Thursday, April 28, 2011

It's All About You!

photo by Miles Johnson (age 7)

I was meditating very peacefully on my front porch enjoying the faint sound of two birds chirping and a girl walking by my house shooting the breeze with her girlfriend.  It was a pleasant experience until Honey started banging on the door because he forgot his key, and as one of my meditation students says, "he scared the bejesus out of me."  I tried to go back to that place of peace but it was lost.  Don't you hate when that happens?

It's been a very interesting week.  I've been asked to speak at All About You Day on May 14th in New York City in front of 300 women.  (I know, I'm pinching myself too).  All About You is a one-day women's empowerment conference covering topics including money, beauty, relationships, and love of self.  I will give a talk on inner peace and meditation.  Of course you are invited, go to http://www.keepingitrich.com/allaboutyoudayand register with the Passcode: AAYOU.  It's free.

Last night I was chatting with one of my meditation friends about speaking on the program.  The conversation got me thinking about the power of Intention and how about a month ago I set the Intention of being a motivational/inspirational speaker.  In addition to writing this down I declared it on my Dreamboard.  Now look how quickly my seed has grown!  I'm thrilled by this opportunity and I can feel in my bones that this is just the beginning.  The sky is not even the limit Beautifuls, and I want you to feel as empowered as I'm feeling right now. 



Grab a piece a paper, your laptop, your journal, the back of your grocery list, the notes section in your smart phone, and let's start setting our Intentions by answering the following questions.  I'll even include my orgininal answers from a few blogs ago just to provide a little direction.

What am I good at?
I'm good at writing, speaking, teaching, easing worries and helping people see things clearly.

What do I want?
I want to be a successfully published novelist, have my novels turn into featured films, inspire with my blog, grow my weekly meditation class into workshops that I'll conduct all over the globe, write a book to accompany the class/workshops, speak, interact, be heard.
(Okay, nothing like putting it all out there.)

What is my Purpose?
My purpose is to inspire, teach, touch, heal, and entertain.

How can I serve?
By shining my light on every person I reach and living without judgement.

So what is my Intention?
My Intention is to touch and change people's lives with my gifts of communication (writing, speaking, healing and teaching).

Aaah!  That feels powerfully clear.  Now it's your turn.  Feel free to send me your post.  Get busy, times is a ticking!

Enjoy life my friends.

The sky is not even the limit!

Love, Light and Laughter!

Tuesday, April 26, 2011

Happiness Meter



I was reading Ebony magazine, the one with the cast of Jumping the Broom on the cover and there was a wonderful article on how being happy can change your life.  I read the article in the nail salon while getting yet another thirty dollar gel manicure that's supposed to last me two weeks when in all actuality last me about five days, but I try to remain optimistic each time I go (and next time will politely demand a discount).  The article said that some people are just not happy.  They walk into every situation unhappy and if a happy person and an unhappy person are faced with the same issue it's always that much worst for the unhappy person.  My friends laugh at me all the time because I'm always trying to see the sunny side of things.  While out to dinner the waitress came to the table and was quite abrupt, and one of my friends commented, "I don't like her she's nasty."  I said, "well, let's just kill her with kindness.  She can't be nasty if we are all sunshiny sugary sweet."  Everyone laughed and the mood of the table changed. 



On a flight yesterday, the cabin attendant tried to have me and my three children removed from an already delayed plane because my lap child (little Miss bossy) was slightly over age.  This woman went so far as to march down the aisle and call the pilot on me!  I was nervous because the next flight wasn't for three hours and I didn't want to fork over any more cash to get home.  I sat in my chair breathing deeply while asking that God make me equipped to handle the outcome.  When the attendant returned she said, "today is your lucky day.  The only reason why you are allowed to stay on is because there is a pilot who has to get to Newark and there is no time to waste."  I smiled pleasantly and thanked her.  Now of course on the inside I'm thinking who in their right minds kicks a women traveling alone with three children off a one-hour flight?  Is it really that serious?  But I remained cool and pleasant and didn't let the fact that she embarrassed me in front of rows and rows of patrons get to me.  I dug in deep for my reserve stock of inner happiness because what would I have gained by being pissed off and cursing her out in my head for the duration of my flight?  My stomach would have been in knots, the way I interacted with my children (who were excited about the plane ride) would have been tainted and the trip would have ended sourly.  Instead I remained positive and even smiled and thanked the flight attendant for a lovely trip.  Was this hard?  Not really because I refused in that moment to give away my power and my right to enjoy a pleasant trip with my children. 

We have choices.  We can choose to let something throw us completely out of whack and ruin our whole day (trust me it has happened to me more times that I can count) or we can choose to let negative energy roll off of our shoulders and look on the brighter side of things.  By being present to the moment we don't give the negative encounters of the past our attention.


If you find this hard the Ebony article suggested building yourself a happiness first aid kit complete with things that automatically bring you joy such as; a playlist, the smell of lavender and patchouli, candles, a rock that you collected from last years vacation to the beach, a photo of someone who always makes you smile, a dried flower from a lover, lacy underwear, lemon ginger tea, bath salts, a favorite crystal, or a strawberry shortcake sticker.  Make yourself a small box or container and store it somewhere where you can get to it when you need to bring yourself back to center.

Everyday I try my very best to radiate happiness from within and act as a beckon of Light for everyone I encounter.  Your challenge for this week is to radiate Light, whether it's being reciprocated or not.  Don't let someone else's attitude take away from your natural, God given right to be happy.  Smile, it's contagious and have a sun shiny week!  You're entitled to it!

Love and Laughter!

Monday, April 18, 2011

It's Been Too Long!

                                   

I've missed you and I'm so sorry that I didn't blog last week.  It has been insanely busy and I'm so grateful to be able to say that thing are going well for me and the future of 12th Street Press.  The company is now and LLC which means we are officially opened for business.  I signed my editorial contract last week with my fabulous editor Cherise Fisher who has worked with numerous New York Times best selling authors including Victoria Christopher Murray, Michael Baisden and David E. Talbert, so to say that I am in good hands is an understatement.  My website is being developed by Mary Brown and should be up and running in a month.  All I'm missing is dazzling cover art, a rich uncle to pay for my publicity campaign and an intern to help me become more social media saavy.

Sheesh, but the writing is going well.  I've been slaving away on my submission for the Hurston Wright Foundation Summer Program taking place in July at Howard University.  Dolen Perkins-Valdez, author of Wench (which I read in two days) is teaching the fiction workshop.  They only accept 12 students and I must be in the class.  I'm nervous because I have to submit 20 pages of my second novel which is in first draft shape at best, but I'm breathing and editing my way through it.  So please, say a prayer for me, cross your fingers and wish me luck!  D.C. here I come!

If you were unable to attend meditation class this week we discussed a passage from Iyanla Vanzant's book Until Today!.  Iyanla talks about the importance of taking care of You.  We all know that we are supposed to do it but how many of us really do it?  If you need a reason why this is so important, read what Iyanla has to say....

"Self-care is an acknowledgement of God's divine presence in you.  Spending time caring for your mind enables God's light, love and wisdom to shine through your thoughts.  When you make it a point to still your mind and your body to care for your spirit, you open yourself to receive the power of God's wisdom.  This wisdom leads to righteousness--right thinking, right action and right response in all aspects of your life.  There are people in the world who desperately need the presence of God's light.  You are a perfect source through which that light can shine to them.  People learn by example, and you are a living example.  The better you feel, the better you look.  The better you look, the more inspiration you offer.  The more inspiration you offer, the more believable it becomes that there are benefits and rewards for caring for the God in you.


Who in the world could not benefit from a little more wisdom?  A touch of love?  Or a surge of power?  All it takes is a little time.  A little care.  A few moments of silence and stillness each day.  (Meaning meditation) Do it for yourself.  Do it for the world.  If these reasons are not good enough, then do it for God.  Until today, you may not have realized that self-care is God care.  Just for today (actually I'm saying for this week), care for your mind, your body and your spirit as acknowledgment for God and in service to the world."

Isn't Queen Iyanla something?  Her picture is on my dream board and I wish that sister all of the comeback success that I can muster.  I'm still playing Marsha Ambrosius new album ever single day and if you haven't picked it up, get it!  My challenge to you for this week is to put yourself first and honor the God in you. 

I wish you Love, Light, Laughter, Peace, Blessings and Happiness!

Namaste Beautifuls!  Ashay, and Amen!

Wednesday, April 6, 2011

Back Woods Baby

photo by Sadeqa

“Puuush,” grunted the snag-a-tooth midwife squatted between my legs with curls of sweat weaved into the balding spots, separating gray sprouts of hair.  I could smell old age clinging to her scaly skin, and between that and the ear ringing contraction ripping through my body I felt like cussing.  But even in my condition, Gran would have reached over and slapped my face, so I held my tongue and did as I was told.  The old lady had already shoved her bare hand and whole arm inside of me, breaking my water deeming the baby ready.  Warm liquid dripped down my thighs, and was soaked up by the pile of towels propped under my behind.  Brown leather stirrups that looked like they belong to the horse out back, held my feet apart as I rocked against the tear splitting pain. 
We were in the back room of Gran’s sister, Kat’s house, embedded in the deep woods of the Blue Ridge Mountains in Virginia.  Ant Kat’s house sat in the middle of fifty acres, and Gran said the land had belonged to her family since right after slavery.  The room we were in was the most recent addition, added about ten years before.  The wallpaper was a faded mauve with potted plants, and the few pieces of furniture were old, mitch-matched but dusted clean.  The overhead lighting was fluorescent, and there was a desk lamp sitting on the floor at the foot of the bed, which Snag-a-tooth used to see.  I felt hot and damp, and could hear the mosquitoes buzzing round, fighting ‘gainst the screen door.   
A cousin I didn’t know kept rubbing a warm towel cross my forehead, and I liked her because she kept smiling with saucer-shaped eyes that told me I’d be okay.  Then she whispered in my ear, “Don’t worry, she delivers all the babies within fifty miles,” then patted my arm.
Gran stood on the other side of me, and Ant Kat was at the foot of the bed, beside old Snag-a-tooth reading bible versus, and calling out to Lawd Jesus for my strength and salvation.
“Push, chile, push,” Snag-a-tooth shouted at me again.  “I sees the head,” she said leaning in closer.
Well grab it I wanted to sass, but right then a cold pain pierced through my belly with a fierceness that had my whole body shivering and teeth rattling, so much that I was sure I would swallow my tongue.  And even though I knew I was wrong for slipping out of church while Daddy Grace preached, and Gran was hunched down on her knees no doubt praying for my salvation, I didn’t want my life to end like this.  I found my voice and screamed like a lion would over the lost of her cub, and it came from some place so deep and real that even I didn’t recognize it.
“Hush up chile, wastin energy you gon’ need.  Baby’s crowning,” she said pushing my thighs further apart.  “Slow down, don’t want you tearing.”
Slow down, I can’t slow down.  Just get this thing out of me.  Please God, get it out.  I’ll never have sex again, I promise, just get this baby out.
Gran had leaned into my back, propping me up higher the way a hospital bed would have had I proper care, but no one back home knew I was having this baby, so I had to come way down to the country and have it in secret.  It was Gran’s idea, she didn’t want her sanctified church friends knowing of my indiscretion. 
“Next contraction, give it all ya got chile and this baby be here,” said Snag-a-tooth.  “Push like yous mad, push.”
On fire is the only way I could describe the heated pain that came from the split between my legs as she pulled the baby’s head out, and then let it dangle between my legs while she sucked the mucus from the nose and mouth.
“Slow and steady,” she said, and then yanked the rest of the body out of me.  I don’t know what happened after, cause the room went dark.  Maybe I fainted, but the next thing I knew, Gran was putting a swaddled baby in my arms, whispering that it’s a girl.  It’s a girl.  Then I looked at the little person in my arms and thought, wow she’s beautiful, and then lifted her cheek to my lips so that I could kiss her.  I smoothed back the black curl across her forehead, with the next thought pushing itself forward hurting worst than all of the pain that I had just endured. 
Too bad I can’t keep her.     
Angel.