Contradictions

A conversation with a pickleball friend leads Bernadette to a memoir that reframes how she thinks about holding hard things and good things at the same time. Instead of forcing every situation into a clean, resolved story, she explores what it looks like to walk between beauty and wound without picking one. Using the ARC Method, she breaks down why leaders who can't tolerate contradiction end up either faking optimism or drowning in cynicism, and what to do instead. Takeaways: Contradiction isn't a problem to solve. Two true things can exist in the same moment without one canceling out the other. Leaders get asked to hold both, constantly. Celebrating wins while someone struggles, defending a decision you doubt, staying honest without going cynical. Faking it or drowning in it both erode trust. People can tell when a leader has picked a lane instead of holding the full picture. ARC gives you a way through. Ask what's actually true, respect both sides as real, connect them without forcing a false resolution. Fernando's Book: The Silence of the Gods Connect with Me This week in the newsletter, I wrote about menopause finally getting legal protection, a chaplain poised to make history in Michigan, and Baltimore reimagining what calling 911 can do. 📩 Newsletter: http://www.theequalityinstitute.com/5-things 🎙️ Work with Me: https://www.bernadettesmith.com 🌐 Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@bernadettesmith Join thousands of readers by subscribing to the 5 Things newsletter. Enjoy some good vibes every Saturday morning. https://5thingsdei.com/