Getting Over The Mountaintop On The Journey To The Dream
We have to learn how to breathe more deeply as we get closer to the mountaintop because the air is thinner. We'll also need to push past some discomfort to get over the mountaintop. Let's journey through a few examples of stretching ourselves past our comfort zones to get over the mountaintop on the journey to the dream.
☥ Be comfortable as ourselves in public ☥ which includes unapologetically
congregating with each other, eating our native foods, wearing our indigenous clothing
and speaking our languages. We are often made to feel uncomfortable when we are
being ourselves causing us to subjugate ourselves to white people who are doing
the very same thing to be themselves in public. We can be warm and compassionate
while at the same time committed to being our authentic selves everywhere we go.
When we speak our native languages in public, we can make other people feel like an outsider. However, a fun way to overcome this barrier is to do something that I often
witness in the Latinx community. A Latinx woman once said to her friends when I
entered the room, "¡Ay, qué linda! How pretty!" We had a fun conversation because she
translated for me on the spot. This is a powerful practice because she bridged the
language barrier and taught me something at the same time. I have yet to find a
downside to learning more about people of other cultures. At the same time, we have
to keep in mind that some people do not understand or speak our language. In these
cases, let's imagine how we would want to be treated in another country where we
don't speak or understand the language and offer compassion as a first response.
☥ Be intentional ☥ understand each other ☥ heal past traumas ☥ relentlessly drop
assumptions about each other's culture. When I was walking through a town in
Germany, I noticed that the townspeople kept calling me a specific name. They were
friendly, but because I didn't know what they were saying, I assumed that they were
calling me some derogatory name for Black People/laughing at me behind my back.
The next day, I was walking through town with a German family member and it
happened again. When I asked for the translation, my family member laughed and
explained to me that another family member of mine, who also lived in Germany for a
number of years, was very well loved by the townspeople. I look so much like her that
they thought I was her daughter, so they were saying "Oh! It's _____'s daughter!"
Because she spoke German fluently, they assumed that I also spoke and understood
German. Because I didn't respond back to them and, as the day progressed, expressed
emotional angst because I assumed I was being insulted, imagine how they may have
been confused by my body language.
These misunderstandings keep us from connecting with each other. Past racial traumas and unconscious/programmed stereotypes about other people can cause us to make the mistake of judging people based on our understanding of what is friendly or rude and misinterpret body language as well as a person's intentions.
Let's remember that we are still getting to know ourselves so that we can drop
assumptions and authentically get to know each other. Breathe, pause, seek
understanding first, and then decide how to process our emotions. Americans,
including Black Americans, are especially susceptible to making assumptions because
we are programmed to expect people to relate the way we relate. Although it appears
to feel like a natural response that is coming from us, this behavior is actually a
byproduct of hundreds of years of the pressure to conform to eurocentric culture and
ideology, and it can be so deeply embedded in our subconscious mind, that we don't
realize what we are doing.
For this reason, we need to be relentlessly intentional and approach each person as an individual. The exception to the suggestion to drop assumptions is to adopt the assumption that we know absolutely nothing about a given person or situation.
As we retrain ourselves to breathe, pause and seek understanding first, we'll become more self-aware which allows us to ease our way over the mountaintop on the journey to the dream.
The impact of global warming is costing African nations up to 5% of their economic output, the United Nations climate chief said on Thursday, calling for more investments to help adapt to climate change. The 54-nation continent, which has borne the brunt of climate change despite releasing far less polluting emissions than the industrialised world, receives just 1% of annual global climate finance. ☥ Duncan Miriri ☥ From, 'Climate change costs Africa up to 5% of GDP, UN climate head says'
A Dream Realized
"So Beautiful" is a project sponsored by the Journey To Radiance Podcast Series. The film tells the story of Oakland-based father, husband, teacher and artist Sizwe Abakah a.k.a. Spear Of The Nation (mega talented second artist to perform in the "So Beautiful" music video listed above), who travels to South Africa to find the home of his name (there is a village in South Africa called "Sizwe"). The "So Beautiful" film was featured in the Silicon Valley African Film Festival and won an award which created an opportunity for the South African healing artist MXO to fulfill a dream of coming to America. Our Journey To The Dream episode celebrates the birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and introduces us to the vision, valor and vocal virtuoso of veneration MXO, an extraordinary trendsetting South African performer who uses his gifts as a tool for healing, liberation and the elevation of consciousness. We journey past the propaganda, learn what is really happening in South Africa and share strategies for overcoming the obstacles that limit our dreams/prevent us from co-creating Pan African unity throughout the diaspora ☥ delight in hearing him sing for us in the studio.
A dream is the bearer of a new possibility, the enlarged horizon, the great hope. ☥ ☥ Howard Thurman ☥
MXO 'The Real MXO' Lokwe has adorned the South African music industry for over 13 years. He is a visionary and a trailblazer in the artistic scene. His quirky, eccentric and authentic fashion style, matched by his bewitching raspy voice, prove that he is anything but ordinary. His debut single 'Sista Kunjani' intricately showcased his distinct way of moulding Afro-soul, jazz, funk, traditional and modern pop.
In 2004 he released 'Peace of Mind', which marked the arrival of a musical force, spawning multiple hits like 'Zand’iyibone', 'Delilah', 'Nomalizo' and 'Tonight'. Rich with enchanting Xhosa lyrics and immaculately marrying funk, jazz, soul, pop, traditional and rock, he made being an alternative musician popular in a time when it was still misunderstood.
Born and bred in the dynamic city of Port Elizabeth in the Eastern Cape, [MXO] grew up soaking in the music of Prince, Peter Tosh, Bob Marley, Sade, Guru, Caiphus Semenya, Stimela, Fela Kuti, Michael Jackson and early SA bubble gum music. He would mimic his favourite stars, already envisioning a life as a rock star. He later worked at Musica, which became a musicology to him, introducing him to a wide spectrum of artists like Bill Withers, Finley Quaye, Omar Lye-Fook, Jamiroquai and Coldplay. He also gained a deep appreciation for underground music.
As a live act, he chiselled his chops by performing in nightclubs around Johannesburg and at popular artistic hubs Melville, Yeoville and Hillbrow. He developed a bold live persona that made him a crowd favourite. Since then he has shared stages with heavyweights like Hugh Masekela, John Legend, Saul Williams, Incognito, Leandro Lehart, Maxwell and Mandoza. He has also rocked stages in Switzerland, Germany, Brazil, Tanzania, France, Japan and China, [etc.]. ☥ ☥ musicinafrica.net ☥
Check out our Journey page to download and share the combined chapters as a MP3 file.
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There must be always remaining in every life, some place for the singing of angels, some place for that which in itself is breathless and beautiful. ☥ ☥ Howard Thurman ☥
☥ DREAM ☥
☥ We can't dream big enough for SPIRIT ☥
Then remember that ...
The Dream Is Only The Beginning ☥ Connect With SPIRIT ☥ Manifest Your Dreams
Epilogue ☥ Your Treasure Map For Self-Care
Thank you for taking the time to actively engage in your own self-care. If you have ever spent time at a hammam ☥ steam room ☥ sauna, you will notice that it is a comfortable space because you are wearing minimal or no clothing and you can just be yourself. However, after a short time, it starts to get hot, and you begin to sweat.
This is a good thing because you are helping your body to eliminate toxins. If you want to detoxify your body correctly you will:
☥ Breathe slowly and deeply to help your body adjust to the intensity of the heat.
☥ Sip water every 15 minutes to stay hydrated.
☥ Have a piece of fruit ☥ pumpkin seeds ☥ favorite healthy snack available.
☥ Take a shower after excessive sweating.
☥ Go into a cold room/take a cold plunge/cold water rinse off to cool down before doing
another sweat and to stimulate your lymphatic system.
☥ Go for a walk in nature, spend time in meditation ☥ contemplation, have a healthy meal
and give your body some time to complete the healing process (which could include
sending you messages through your intuition about your next steps).
As you journey through ☥ interact with the blogs ☥ other content on phyllishubbard.com, you might have an insight that causes you to suddenly feel mentally ☥ emotionally “hot” -- which could show up as:
☥ “Ah-ha” moments
☥ A hop-in-the-bed-and-cry-yourself-to-sleep or fetal position crying time of intensive
self-care
☥ Intense feelings of anger/regret about something in your past
☥ Disorientation caused by the realization of truth
☥ Strong reactions such as heightened senses, vomiting; an urge to release emotions
such as yelling/screaming, going outside for fresh air/to take a walk, punching a
boxing bag/pillow; a feeling of tightness in the chest, etc.
If you find yourself having a strong reaction, I encourage you to flow with it while helping your body to release mental ☥ emotional toxins by using the same five self-care strategies listed above for releasing physical toxins. Your body talks to you all the time, but unconscious adherence to social conditioning can mute its messages.
Strong reactions are your body’s way of letting you know that there is a deeper issue requiring your attention.
Keep revisiting the content ☥ utilizing the five self-care strategies until you no longer experience the strong reaction, release fears and have identified ☥ transformed ☥ removed the root cause of the issue. You will find additional strategies throughout this website that you can add to your mental health self-care toolkit.
Self-Care Sustainability Suggestions
☥ A Cross-Cultural Healing Haven – read this blog to understand the purpose of
phyllishubbard.com and the meaning behind its organization ☥ symbols.
☥ Revisit the content periodically and make a note of if/how your perceptions have
evolved. Check out our blog page for an experiential healing journey.
☥ Check out the other pages on phyllishubbard.com:
☥ Home - watch the videos. Click on the images in the Spiritual Guidance
section. Each image has a story that might assist your self-care journey. Learn
about other spiritual practices.
☥ About - Learn about my background ☥ reasons for co-creating
phyllishubbard.com with Spirit. Explore healing through the image carousel and
videos.
☥ Shop ☥ Kamitology - Purchase and download vital tools for your personal growth
☥ development. Order The Chakra Emotions Energy Wisdom Quick Start Toolkit to
help you identify and heal feelings as they arise.
☥ Reclaiming Our Humanity - Help us develop and disseminate video courses.
☥ Rise TV - Practice breathing and movement exercises and deepen your
understanding of healing through the experiences of community members.
Check back periodically to discover new/re-experience the content.
☥ Journey - This is your invitation to own the journey to radiance. Experience the
journey and download healing resources to share with your friends, family and
community.
When you share healing, healing comes back to and flows through you.
About Sharing ...
During my first presentation to an all-Black audience, I introduced 20-year-old research on the hazards of sitting. I presented the research because I noticed that people sat for way too long at convenings and realized that the information was not disseminated to Black ☥ Indigenous ☥ Immigrant communities. I was determined to intentionally include this research, often surprising participants by getting people up to stretch. After more than 13 years of intentional work, Black ☥ Indigenous ☥ Immigrant People are just barely beginning to normalize conscious movement. We still have a long way to go, and it is important that we share what we know as much as we can to prevent the disenfranchisement of wellness information to Black ☥ Indigenous ☥ Immigrant communities.
Please do not keep phyllishubbard.com to yourself. We will not co-create a better world until we heal our current, past/childhood traumas. We will not love others until we learn to love ourselves.
Behind the scenes shots of the filming of "So Beautiful."
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Copy/Paste Version Of A Full Citation Example:
Hubbard, P. S. (2020, September 27). Epilogue ☥ Your Treasure Map For Self-Care. PHYLLISHUBBARD.COM. <https://www.phyllishubbard.com/post/epilogue>
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