The world feels like a scary and crazy place to be these days.
But it's people like our guest today, Cayce Pack, that are willing to look fear and injustice in the eye and say, "No more."
Since the age of 13, Cayce and her family have been serving the refugee and migrant communities in Nashville, and later New York City, ensuring that every human has the right to live without conflict and to pursue their dreams.
Cayce joins us today to share some of the lessons that these courageous families have taught her about resilience, learning to persevere, and sacrifices made along the way.
Sometimes in the moments where we have no other option, we tap into strength deep within us and find a power that we didn't even know that we had.
Cayce's stories of resilience gave me goosebumps and loads of inspiration, and I hope it does the same for you.
IN THIS EPISODE, CAYCE AND I DISCUSS… ? How her obsession with fashion at a very young age landed her in Vogue as a 6th grader
? Yet, her true passion emerged a few years later - while watching a haunting film that changed the course of her life and career forever
? How at a young age (with the support of saintly parents) pursued her passion of helping refugees assimilate into the United States
? How Cacye knew she had found her purpose - and how tapping into your passion means that you can't go the sleep as the same person, ever again...
? Cayce's experience working with the refugee and migrant families in Nashville and New York, and how they've taught her that resilience is more about the small daily choices rather than the big life-altering ones
? How being resilient means learning to sacrifice - learning to let go of the expectations you had for the future and acknowledge that the rules have been rewritten and you are going to fight for your dreams regardless
? The example of resilience that has stuck with Cayce the most this year
? Learning the lesson of "It's not over - it's just different" and how you can learn to pivot and pursue your dreams, even against insurmountable odds
? How we can learn to be "patient with the process" and know that things are still working for our dreams, even when it looks like nothing is working
? How Cayce stays resilient with her work in the era of Trump - when it feels as if every door is shut to immigrants and providing them the aid that they need when resettling in the United States
? How the travel ban and the way that it impacted refugee policy lit a fire under Cayce to switch jobs and fight for these families
? The journaling prompts that Cayce uses when she wants to get clear on how to move forward with her goals
? The exercise that Cayce does when she feels like she hits a roadblock with her goals
? Cayce's sacred nightly routine that is integral to her self-care practice and how she is able to show up and fight for another day
? The new exercise Cayce created for herself called "90 Days of No"
? Cayce answers the question, "What if these stories of refugees inspire us...but then also make us feel guilty because we have it SO good...yet we still can't make our dreams come true?"
? Why being a woman goal setter is an act of resistance in itself...and why we must stay resilient and keep fighting
? How to keep hope alive for our goals and dreams
? Cayce shares a story about a time when she thought her dreams were going to end and she had no idea where to call home - but at least she knew that she made her 8 year old self proud
? Cayce's goals for the next year - how she plans to be more bold in asking for help and tackling "one impossible thing" for the refugee families she supports
? Cayce's suggestions for anyone who feels uncomfortable asking for help with their goals
CURIOUS ABOUT SOMETHING WE MENTIONED IN THE SHOW?… A few of the links to these resources are affiliate links, so if you decide to make a purchase, a small contribution will be made to fund future episodes of the Soultiply podcast. Although this is appreciated, all resources were chosen before affiliate links were added, and absolutely did not influence my decision to mention any particular resource in this episode.
? The movie that spurred Cayce's passion for helping refugee and migrant communities - Hotel Rwanda
? The organizational method that Cayce applied to her schedule as part of her "90 Days of No" - the Konmari Method made famous by the book The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo
Feeling inspired to help? Here are Cayce's best suggestions:
? If you have a question for Cayce about how you can get involved in your own community, reach out to her at caycepack [at] gmail [dot] com
? Cayce regularly has 'last minute' opportunities to contribute to refugee families via Amazon registries, 1:1 volunteering, etc as they arise - so follow her on Facebook to stay tuned for those opportunities to help.
? For example, right now, they are in the last little pushes of raising scholarship funds for George, a refugee friend of hers starting community college to become a counselor in NYC.
? If you're interested in volunteering directly with refugee resettlement in your community, check out organizations like the International Rescue Committee, Catholic Charities, HIAS, and Church World Service to find the office nearest to you. There's cool programs like GreaterAs1 that also allow you to find out the current donation needs refugee families in your area may have.
? Consider supporting refugee-owned businesses, or businesses that employ refugees with dignified wages- like Preemptive Love Coalition and Prosperity Candle.
? To advocate, (if you're in New York), Cayce highly encourages folks to sign up with the New York Immigration Coalition. If you're not in New York, you can use resources like United We Dream to find local networks in your community. We Welcome Refugees also has a great weekly 'roundup' email of refugee resettlement news and advocacy opportunities.
? The book that has kept me on track with my personal goals over the last 16 weeks (the reason why I've lost 22 pounds and launched this podcast!) - Maybe It's You by Lauren Handel Zander
? InnerU, the digital life coaching program that puts the Maybe It's You book in action. A must for keeping yourself accountable to your dreams - use code SOULTIPLY at checkout for $75 off any subscription level
? Have a question about goal setting, organization, productivity or self-care? I'd love to hear from you! Record a question below and there's a great possibility that I'll include it and answer it in an upcoming Q&A episode!
MEET CAYCE PACK… By day, Cayce Pack is the Associate Director of the Zolberg Institute on Migration and Mobility in New York, a research and policy center on refugee and migration issues, where she works on both global and city-based initiatives to advance best practices for refugee and migrant rights.
At heart, Cayce is privileged to be deeply involved in the resettled refugee community in New York and her hometown of Nashville, working with networks of local refugee leaders and activists to provide direct aid, material support, and connections for refugees arriving in America from places like Syria, Iraq, Myanmar, and the Congo. Her main aim is to empower refugees to recover their goals and careers once disrupted by conflict-- and push through the paperwork, red tape, and difficulties together to see dreams fulfilled.
Cayce has been involved in the refugee and migrant community for fifteen years, after a viewing of a film about refugee issues while in middle school sparked her passion for working with those starting over in America. Shortly thereafter, alongside a local refugee leader, her family helped found what is now one of the largest refugee resettlement operations in Tennessee.
Prior to her current role, she worked with UNICEF USA in New York, and with non-governmental organizations in Palestine and Egypt. She serves on the Young Leaders Council of the New York Immigration Coalition, is a Fellow with the Urban Design Forum, and leads her church's social justice ministry, C3Cares.
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