One of my major takeaways is to use my colleagues' views as a way to continuously question my own beliefs in a good way. I am open to listening to different viewpoints, which helps me on my personal journey to decide what I truly believe.

When it comes to the day in, day out practice of holding space for both my colleagues’ and my own beliefs, it’s not all rainbows and butterflies—the mental struggle is real. I’ve found success in holding this space in a few ways:

• Remaining friendly with my colleagues (inviting them to lunch, taking walking breaks, chatting in the break room, etc.).
• Advocating for diversity of thought.
• Keeping a personal priority of always learning from people's differences.
• Releasing myself from social media.

Another big thing that has helped me is finding a community where I live that makes me feel like I belong. I have come to enjoy that my home community is conservative-minded and my work community is liberal-minded; it helps me keep a balance, and it forces me not to live in a bubble and think the same as everyone around me.