Social Justice for the Sensitive Soul: Permission to Work Differently with Dorcas Cheng-Tozun

In this episode, I sit down with Dorcas Cheng-Tozun, author of "Social Justice for the Sensitive Soul," to talk about how highly sensitive people can engage in meaningful social justice work without burning out completely. Dorcas shares her own experiences with severe burnout in the nonprofit sector and how she learned to create sustainable rhythms of activism and rest, for herself and her family.

We explore the importance of changing our external settings rather than trying to change our sensitivity, the value of contemplative practices alongside active work, and how financial giving can be a meaningful form of social justice participation. This conversation offers both validation and practical wisdom for those of us who feel deeply about creating change while also needing to care for our wellbeing and saying not to martyrdom.

Episode Highlights

Introduction to what it means to be a highly sensitive person in social justice work
The invitation to change the settings around us rather than changing ourselves
How giving 10% became a lifelong habit starting with $0.10 from a $1 allowance
The importance of meaning in work for highly sensitive people
Why sustainable activism requires balancing our best selves with our needs
The culture of overwork in the nonprofit sector and its consequences
The importance of collaborating with people who aren't highly sensitive
Final reflections on the gift of sensitivity in social justice work

Meet our Guest

Dorcas Cheng-Tozun is an award-winning writer, editor, speaker, and social impact professional. She is the author of Start, Love, Repeat: How to Stay in Love with Your Entrepreneur in a Crazy Start-up World, Let There d.light: How One Social Enterprise Brought Solar Products to 100 Million People, and Social Justice for the Sensitive Soul: How to Change the World in Quiet Ways. She also has two published Bible studies on the topics of Migration and Mental Health. Her work has appeared in The Wall Street Journal, Christianity Today, Image Journal, and dozens of other publications in the US, Asia, and Africa. She recently served as a high school instructor of social innovation at Valley Christian Schools.

Dorcas has over twenty years of experience in the nonprofit and social enterprise sectors, working in the areas of community development, leadership development, affordable housing, and off-grid energy access. She served as the first director of communications for d.light, one of the world's leading social enterprises, and has provided communications consulting for social-benefit companies around the world. A Silicon Valley native, she has lived in mainland China, Hong Kong, and Nairobi, Kenya. She and her entrepreneur husband have been married for twenty years and have two sons.

Dorcas has a BA in communication and an MA in sociology from Stanford University, as well as a professional editing certificate from the University of California, Berkeley.

Resources

Dorcas Cheng-Tozun website

Instagram

"The Highly Sensitive Person" by Dr. Elaine Aron

"Social Justice for the Sensitive Soul: How to Change the World in Quiet Ways" by Dorcas Cheng-Tozun

Keywords

#HighlySensitiveMoney #SocialJusticefortheSensitiveSoul #HSPBurnout #Activism #ContemplativePractices #NonprofitSector #SustainableChange #RestAndAction #SensitiveSoul

Click here to watch our interview on Youtube

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