If others are so much worse off, struggling to survive or make it to the next day, we tell ourselves, isn't self-care a luxury? If others have needs that must be attended to, shouldn't we give up our own need for well-being so that theirs’ can be met?

If we don't stand proactively and aggressively for the civil liberties we believe in and that others have sacrificed even their lives for, then we allow the wave of hate and intolerance sweeping not just the US, but other places in the world, to win.

Whether we've given up taking care of ourselves or are far too rigid in our daily regimes, both sides of the wellness spectrum can be damaging for our physical health and feed unhealthy parts of our psyche. What to do?

Instead of dealing with just one area of technology experiencing rapid, runaway change, we’re seeing many of them become exponential at around the same time. Where the pace was fast before, now it becomes turbo-charged, much like the “insane” (now the “ludicrous”) button on a Tesla car.

Creating something new and amazing is so much more energizing and attractive then getting locked into the old and antagonistic energy of opposition. It takes practice and concerted intention to rise out of the old ways of doing things, and to create new pathways towards change that align more directly with the world that we want to create together.

Technology is a human invention, and its value depends entirely on how we decide to use it. Not just the titans in Silicon Valley, but all of us — what do we decide to do with the amazing tools we have created for ourselves?

I hope that my own sharing about vulnerability inspires you to explore what more vulnerability could look like in your own work, in your own way. I hope that there’s something hard that you want to do that just might change the world.

There were a handful of times, before I became sick, that I was acutely aware that I could not continue with the level of activity or the pace of work that I’d taken on. I felt myself physically tire and begin to experience a burning sense of fatigue, like overworked muscles asking for rest.

Old ideas about the planet’s seemingly endless capacity for growth or our inability to learn new things or make lasting change are falling by the wayside, rapidly being disproved by evidence-based research. I want to share what this all means for us aid workers, because it’s important and empowering for those of us creating impact around the world.

In the last few months, I’ve been in conversation with survivors and rape crisis centers, exploring the idea of digitizing the training for Rape Crisis Counselors. I’ve received overwhelming support and we’re now working with partners to create the resource.

Whatever the reasons – and there are many – we in the aid and development community still co-create a system where discussing sexual violence is often taboo and which surrounds acts of sexual violence with a culture of impunity.

When aid workers are triggered, especially those who don’t practice good self-care, it’s likely that they’ll take their frustration out by treating someone in the host country with disrespect. And that is not okay.

No one who has worked three months in the aid industry thinks that it’s a perfect system. If it was, wouldn’t we have fixed poverty and inequality and health and education and ecosystem degradation and fill-in-the-blank by now?

As my friends and colleagues in West Africa are dealing with an incredibly challenging and often terrifying Ebola outbreak, and I sit up late writing from my new home in Indonesia, I’ve been thinking a lot about fear and how it colors the landscape of our experience — if we let it.

For those in our tribe who are dealing with Ebola virus in West Africa, may this contribute to the discussion and dialogue within your own process of decision-making. For those of you in non-affected areas, may this give you a window into a process that I hope you never have to face.

When I talk about spiritual self-care, I’m talking about the care of your own spirit, your deepest vision and dreams, the part of you that feels like your essence, your wild and perfect heart, your soul. Call it what you like, but it needs tending.

There’s a huge stigma around talking about mental health, but it’s a massive influence on our lives, our choices and our careers. Ultimately, our ability to be effective and efficient doing this work comes down to good self-care.

What does Ebola actually mean for the office, for home and for day-to-day life in West Africa at the moment? First of all, it’s important to know and understand your risk level and to take precautions accordingly. Second, it’s important to manage your self-care so that you can keep a handle on your stress.

Unless we are experiencing large-scale stress or trauma, most of us don’t pay much attention to maintaining emotional health. I think that’s a big mistake, and in the industry there are signs that this is changing.

Most of the time, self-care is about mindfulness, about being patient with yourself and willing to adjust course. All that’s required for change is the energy to initiate new patterns. We are much more powerful and capable of change than we think we are.