“For me, that my people became, created, and imagined from a position of unfreedom is a source of deep pride, not shame… What better evidence of human beauty and resilience could there be?”
-Imani Perry, from Breathe: A Letter to My Sons (p. 21)
Look for evidence of human beauty and resilience today. In yourself. In your ancestors. In the world around you.
“Pleasure reminds us to enjoy being alive and on purpose… Pleasure—embodied, connected pleasure—is one of the way we know when we are free. That we are always free. That we always have the power to co-create the world. Pleasure helps us move through the times that are unfair, through grief and loneliness, through the terror of genocide, or days when the demands are just overwhelming. Pleasure heals the places where our hearts and spirit get wounded. Pleasure reminds us that even in the dark, we are alive. Pleasure is a medicine for the suffering that is absolutely promised in life… Pleasure is the point. Feeling good is not frivolous, it is freedom.”
-adrienne maree brown, from Pleasure Activism, pp. 437-8, 441.
Do something today that gives you pleasure. Derive pleasure on purpose. Know that you deserve it.
Today’s meditation is from Tim Atkins, who writes:
The process matters more than the product: this is a universal truth in art and creativity, and it transcends every artistic medium, from architecture to YouTube videos. No matter what form the art takes in the end, no matter what artistic medium you use, the process of making that art changes who you are, as a person. How we’re changed differs from person to person, but we are fundamentally changed by embracing our creativity—no matter our creative outlet.
May we all take the time to fully immerse in our creative potential, no matter the medium. May we all be reminded that the process matters, not just the final outcome.
Caitlin Breedlove writes, “If we drain ourselves…, we don’t have what that takes [to create]. If we drain other[s]… of time and energy… we should not be surprised when they don’t have the power to create.
How do you refill your energy to create? How do you keep yourselves from being drained?
“Ancient Hebrew tradition says that before the Earth was created, the world was a wild ocean full of dangerous sea monsters. Our world may sometimes feel like a wild ocean. We may feel like we are fighting against impossibly strong sea monsters.
“But the waters are as mighty and powerful as the sea monsters, and that power runs in and through us, with each breath…in and out.
“As we breathe, may we feel the rhythm of our breath, like the powerful waves crashing on the shores, turning and tumbling the largest boulders into the tiniest grains of sand.” -Rev. Israel Buffardi
Breathe in, breathe out. Harness the mighty power of the ocean to face the day.
