week, asking, “What if staying in a child’s place was sacred?” Children say what they see. They feel deeply. They lead with awe and compassionate curiosity. So, what would the world loook like if that kind of truth-telling wasn’t punished but protected?

This episode invited us to remember the sacred space of childhood not as something to grow out of, but something we should grow back into as an act of recovery.

The Power of Discovery

To discover is to remember what you already know but forgot how to name.

In this episode, we unearth the gap between how children experience the world and how adults try to manage it. “Because I said so” is often less about discipline and more about discomfort, which is our inability to stay with big feelings, tough questions, or our children’s clarity.

Emma’s Wisdom on Discovery

I asked Emma why adults say “stay in a child’s place” when children are just being honest. Her reponse gave me pause, and made me reflect on what would change if adults made space for children’s real-time wisdom? Emma sees respect as something that should go both ways.

Power of Discovery Curiosities

What parts of your childhood did you have to quiet or shrink to be “respectable”?
How do you respond when someone, especially a child, names something that makes you uncomfortable?
What truths might your younger self still be trying to speak through you?

The Power of Discernment

Discernment is not about control; it’s about choosing what’s true.

Adults often equate authority with domination, but leadership rooted in discernment listens more than it lectures. Emma helped us remember that leadership isn’t telling others what to do but knowing what’s needed for mutual care, even when it’s hard.

Emma’s Wisdom on Discernment

Emma described how she notices when people say “you’re too much” or “calm down” when she’s simply expressing herself. She reminded us that naming how you feel isn’t wrong but wise. Her reflections helped me see how children often understand fairness better than adults do. Her honesty revealed a truth: sometimes the people most equipped to model emotional clarity are the ones told to be quiet.

Power of Discernment Curiosities

What do I believe about who gets to set boundaries and who gets to question them?
When was the last time I honored someone’s truth, even when it made me uncomfortable?
How might I lead differently if I saw emotional honesty as strength, not weakness?

The Power of Determination

Determination is choosing to stay rooted in what’s real, even when the world prefers performance.

This power asks us to take action grounded in values, not perfection. It’s about choosing presence over performance. Emma reminded us that softness, joy, and wonder are not indulgences but acts of resistance.

Emma’s Wisdom on Determination

When Emma feels like she is being talked over or misunderstood, she sometimes walks away instead of pushing back with force. Sometimes she draws. Sometimes she sings. These are not escape routes; they are sacred practices of regulation and restoration. She reminded us that children already have strategies but we just forget to ask them what they are.

Power of Determination Curiosities

How do I model repair, softness, or restoration in my leadership?
What practices help me stay connected to the child in me?
What one action can I take this week to honor emotional truth in myself or others?

Closing Reflection + CTA

What if staying in a child’s place wasn’t an insult but a sacred invitation?
To slow down.
To feel fully.
To lead with wonder.
To be brave enough to tell the truth even when our voice shakes.

Let this be a moment of reclamation to the respect you may have been yearning for as a child (and now) and a reimagining of what it could look like moving forward. To this end, this comment I received on my Facebook post yesterday is something I am continuing to sit with.

So, this weekend, I invite you to do three things:

Slow Down: Block 15 minutes in your calendar that’s just for you. No productivity. No scrolling. Just stillness. Let your nervous system catch up with your soul.
Feel Fully: Take 10 minutes to name how you’re actually feeling about the world right now without spiritual bypassing or sugarcoating. What truth have you been holding in?
Lead with Wonder: Ask a child what they think. Seriously. Pick a topic (leadership, fairness, “what do adults get wrong?”) and just listen. Let their wisdom shape you.

And if this podcast episode or roundup activated something in you, don’t keep it to yourself. Listen to Episode 12: The Power of Childhood and forward it to a friend or loved one, leave a review, and subscribe to our Substack and YouTube channel for more reflections.

Special thanks to our community, who showed some beautiful love to Emma. She received 32 comments and questions in response to her sweet (and funny) request. Tune in next week as she answers your questions!

As always, please go to our website to suggest further questions or topics we can discuss.

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And, if you are seeking sanctuary, I encourage you to find community within our 3D Power Collective. Complete the needs assessment and learn more!

In solidarity, action, and love,

Amber

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