It seems like New Year’s Day was a few months ago. Beaucoup of things have happened since the beginning of the year and I have learned lessons that will only better me.
Here are my top 8:
As an adolescent, I had a few friends from the church that used to call me “missionary.” I wanted to be one so badly. It was an inside joke of some sort. Years went by and I graduated from high school. I forgot about the title. The desire to help others has only intensified since then. I called an old friend to help me out with some braids and she chuckled as she asked me this: “Do you remember when we used to call you “missionary?” [Laughter increasing] “Now you’re going to Africa.” The irony. I’m not the “name and claim it” type (another blog for another day) but as a wordsmith, it is beyond impossible not to understand the power of words. I’ve seen it throughout my life but there was something about my friend’s reminder that sent ripples of excitement through my soul. This was a week before I was to leave. Spare me a few minutes to rewind a little.
Read MoreI saw a facebook memory recently. It was a post announcing that I would be releasing my first book. My mind “timehopped” to how I felt when I posted the cover art for the project. I was literally nauseous. Not that I find one type of nausea more enjoyable than another but, this was a terrifying feeling. I posted the cover art as a form of accountability for myself to eliminate cold feet. From there I continued the final writing stages and I spoke to God rather frequently regarding preparing my heart and the hearts of the readers. I wouldn’t dare try to front like there wasn’t any excitement in the mix because there was some of that too.
Even as I write there are so many memories flashing that it’s hard to decide which I should describe next. I’ll begin with the process.
Depression is something else! It's something that many people have wrestled with at some point. Either past or present. There are some who are unaware that they are or have been depressed. There are others who are in denial. I’ve heard some argue that they don’t get Depressed. My interpretation of such is that they may not necessarily know what they've experienced; however, I believe everyone encounters Depression at some point in their life. Depression tends to have a negative connotation within some cultures. Thus, some people are reluctant to share their experiences.
Read MoreI saw a post on IG recently that read “Every great artist started as an amateur.” This spoke volumes because I am notorious for focusing on final products. I remember when I began writing spoken word, my brother told me that there were two keys to being a dope poet: “prayer and practice.” I secretly thought surely that could not be the foundation of his excellence; there had to be something else he was doing to produce the leaps and bounds in his art like he was. Time has backed his claim and I have come to see it true in my own life.
I’m a vivid dreamer: night dreams, daydreams, or visions. I dream big. This is where my conflict comes in with small beginnings.
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