Practicing compassionate badassery is my shorthand for helping professionals who are making courageous, vulnerable, mindful choices that go against the norms.

It’s my small way of pushing back on a culture that validates extreme sacrifice (which causes burnout and compassion fatigue) and shames helpers for setting healthy boundaries.

If you’re new to the idea of compassionate badassery you can read about it here, but as you can see, it’s a lengthy declaration.

So I wanted to create something short(ish) to help us stay connected to this life-sustaining approach to helping others. It was time for a manifesto!

Practice Compassionate Badassery:

A Manifesto for Helpers

We believe that self-care and service inherently belong together.
Our well-being fuels our impact.
We pledge to honor our own welfare;
And will not cause harm to ourselves, as we care for others.
Compassion is our superpower.
Healthy boundaries protect our big hearts.
We hold these contradictions and uncertainties:
– Work hard and let go of the outcomes.
– Can’t fix it and show up anyway.
– See the big picture and savor small rewards.
– Seek out joy and allow pain.
We know that laughter is medicine.
Curiosity is connection.
Pausing is powerful.
Good enough is perfect.
Rest is revolutionary.
We are grounded in gratitude.
We have the strength to ask for and accept help.
We challenge systems and seek solutions.
We live with integrity.
We do the hard things.
We make mindful, vulnerable, courageous choices every day.
This is our path towards effective, ethical, sustainable giving.
We are practicing compassionate badassery.

I could rewrite this manifesto a hundred times. Who am I kidding? I already have! It’s never really done.

But at some point, I need to declare it “good enough.” That’s what I’m doing today (take that inner perfectionist!).

Want to write your own manifesto?

Here are some questions to get you started:

What do you want to declare?

What do you believe in?

What are you committed to?

What kind of emotion do you want to stir up in others?

Write your own or borrow mine. Either way, a little revolution is a good thing!