- So last week like much of the world,
I decided to take to social media
to share my support for Black lives.
After two hours of writing
and re-writing, and writing some more,
trying to find the right words to share how I was feeling,
I found the truth that many of us have collectively felt.
It's hard to put the last week into words
for many reasons but mostly because my words
don't matter right now.
This isn't my moment to share, it's my time to listen
and to take action.
So if I'm being honest,
it didn't feel like there was anything I could possibly say
in this moment that would help
and I realized that when we spend all this time
thinking about what we're going to say,
all this time talking,
it's impossible to actually listen
and so that's what I've started to do over the past week.
To really step back,
to start to listen to so many voices
that I haven't yet heard,
so many stories that I haven't yet seen
and it's really taught me a lot about
what it means to change
and not just what it means to change our selves
but to also change the lives of others.
One of the biggest lessons that I've learned
about self growth
and what's become clear over the past week
is how it requires so much more that just yourself.
We learn from each other.
- It's going to keep happening until something gives
and it can't keep being the people who are the victims
that get blamed, we need the people who are in power
to be accountable.
- [Matt] We rely on books and videos to inspire us.
- It brings up the question over and over again,
what do we really do?
Like, how can we really stop this
because it's,
it is, it's exhausting.
- [Matt] Yes, there needs to be something inside of us
that stirs us to action
but more often than not the seeds of change begin
with someone else's voice.
- Us, together, collectively, are going to end this.
When we fight, we win and with are gonna continue fighting.
- And that story of growth never ends.
It's probably the one thing that connects everyone
in this community here on YouTube more than anything else.
That we're driven to learn,
to grow and to improve our lives
and the lives of those around us.
What's true of building habits, routines and improving
your own productivity is also true for social change.
We need to have an open mind.
We need to recognize our mistakes
and most of all, we need each other.
When I took the time to actively listen,
to stand with the protestors, to hear the speeches,
it opened up my eyes to the hurt
and pain that so many Black people in America
have faced for their entire lives.
Black culture is inextricably linked to American culture.
We listen to the music, eat the food, wear the clothes,
watch the movies, enjoy the art
and now it's time that we listen to the voices.
When they say that they're being discriminated against,
when they say that they don't feel safe in front of police,
when they say that they need our help,
we need to listen.
Now, I've felt so many conflicting feelings
over the past couple weeks.
I felt so much sadness.
Sadness for George Floyd, his family,
and the countless others who have succumbed
to police brutality
and I've also felt hopeful.
When I see these protests,
when I see these statues being torn down which represent
centuries of oppression,
you start to feel the change that's about to come.
It feels like nothing that I've ever experienced
in my life time.
After I made that one simple post on Instagram,
I started to hear from many of you in this community.
I felt the love and the appreciation for supporting a cause
that's so personal to so many of you.
It's easy to get negative about the reaction
on social media.
Questioning people's intentions,
wondering if they really care
or if they're just posting for attention
but I learned that that doesn't really matter.
Intentions are important but they're not nearly as important
as action and so whether you're simply making a social media
post or you're getting out and protesting
or you're listening to a podcast
or you're making a donation,
all of these things help.
And so no matter how big or how small of an action you take,
the most important thing
is that you're helping to move things forward.
And so I wanted to try to do a little bit of good
in this video and help to raise some money
for two amazing charities.
One, for Black Americans,
and another for Aboriginal Australians
and so for every dollar
that you donate to these two charities,
the charity is linked down in the description below,
my wife Natalie and I will match up to $10,000.
After you donate, make sure you send a screenshot
of that donation to donate@mattdavella.com
that way I can keep track of everything
and make sure that we're matching
all the way up to $10,000.
The top five donations, the five donations that are the most
generous I will give a special shout out in my video
next week so that would mean a whole lot to me
and I hope that gives you that nudge that you need
to be super generous during these times.
So truthfully, this video was difficult to make
because I don't like talking about difficult subjects
'cause you guys know I generally like to keep things
very light on this channel
and that's because I like to keep things light
in my own life and so when I sat down
to start thinking about what I wanted to say
in this video, I was thinking about those of you
in this community that watch this channel every week,
that have been affected by discrimination
and racism and so I'm really talking to you guys.
I really want you to know that I'm here for you,
I'm in your corner, I'm rooting for you,
I'm fighting for you, I'm gonna try to raise as much money
as I possibly can for you
and I'm listening.
So thank you guys so much for watching
and I'll see you next time.
By the way if you don't have the money to donate
right now, that's okay.
I've shared links to a few of my favorite black creators,
some of which you might recognize from The Ground Up Show
in the description below.
- If I'm going to keep some kind of commitment to myself,
even if it's only 30 days, I'm telling someone.
- In the social media age, it's so easy to look
to the person to the left and right of us
and see what they're doing.
- It's not waiting for, again,
that perfect opportunity to come to you.
- [Matt] Instead of making a contribution,
you could go give them a follow.
They're inspiring voices that are definitely
worth your attention.