“Black Women live, create and build with the future in mind, because the present has no place for us. In order to stay alive, we have to imagine ourselves in a future where we not only survive but thrive. A place where we are understood. A place where we still exist. This is a tall order in the world but this is the way we make the present work for us, every day, and it’s the reason I’m most proud of us.” -Shayla Lawson I have read this quote so many times over the past week and each time is more triggering than the time before . Whether you agree with the quote or not, it is nearly unbearable to know, understand and feel the perspective that is voiced here.
I believe this quote is a great place to start in order to take a deeper look into the "State of Black Women", more specifically how we cope with life's daily requirements, how we celebrate our wins and how we respond to the heartbreak of those tough lessons that we have no other choice but to learn. It has long been said, "black women are so strong". I would argue the point that many of us are strong because we have to be strong, not because we necessarily want to be. In a world where we are constantly working to make the world a safer place for everyone else but ourselves, we nuture, we advocate, we protest and we support our fair share of people and causes. We do all the things necessary to help others survive. Consequently, we are too overwhelmed and burdened to do the same things for ourselves.
Let's talk about it.
What are your thoughts about this quote? Do you agree or disagree with this point of view?
I belive many Black Women find their validation in the work they do to help others and in their efforts to solution the world's problems. Rarely does the message of simply being enough and contributing as our authentic self come into the conversation. Constantly living, creating and building with the future in mind is a huge endeavor to tackle, but that's how we, Black Women make it. We are forward thinkers. It's also why we have such a huge problem sticking to a self-care routine. We're expected to always be ON....on point, on target, on top things....it's alot!
My vision for Black Women is a world where we are respected for who we are, appreciated for our contributions but also given equal opportunites to rest, to rejuvenate and to love.
One of the core principles of Originis of Peace is "Self-Preservation". We empower women with the skills and know-how to set boundaries, manage overwhelm and gain clarity around their goals and objectives. Self-Preservation is defined as the act of keeping oneself from destruction or harm, a natural or instintive tendency to act as to preserve one's own existence.
In a few weeks I'm kicking off my 12 week course entitled; Heal..Recover..Grow to help you GROW through what you GO through.
We will focus on 3 Essential Concepts:
Heal - Be the heroine of your life, not the victim
Recover - Own your story; stop running from it
Grow - Be open to all experiences, understanding that both happiness and sadness have their respective places
All Sessions are virtual. Additional information will be shared later this week.
Peace.
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