Happy New Year Beautiful People! I want to apologize for this newsletter coming so late. So much has been happening in my world. But I'm so grateful you decided to open this email.
After a wonderful ending to October with our Dream Space art show cohosted with Live24 (recap above), a lovely #orisunsister circle exploring inner child healing and a dope writing and yoga session with Ivory Leonard, founder of Sankofa 1619, we entered November surrendering to rest, play and community love.
In November, we explored the Art of Abundance with the tribe. We discussed what abundance mindset meant for us mentally, emotionally and practically. We hosted a DOPE writing session. With Minneapolis Poet, Miss Mari (featured artist below) then did a wonderful financial wellness workshop with personal finance guru & boss lady Rachael Hanible. Both sisters offered their grace and wisdom to the tribe leaving all who joined those workshops enlightened & empowered to take control of their stares of prosperity.
Then December came and with the chilly breeze came the stillness and the darkness of winter. Being my birthday month, I tend to get very reflective at this time and decided to take December off to re-center and complete some big goals of mine while I FINALLY published my book which you can purchase here. I won another poetry slam which you can watch here. And I planned out what 2023 would look like for Orisun for 2023 (calendar coming soon). This is the blessing of winter, of stillness or death before the new comes. the ability to reflect, strategize and most of all rest. Here are 3 things stillness at the end of 2022 taught me. I hope it enlightens you for a blessed 2023
Find balance then move
These last few months of 2022, I made ALOT of mistakes trying to do more than I can handle in a internal civil war. One part of me wanted to focus on future events, other parts of me wanted to focus on my 9 to 5 and others just wanted to play and go on vacation. Many times I felt the tension of anxiety racking my mind tryin to reach my future goals with out having peace in my present. After a crazy car accident in early October and a bigger blow to my finances in December I finally got what my inner being was trying to tell me the whole time, it was time to REST. Sit, balance and focus on one thing at the time. This focus allowed me to FINALLY publish my first poetry book, a goal I’ve had since 2015. It also made me realize I get a lot more done when I do one thing at a time. Also, each task becomes much more easy to accomplish and far less daunting when I focus on just that one task. So I turned down the noise by turning up the spiritual baths, meditation & prayer times and organizing my physical space for mental clarity. In what ways can you find your balance and stillness? What triggers your anxiety? How can you woosa yourself to clarity?
Letting go don’t mean you lost it.
Though I did publish my book, there are some big goals I did not accomplish. I was in anguish about not having certain tasks crossed off my checklist but I realize not now does not mean not ever. I realized some things I have to let go and give back to the Creator. All things ALWAYS work out in my favor when I just let go. These past few months allowed me to practice faith, trusting my intuition and true surrender we reflected on in October. When I release control, my mind opens up to new path ways that offer less resistance for the same end goal, my joy and peace. Working with Live24, Miss Mari, Ivory Leonard, Rachael Hanible and others this past season allowed me to share my perceived sense of control with my tribe and allow their gifts to fill in the blanks my energy could not. It is amazing how when I relinquish control, some super natural force supplies me with all I need and desire. When I choose love instead of fear, I find all this space in my body and clarity of mind that allows me to see solutions that weren’t there before. All my goals will be accomplished if the Creator wills it. It is inevitable and a much more joyful ride when I let Universal Law do its thang.
Be an ocean not a fishbowl. (Ima get a lil spiritual here…)
The Creator/God/Allah/universal force of love, peace and abundance can not move through your life if you don’t make room for all the things that force can do. Just like caging a puppy in 3 foot cage, our Spirit will eventually become ill when we cage it in our limiting beliefs and states of lack. The most joyful and fulfilled people I know (and probably you too) are those who allow themselves to manifest their dreams, be vulnerable to their truest desires and love open heartedly. If I die without at least trying to accomplish my dreams, it is after leading a miserable life. Listen to the last regrets of a dying elder. Some THING gave us these dreams, and the anguish of not allowing them to be often is masked in our addictions to food, sex or drugs. I realized I have to allow my mind, body and spirit to be an ocean Spirit can dance freely in. Allow parts of my Self and cells to follow the divine inclinations given to me by the Creator. This means allowing my body to get the rest it needs for a peaceful nervous system that allows for more mental clarity. This means exercising to allow my muscular system to move the energy throughout my body for optimal presence and focus. It means taking time to pray, meditate and plan all I visualize to manifest to show all the universal forces I take these dreams I was gifted seriously. All we desire is already ours. Make room for it to be.