Confident in Purpose- Our Duty as Women in the Change

Do you have the feeling of: "Where do I fit in all of this? But what can I do? How do I make a difference? Will it even matter?" Most of us are racking our brains, bombarded continuously with rage, fear, hopelessness, fatigue, anxiety, and a multitude of other emotions.

The answer is: yes. Absolutely yes. This isn't the first time Black people, and I say, people, because men aren't the only ones being killed, it's just disproportionally targeted at our men, have been the victims of racism and pure hatred by this country. America was built on the very backs of people stolen from their home countries, lied to, beaten to death, and the only difference now is there's more focus on stealing our culture and pretending the rest didn't happen.

But, at this moment, shift, change, we have to know our part. Women have always been at the forefront of any movement. No less than any man. Honestly, we are usually the ones to start the movements, and our dearths often gall on deaf ears. (But that’s another post for another time) Point is: we out here, and always been out here.

We have the obvious, Sojourner Truth, Ida B. Wells, Angela Davis, bell hooks, Yuri Kochiyama, Coretta Scott King, Maya Angelou, Audre Lorde, Marsha P. Johnson, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Tamika Mallory, and Patrisse Cullors. I could go on and on. But what do you notice about the names? They all served in their own unique ways, for the same cause.

There are hundreds of women right now fighting for the liberation of our people daily. But you know what? They do it all differently. These women have tunned into their calling. They don't worry about what everyone else's doing, they follow their God Conscience, grit their teeth, and get things done. I aspire to be just like that in my own way; in the way God calls me to.

When we understand our role and our calling, we won't have the pressure to fulfill every role and wear every hat. Each of us has a purpose on this planet. We are all apart of an ecosystem, and each individual makes up the whole.

You may not be the frontline; you may not have the information to organize a protest. And most importantly, you may not be the one who has to stay at home to nurture everyone. But hear this: right now may not be YOUR time to act.

For some of us, our job is to continue to connect with God/Universe/Source to prepare for the real battle. Let's face it: this is a microcosm of what's to come.

I want to offer some reflection, a journal prompt if you will. Because now more than ever is the time to get your thoughts, emotions, plans out on paper, and not allow them to sit and rot in your mind and do things out of panic and fear.

I got this journal prompt from Deepa Iyer. I found her interview on the "Ready Enough" podcast by Tanya Geisler. During 9/11, Deepa was very active in efforts to address the disparity among minority communities.

She is South Asian-American- director of Solidarity Is. She specializes in building multiracial solitary and sustainability social ecosystems.

Reading her Medium blog post, she expressed her lack of motivation and rage since the beginning of this coronavirus pandemic. Things have only amplified and it seems there’s no end to the horror we’re experiencing.

To shed some light and clarity for those seeking at this time. First thing: this isn’t the time to allow your imposter system to take over. It’s time to be aware and mindful.

Deepa breaks the roles of an ecosystem into this diagram, where she explains the different parts each archetype plays in the ecosystem of the change at hand.

By glancing at this, were there any that automatically resonated or you could identify? What comes to mind naturally? I know for me, I seek truth and information and rely on intuition and knowledge to guide anything I do. I like to help people by sharing information and tools, then allow them to think for themselves. I also enjoy nurturing and nourishing others and serve by creating joy and connection. Each of those “roles” is intertwined in everything I do. After you've thought of what you naturally gravitate towards, see if you resonate with the descriptions.

This will be different for everyone and shifts from season to season, depending on where you are in your journey. Deepa also mentions this isn’t your job title, this is a ROLE. And just because you may play one role in one situation or capacity doesn’t mean you’ll always play that role in every circumstance. Have peace in knowing we are all together even though it may be difficult to see. Stay the course… Look within.

As a reflection, look at these journal prompts and take some time to sit down and think about where you fit in in the bigger picture. Understanding our role allows a calmness to take over. It is the uncertainty and the feeling of being lost that sends us into a panic. We don't have to panic, we can be strategic in playing our part. You CAN be on the right side of history.

So here we go.

Write this down:

The idea is that if we focus on OUR gifts and talents and what we have to bring to the world, we will all fulfill the mission as a COLLECTIVE. We are contributing to the ripple effect- the principle that one small change can make a huge difference.

Knowing is half the battle. After the reflection journal, you might ask, HOW do we make small changes as individuals? Or maybe it may not feel complete and you have other ideas and roles that you may fill. Add them to the list, reflect, and discuss within your circle. Cross-check with one another and move from there.

Homework for your individual journey: here are some actionable steps you can take each day to build your connection with God, be guided, and serve in your role/purpose.

1. Eat- It starts with eating the right foods, cleansing your toxins, and eating less in general so that you can think clearly. Our body spends about 80% of our energy digesting food. Imagine if we are regularly eating all day every day, how this affects our ability to think and manage our emotions.

2. Exercise-The body's movement decreases stagnant energy, increases blood flow, and stimulates the mind.

3. Meditate- this stills the mind and allows the space to receive messages and direction from God as well as manage emotions that we are ALL feeling right now. I have also written an ebook if you need guidance on starting your meditation journey.

4. Protect your mind space- I am an advocate for protecting my mental space. As someone who's a victim of seasonal depression and anxiety, I have learned to know when to take a step back and recalibrate. So I offer you to curate your social feed with pages that give you information that is beneficial for the movement as well as pages that uplift and inspire you to feel confident in your purpose.

Self-awareness is so critical right now.

You can #BLACKOUT by taking action right now, every day within your temple realm: your mind. A quick appreciation to a few friends who are living in their purpose and giving back in the way God calls them to.

First my friend Woo.Sah with his beautiful art and highlighting the beauty in Black people.

What I've learned from him most is to stand in my power and embrace who I am. He is the epitome of grace, compassion, and seeing the good in people. Someone I genuinely look up to. And did I mention his BlackoutTuesday tribute is complete fire? Check it out here.

Then I have Imani. She's a Black Muslim Woman, wife, mom, travel writer, ex-pat and stands for the liberation and justice of our people in everything she does.

She is the force in publications to bring awareness to the disparities of Black representation in women in various topics. Imani isn't afraid to call people out and she stands STRONG and fearless in her power. She gives a voice for women like me who are learning to stand more boldly for what we believe in, even if that means pink flowers shouldn't be picked (just as an example lol). Imani has been doing live after live to spread information and her views, unapologetically. You can watch them here.

My point is, they play two completely different parts in the movement, but still make a difference in the change.

We are all indeed a piece of the puzzle and have to stand authentically in our power. You can ABSOLUTELY play your part. Now is the time to discover which part that is and give it 100%. Show up. For all of us. But first, show up for yourself, and discover who you want to be, what you want to stand for, and how you want to stand for it.

Til next time,

Be safe, be vigilant, be connected.

Alexis