Tag: 2020

2020 Reflections—The Power of Resilience

2020 has been interesting.

Okay, I say interesting and I know many of you may be thinking “how about, horrible”.

Honestly enough, 2020 has been one of the most unpredictable, crazy and amazing years of my life. This year was paved with opportunity for distraction, misinformation, programming and difficulty. But it was also paved with deeper connection, truth, love and assistance. And as I continue to reflect on the lessons in this current stage of my life, I also realize how resiliency has been such an important characteristic to be able to manage during a time like this.

And brace yourself, its only about to get more heated.

However, internally I found myself tuning into a quiet place of solitude, rest and recovery that I’d had previous glimpses of existence. This brought me back to other cycles of my life, where I’d truly learned the meaning of connection. Solitude being a place of restoration for me, where I can put my guard down and confront myself. See myself in its rawest form. I fell in love with what God created. And in this love, I began to choose better for myself. I began to see that who I was is a beautiful result of God’s handiwork. Looking into intricate pieces of how the total came together; how one thought influenced a whole reality, how if one image or symbol changed – it reforms the whole story.

And then come the difficult parts. The witnessing self-sabotaging behavior, your fear, your judgement, your shame. Its okay, we all have it – I do too. These are truths that often we want to ignore in ourselves. But at the place of the wound is the potential and medicine to heal it. This is what is means to have resilience. It means to have the ability to forgive, to bounce back from hurts and most importantly—to move forward.

Resilience requires a bit of faith. It’s the movement that allows for us to fully process stimuli, emotions and stories. It allows for us the benefit of being able to tune into surrender, then flow. And if anything was needed this year, it was to have the ability to flow. To have courage and faith. To try our best and know that sometimes that isn’t good enough. And knowing that that’s okay. To give a helping hand and kind words. To be understanding and patient. To see another smile on another’s face. To fully tune into living and loving. This is what its all about.

So as we close 2020, I pray for each of you the gift of resilience. This year has been a tough one and if you’re reading this than I owe you a congratulations. You graduated.

Now, onto the next level. And for this, resilience will need to be in your toolbelt.

Peace, love and much blessings,

Your sister,

Jannah.

Loves Awakening Through Systemic Oppression

In the throes of a public health crisis, political militia, racial, social and economic injustice; the first half of 2020 has been admittedly nightmarish. Getting a clear look into the condition of the “elites” consciousness, civil rights and humanity, we arrive at the solemn conclusion of the spiritual death of Western culture. While not novel or surprising, it would be imprudent to discount the importance of mindful disconnection and reflection. When we are able to nurture a healthy balance between tuning into our inner joy, shame, guilt and often times grief only then can we better serve ourselves and the common good in dismantling these hierarchal structures of oppression.

This is a time of spiritual crisis. As we have seen over the course of the past few months, in an ongoing battle between dominion and power versus unconditional love and connectedness, America’s shadow has bubbled to the forefront calling for its death, rebirth and ultimate transformation.

. . .

Let me be clear; the very foundation of these systems were built on a ethic of lovelessness. Systems of oppression exists as they have been born from spiritual death birthing self-preservation, perceived lack of love and connectedness. When one identifies with lack, they will perpetuate its story; creating blockages and trudging silos of inequality to give birth to their unholy perception. Believing that the acclimation of power will somehow heal their innate sense of lack, the right to love is forfeited as love cannot exist in spaces where domination is the order of the day.

In bell hooks gracefully written volume “All About Love” she speaks on this very issue of power struggles. She writes;

“Domination cannot exist in any social situation where a love ethic prevails…When love is present the desire to dominate and exercise power cannot rule the day. Concern for the collective good of our nation, city or neighbor rooted in the values of love makes us all seek to nurture and protect the good.”

Concern for the collective directly involves the reemergence, building and support of community. When we tune into our desire to follow a love ethic, we understand that this value does not blossom in isolation. We cannot begin to dismantle systems of oppression when we are pitted against one another, lingering in pathological narcissism, white supremacies very philosophy which calls for denying our commonality, equal worth and connectedness. When we begin to build bridges with intent to meet one another in our wholeness, then we call back our innate power and build systems where its foundation is constructed on values of equality, community and love.

It is my hope that through my work as a healer, writer, daughter, sister, aunt, community member and finally lover, the ties of love be continuously emphasized and strengthened through discussion and strategic praxis. For, in this collaborative effort to experience loves redemptive, healing power, will we begin to each live in sync with The One—affirming our innate divine nature thus returning us back home.