Service Without Sacrifice

By: conversations on hope + healing with Dimple Dhabalia
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  • Summary

  • If you feel like a life of service to others shouldn't mean constantly sacrificing your own health, well-being, and relationships, you've come to the right place. Dimple Dhabalia, a seasoned humanitarian and author of "Tell Me My Story–Challenging the Narrative of Service Before Self," has created this limited podcast series to explore the silent struggles faced by many in humanitarian work, diving into topics like vicarious trauma, moral injury, and the healing power of sharing our stories. Each episode brings an insightful discussion with a leader from the humanitarian sector, and explores themes of empathy, resilience, and the balance between serving others and self-care. "Service Without Sacrifice" is more than a podcast; it's part of a movement to change workplace cultures across the humanitarian sector. Subscribe, share, and join us in challenging the narrative of service before self, and fostering a community where the human aspect of humanitarian work is celebrated and nurtured.

    dearhumanitarian.substack.com
    Dimple Dhabalia
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Economics Personal Success
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Episodes
  • BONUS RECORDING: Service Without Sacrifice—A Humanitarian Manifesto | Excerpted from Tell Me My Story by Dimple D. Dhabalia

    BONUS RECORDING: Service Without Sacrifice—A Humanitarian Manifesto | Excerpted from Tell Me My Story by Dimple D. Dhabalia
    Feb 21 2024
    I dedicate “A Humanitarian Manifesto” for the teachers, the healers, the activists, the caregivers, the health-care professionals, the first responders, the public servants, the government workers, the clergy, the journalists, the international aid and development corps, the judges, the lawyers, and all those who work have dedicated their lives to serving others and alleviating pain and suffering in the world.I want you to know that I see you, and I appreciate you.As we bring this podcast to a close, I want to leave you with one last thought: the work never ends, and at the end of the day everyone—and I mean everyone—is replaceable. We have to choose to prioritize our health and well-being as individuals and as organizations. Doing so is not selfish or unprofessional—it’s an absolute necessity if we want to continue doing the work we love, and that the world needs us to do, now more than ever. My greatest wish is that you begin to create awareness and practice self-compassion to heal your stories and move toward being happier and healthier in your life and work. Remember that the narratives that have shaped us and defined your experiences and actions up to this point, don’t have to be permanent. Through mindful awareness, self-compassion, and agency, you can cultivate the capacity to make new choices that will better serve you, help you to heal, and move forward with greater hope, joy, and connection. Remember, at the heart of the word “humanitarian” is “human.” We can choose to serve others without sacrificing ourselves. Thank you for all that you do, and thank you for your service.If you're inspired by this message and want to dive deeper into how to embody service without sacrifice, you can learn more in my book, “Tell Me My Story—Challenging the Narrative of Service Before Self.” Let's continue to support each other as we challenge outdated narratives and move forward in our journey towards a more compassionate and sustainable approach to serving others without sacrificing ourselves. And please consider sharing this podcast and my book with others who need to hear this message.Highlights from the Manifesto:* As humanitarians, we face unique challenges and are asked for deep sacrifices. "For generations, we've been conditioned to believe that by choosing a career in service of others, we agree to sacrifice our time, our relationships, our health and well-being, our humanity."* The organizations we work for also play a role in ensuring we are able to continue that work in a healthy way. "The organizations through which we serve often choose not to see our humanity. They choose not to acknowledge our trauma. They choose not to help us heal our pain."* You are not selfish for taking care of yourself. "To do anything different, to set boundaries, to prioritize self-care, to be less than perfect, is selfish, unprofessional."* Global crises like the pandemic have a deep and lasting effect on us. "We, too, like the people we serve, have navigated the challenges of a global pandemic. We, too, endure the traumas of social and racial inequities, subtle acts of exclusion and war."* There is a better way for all of us. "We now choose to believe that we deserve more, we deserve better, and we deserve to have our humanity acknowledged and protected."* Commit to changing the status quo and create a human-centered approach to service. "As individuals, we commit to taking radical responsibility, to embodying mindful awareness, to redefining self-care, to setting clear boundaries, and to becoming radically human leaders."* The only way we’ll succeed in this is through our combined effort, including everyone whose lives are touched by those who serve. "We'll work together to rewrite the longstanding narrative of service before self and shift our collective expectations about what it means to be of service."Dimple Dhabalia on the web | Instagram | Facebook | LinkedIn | SubstackPre-order a copy of Tell Me My Story today!Want to support this show and my work? Consider becoming a paid subscriber at dear humanitarian on Substack.If you would like to support the launch of Tell Me My Story, you can learn more at rootsintheclouds.com/launchteam.Subscribe onApple |Spotify |Amazon |Google Get full access to dear HUMANitarian at dearhumanitarian.substack.com/subscribe
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    7 mins
  • Part 6 | The Manifesto - Featuring Steve Wiley

    Part 6 | The Manifesto - Featuring Steve Wiley
    Feb 14 2024
    We live in a world that doesn’t simply overlook the sacrifices made by those who have dedicated their lives to serving others but often expects it. It's time to challenge outdated narratives of service before self and create workplace cultures steeped in an ethos of empathy, compassion, and self-care. It's time to acknowledge the occupational challenges of mission-driven work, to normalize the need for individuals to prioritize self-care, and to hold organizations accountable for protecting the human beings in their workforce. This manifesto for a new approach is at the heart of my discussion with today’s guest, Steve Wiley, on this final episode of Service Without Sacrifice.Steve Wiley is an executive coach and president of CEEK LLC. With a mission to redefine wellness in organizations, Steve dedicates his time to helping companies create human-centered cultures that prioritize the well-being of their employees. Over the course of our conversation we explore the inherent tension faced by many organizations between achieving results and fostering relationships, the importance of brave spaces, and the role of storytelling in addressing trauma within professional settings.This was an important conversation that sheds light on the complexities of service, trauma, and resilience and provides practical tools and advice to help leaders and organizations value the humanity of their greatest resource–their people.Highlights from the Episode:* The world asks us to sacrifice, but we must prioritize self-care and setting boundaries in service-oriented professions: "We've been taught that to do anything different, to set boundaries, to prioritize self-care, to be less than perfect, is selfish. Unprofessional." - Dimple* Organizations must acknowledge and support their staff's mental health and well-being: "The organizations through which we serve often choose not to see our humanity. They choose not to acknowledge our trauma. They choose not to help us heal our pain." - Dimple* Results are often the only metric an organization looks at, which is to the detriment of the people involved. "One of the primary tensions in organizations is this tension between results and relationships." - Steve* Trust is earned and easily broken; once it’s broken, it’s difficult to rebuild. Trust is essential in creating a healthy workplace culture: "We foundationally believe that fear and blame destroy cultures." - Steve* One of the best ways organizations can support their employees is to provide a platform for them to care for themselves: "By giving the platform to have the discussions and to empower individuals to care for themselves, empower individuals, as you say, to share their stories, to be OK not being OK, that is very good and helpful to achieve results in the long run." - Steve* There is a very real case for prioritizing staff health and well-being, one that has been overlooked in the past: "We believe that it's really good business and that empowers us to be better, to be more productive." - Steve* Storytelling is one of the most powerful tools for connection, growth, and healing, especially in challenging workplaces. "There's a real power in actually being able to share our stories with others." - DimpleResourcesSteve Wiley on the web | LinkedIn | Instagram | X(Twitter)Navigate Chaos: A 5-Step Guide to Balance Work, Family, and Other Life Priorities by Steve WileyDimple Dhabalia on the web | Instagram | Facebook | LinkedIn | SubstackPre-order a copy of Tell Me My Story today!Want to support this show and my work? Consider becoming a paid subscriber at dear humanitarian on Substack.If you would like to support the launch of Tell Me My Story, you can learn more at rootsintheclouds.com/launchteam.Subscribe on Apple | Spotify | Amazon | Google Get full access to dear HUMANitarian at dearhumanitarian.substack.com/subscribe
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    1 hr and 1 min
  • Part 5 | Sharing - Featuring Dr. Yvonne Ator

    Part 5 | Sharing - Featuring Dr. Yvonne Ator
    Feb 7 2024
    Caregivers on the front lines, regardless of their industry or role, face the unique challenge of managing their own fears, anxieties, and trauma while maintaining an unyielding facade of strength and resilience. In Part 5 of Service Without Sacrifice, Dr. Yvonne Ator and I reveal the hidden impact this has on caregivers. As the founder of Thriving Physicians and Thriving Idealists, Dr. Ator has felt and seen the toll this takes on caregivers. Drawing from her personal experiences with compassion fatigue and burnout in the medical sector, she has become an advocate for physician wellness, courageous service, and creating wholehearted cultures in the workplace.Together, we explore Part 5 of my new book "Tell Me My Story - Challenging the Narrative of Service Before Self," which focuses on the theme of “sharing.” In our conversation, we tap into the power of sharing our stories to foster empathy, connection, and healing. We discuss the culture of shame and lack of psychological safety within mission-driven organizations, the importance of self-compassion, and the need to break through the isolation that those working in service of others often face. Humanitarians don’t need superhuman strength. They need healing and connection through sharing. Part 5 highlights include:* "Sharing is the culmination of the story healing cycle... It helps us experience a sense of common humanity and reminds us that we're not alone in our suffering." Dimple, from “Tell Me My Story: Challenging the Narrative of Service Before Self”* The pressure to uphold a facade of unyielding strength and resilience during times of crisis can be overwhelming. And yet, there seems to be an unspoken expectation that this is how we're supposed to behave in the name of service.* Cultures within mission-driven organizations often perpetuate shame and a lack of safety, hindering individuals from acknowledging their own hardships. "These cultures have often looked the other way as we hide parts of ourselves behind masks of perfectionism and silently engage in a game of whose trauma is worse." - Dimple* Burnout and compassion fatigue are all too common in humanitarian organizations, and they often remain hidden behind a superhuman mask. "The vulnerability we experience through sharing empowers us to write a better narrative, not only for ourselves but for those we serve and lead." - Dimple* Growing up as third culture kids and witnessing disparities in healthcare and social conditions shaped the decision to enter the medical profession. "Seeing people dying from preventable diseases just blew my mind... I wanted to change the world and make a positive impact." - Yvonne* The corporatization of healthcare has led to a clash of values, causing moral injury among medical professionals. "You have a set of values that are driving medicine that are very different from the set of values that brought people into the profession." - Yvonne* Storytelling and sharing experiences can help healthcare professionals realize they are not alone in their moral injury and burnout. "Sharing those stories is helping people realize that they're not the only ones... the same thing is happening here, and it's happening there." - YvonneResources:Thinking About Quitting Medicine co-authored by Dr. AtorSparked by Jonathan Fields, featuring Dr. Ator’s storyI Quit by Kunur Bihal, featuring Dr. Ator’s storyDr. Yvonne Ator on LinkedIn | Thriving Physicians Website | Facebook GroupDimple Dhabalia on the web | Instagram | Facebook | LinkedIn | Threads | SubstackPre-order a copy of Tell Me My Story today!Want to support this show and my work? Consider becoming a paid subscriber at dear humanitarian on Substack.If you would like to support the launch of Tell Me My Story, you can learn more at rootsintheclouds.com/launchteam.Subscribe onApple |Spotify |Amazon |Google Get full access to dear HUMANitarian at dearhumanitarian.substack.com/subscribe
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    42 mins

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