Moving at the Speed of Love
When I was a public school administrator implementing Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) systemically in a complex, urban school district Steven Covey’s The Speed of Trust served as an invaluable guide. Covey’s insights on trust as a fusion of character and competence not only enriched my own leadership journey but also informed my collaboration with school leaders.
Lately, as I delve deeper into my research and exploration of tenderness I’ve been contemplating what it means to move at The Speed of Love℠ in both my leadership and personal life.
For me, The Speed of Love℠ is a figurative concept referring to the idea that love operates independently of time or conventional measures of speed, emphasizing its depth, intensity, and transformative power rather than a literal velocity.
I’m discovering that moving at The Speed of Love℠ requires that we slow down, soften our approach, and widen our perspective to embrace being present with our full presence — a challenge in a world urging us to accelerate constantly. In fact, even intending to move at The Speed of Love℠ is an act of resistance.
By embracing a more gentle pace imbued with warmth and tenderness, we cultivate fertile ground for empathy and understanding to flourish. This deliberate slowness enables us to truly listen, extend support, and navigate difficulties with profound compassion.
Amidst the hustle and bustle of everyday life, let us pause to embody The Speed of Love℠, recognizing the beauty within moments of connection and the significance of nurturing relationships with care.
I invite you to join me in cultivating The Speed of Love℠ in your own life. How does it manifest in your actions, words, and emotions? In this spirit, I share some nourishing content — a podcast conversation with Scarlett Lewis, who transformed unimaginable tragedy into purpose through the Choose Love movement; an article CASEL just published on expanding the vision of SEL to foster Beloved Community; and a guided meditation on Healing in Beloved Community.
May you feel more inspired to move with the grace and intentionality of love.
Author Bio: Meena Srinivasan is a contemplative leader, celebrated speaker, accomplished author, and visionary edupreneur. She is an educator-activist at heart, consistently championing the fusion of Mindfulness, Emotional Intelligence, and Belonging. Meena was featured as one of 2022’s 10 Powerful Women of the Mindfulness Movement in Mindful Magazine and is the Executive Director of Transformative Educational Leadership (TEL)™ an organization that supports educational leaders in building more compassionate and just schools. A former public school administrator and National Board Certified Teacher, Meena is the creative force behind the SEL Every Day Online Courses, an instructor of graduate level Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) courses at UC Berkeley and the CEO of Karuna Consulting, LLC, an organization that takes its name from the Sanskrit word ‘Karuna,’ signifying compassion. Karuna Consulting is a certified Minority Business Enterprise (MBE) driven by a profound mission: to foster a more compassionate world through Meena’s keynotes, professional learning, coaching, and consulting services. She is the author of numerous publications including Teach, Breathe, Learn and SEL Every Day. The latter was honored as one of 2019’s Favorite Books for Educators by the Greater Good Science Center at UC Berkeley. Her TEDx talk on Tenderness is one of the most popular TEDx talks of 2024 (with over 2 million views). Meena has been practicing yoga and meditation for over 25 years, is an ordained Zen Buddhist and serves on the Board of the Thich Nhat Hanh Foundation. Learn more at meenasrinivasan.com.
