PHOENIX RISING — LESSON 3: COURAGE TO FEEL
Ava's Narration Transcript
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I used to think professionalism meant feeling nothing. Or at least, pretending to feel nothing.

When Mrs Patterson's family accused us of racism, I felt my chest tighten, my jaw clench. I wanted to defend, to explain, to be understood. But I had been trained: stay calm, stay neutral, do not get emotional.

So I performed composure while my body screamed. And do you know what happened? Nothing changed. The family felt unheard. I felt unseen. The same patterns repeated.

It was not until I learned to honour my discomfort as data that everything shifted. That tightness in my chest? It was telling me: something here needs attention.

Emotions are not the enemy of good care. They are the compass.

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Phoenix Rising Anti-Racism Leadership Programme
Co-designed by Edward K. Neequaye MSc & Dr. Jacqui Dyer MBE
Oxytocin-Learning Ltd | oxytocin-anti-racism-training.com