You know,
I come from the camp of not allowing people to determine who you are and determine how you are and determine the sauce that you bring to the world.
But I gotta be honest,
I almost lost myself recently.
There have been times over the past few months that I have felt the urge to hit back.
The things that I was seeing felt so big and so mean and so cruel that all I could think was that this is the moment,
This is the moment where we harden ourselves up against the world.
And I've been learning so many lessons about this world,
About relationships,
About the nature of people.
Life has been widening my perspective very quickly and pushing me to grow in ways that I never thought I could.
Pushing me to grow in ways that I didn't expect for,
But ways that I prayed for.
Because I always prayed to be stronger.
And yet in the midst of this strengthening,
I wanted to stay soft.
Because I met a version of myself this year that I absolutely adore.
She is so free,
So soft,
So into herself.
And there is a protection that comes with that.
There is a protection that needs to be surrounded around this version of myself that I'm so loved.
And in order for her to stay here,
In order for her to stay alive,
To stay that blooming,
Blossoming flower,
I have to remain soft as I'm getting stronger.
And this has seemed like the biggest contradiction ever.
But it's possible,
And we gonna do it together.
Hmm.
We're living in a time that requires us to be so much more strategic.
But we can do that without losing any ounce of genuineness,
Without losing any ounce of kindness.
So take a moment and get comfortable.
However that feels for you.
There's no need to rush or force anything.
Just let yourself be and let yourself soften,
Whether you're sitting or laying down.
And if you need to adjust throughout this meditation,
Please do it.
This moment is about allowing our physical bodies to be as soft as possible.
In this space that we are learning to live in,
It's a place where strength and softness exist together.
It's a place where you don't have to put up walls to feel safe or to pretend to be anything other than exactly who you are.
It's a space where you have boundaries that allow you to love,
To flow,
And to let all the BS pass you by.
You get to be comfortable.
You get to be emotional.
You get to be passionate.
You get to be caring.
Whatever word comes to mind that speaks to your state of being right now,
You get to be that.
This moment is about coming and being as you are.
As you settle in,
I want you to let your body relax piece by piece.
You can start at your shoulders,
Dropping them down.
Squeeze your shoulder blades as tight as you can before letting them go.
Feel tension melting from your face as you drop it down your neck.
You can flex these muscles in your face as hard as you can before letting them go.
If you feel any areas of extra tension in your body,
Whether it's your calves,
Your feet,
Your thighs,
Wherever that tension is,
I want you to squeeze it.
I want you to tie in it as hard as you can before letting it go.
I want you to breathe in for four,
Three,
Two,
One.
Now hold your breath for three,
Two,
One.
Good.
Breathe out for five,
Four,
Three,
Two,
One.
Very good.
Let your breath be a grounding force for you in this moment.
I want with each inhale,
You feel yourself drawing in strength that comes from you remembering your roots,
That comes from remembering that you're not facing anything that none of your ancestors have not seen before.
Inhale and remember who you are,
Who you come from,
Who God made you to be.
And with each exhale,
I want you to let go of anything that tells you that softness is a risk,
That kindness is a vulnerability.
I don't want you to have to focus so hard on protecting yourself when God does that every day.
This is your moment where you focus on blooming.
I want you to breathe in these affirmations and repeat them each time you inhale and exhale.
I am allowed to be both soft and strong.
I am allowed to be both soft and strong.
I can stay true to my open heart and still be powerful.
I can stay true to my open heart and still be powerful.
I am not losing myself.
I am becoming more of who I am.
I am not losing myself.
I am becoming more of who I am.
Every day I become more strategic about how I use my heart,
Where I express my art,
And I'll affirm that God's been with me from the start.
Every day I become more strategic about how I use my heart,
Where I express my art,
And I'll affirm that God's been with me from the start.
Each lesson,
Even the hard one,
Leads me to a kinder,
More courageous,
Wiser,
To-the-root version of myself.
Each lesson,
Even the hard ones,
Leads me to a kinder,
More courageous,
Wiser,
To-the-root version of myself.
They don't decide who I am,
How I show up,
Or how I choose to see myself.
I do.
They don't decide who I am,
How I show up,
Or how I choose to see myself.
I do.
I was born to be soft,
And I was born to be strong.
I don't have to choose.
I was born to be soft,
And I was born to be strong.
I don't have to choose.
They say the water that softens the potato will also harden the egg.
And I am wise enough to know when I need to be a potato and when I need to be an egg.
They say the water that softens potatoes will harden the egg.
And I am wise enough to know when I need to be a potato and when I need to be an egg.
I allow myself to transform and to change before my eyes.
I allow myself to change and transform before my eyes.
I trust God to keep my heart safe as I navigate shaky terrain.
I trust God to keep my heart safe as I navigate shaky terrain.
I was born to be a peaceful person,
And I am fighting for my peace.
I was born to be a peaceful person,
And I am fighting for my peace.
I love the person that I am shaping out to be.
I love the person that I am shaping out to be.
I want you to take another deep breath in,
Filling up your entire belly.
Letting all these affirmations flow to every inch of you,
Every atom,
Every cell.
Trust that every part of you is listening to the affirmations that you spoke.
And the parts of you that need to be stronger are strengthening.
And the parts of you that need to be softer are softening.
I want you to take a final deep breath in,
Feeling all that strength and softness flow throughout your whole body.
I want you to take a final deep breath in,
Feeling all that strength and softness flow throughout your whole body.
And as you let go,
See all that tension leaving your body,
Picture it leaving in a gray cloud.
And as you let go,
See all that tension leaving your body,
Picture it leaving in a gray cloud.
That's the stagnation leaving your body.
That is the thing that tells you that you have to choose,
That you don't get to be nuanced,
Whatever.
That is the thing that tells you that you have to choose,
That you don't get to be nuanced,
Whatever.
You're more complex than these simple phrases or causes or things desire you to be.
You're more complex than these simple phrases or causes or things desire you to be.
So stop trying to put yourself in a box.
Continue to be soft.
And when you're ready,
I want you to bring some awareness to your surroundings.
And when you're ready,
I want you to bring some awareness to your surroundings.
I want you to wiggle your toes,
Wiggle your fingers,
Sniff the air.
I want you to wiggle your toes,
Wiggle your fingers,
Sniff the air.
Taking everything around you.
And I want you to place a hand over your heart and the other over your tummy.
And I want you to carry this meditation with you.
You are soft,
Yet you are so strong.
Open,
Yet grounded.
Firm,
Yet free.
You are a beautiful dichotomy.
And I'm so proud of you.
I love the person that you're shaping out to be,
Too.
I hope that you feel this love within you.
I hope you got what you needed.
And more than anything,
I hope that you're encouraged to be who you know you're supposed to be.
That you're encouraged to be that person who chooses themselves.
That person who expresses themselves.
You got it.
It's not on you.
It's in you.
Thank you for listening.
