Heed
As a child, I loved reading Aesop's Fables. I loved storytelling with lessons embedded within them. I always wanted to know, "what's the lesson?" Even in life, I find myself asking, "what's the lesson?" I've always believed that you were bound to repeat something if you didn't learn the lesson. For a season in my life, I dated the same person over and over again. They were different people, but the results were the same. They all had the same character flaw. I had to learn to pay attention. I had to take heed. I had to learn not to ignore the red flags. Is there something you need to take heed of? Is there someone you need to take heed to? Pay attention. Slow down. Don't ignore the signs. Take heed. Proceed with caution.
Gifted
I was introduced to Nina Simone at a young age. I loved her raspy voice. I loved how she sang her politics and called it all jazz. I loved how this unapologetically big nosed black woman was able to leave us feeling good, spellbound, all while telling stories about four women and strange fruit. She was one of the first to tell me that I was young, gifted, and black. I learned that my youth was a gift. I learned that my blackness was a gift. I learned that my ability to write and express myself poetically was a gift.
Your intellect, your sense of humor, your business acumen are all a gift. Be unapologetically who you are because you are a gift. You are gifted. You are blessed. You are a blessing. To truly be young, black, and gifted is to recognize that you are the gift. Your complexion, your hair, your smile, your hips, your thighs, your nose and your eyes are a gift. Your sincerity, your peace, your joy, your faith, your heart, your spirit are a gift. You are gifted! Your talents, your treasure, your pain and your pleasure are a gift. Your desire, your dreams, your plans and your purpose are a gift. You are gifted.
Favor
I'm not a gambler simply because I don't like to lose. I never spend more than twenty dollars. I don't play the lottery despite the fact my husband believes, "you have to be in it to win it." I find no thrills in losing money. I prefer rollercoasters and movies. A couple years back my church had a women's conference that made you confront your fears. It was called "Fearless." We held snakes, shot arrows, wore bright red lipstick, and a host of other things that might incite fear. I got my Katniss Everdeen on.( She was the protagonist of the Hunger Games series.) I shot arrows at big bright targets, and I must admit I wasn't that bad. I held a boa constrictor. I stared at myself in the mirror and did some mirror work. What I learned that night was that when you face your fears you allow the favor of God to enter your life. You see things differently. You begin to understand that fear happens when you lose focus. Just like Peter when he walked on water. You must face your fears, have faith, focus on God and walk in his favor.
"May the odds be ever in your favor."- Hunger Games
Fruitful
"But life at its best is a creative synthesis of opposites in fruitful harmony."-MLK
What does fruitful harmony among opposites look like? Is it the "American Dream" of a melting pot? Is it religious and political freedoms? Is it gun control? Is it stricter immigration laws? Is it police reform? Is it bridging the wealth gap?
MLK was assassinated 50 years ago, and I can't help but think that his America mirrors mine with very little progress. Yes, we have had some significant historical accomplishments, but we've suffered major setbacks. What does America's fruit look like? Have strange fruit on Southern trees become bullet-riddled bodies in backyards? Have we been fruitful or are we like cursed fig trees that bear no fruit? Have we been fruitful with our passions and dreams or have we buried our time, our tenth, and our talent? Have we been fruitful or are we barren?
Evolve
"The whole point of being alive is to evolve into the complete person you were intended to be."- Oprah Winfrey
Imagination. Reinvention. Evolution. I can't imagine being one way your whole life and them transforming into someone completely different in your latter years, but it happens all the time. Bruce became Caitlyn right before our eyes. People retire and start brand new careers. Married couples become divorcees. Change is inevitable. Life will cause you to evolve. Embrace it. Sometimes, we don't see the whole picture of our lives. Adapt. Evolve. It's easier than extinction. Become the complete person you were always intended to be.
Dynamic
noun
1.
a force that stimulates change or progress within a system or process.
When was the last time you bucked the system? When was the last time you challenged authority? When was the last time you were a catalyst for change in your environment? Change begins with you. It can be as simple as a change of heart. Change your mind. Change your thinking. Change your perspective. Change your speech. Change your attitude. Be dynamic. Be a force to be reckoned with and force that can't be ignored.
Deft
Deft adj.
1. dexterous; nimble; skillful; clever
David was a shepherd, a musician, a warrior and a king. Joseph and Jesus were carpenters. Peter was a fisherman. Matthew was a tax collector. Nehemiah was a cupbearer. They all had jobs. However, their jobs didn't define them. Their jobs were only a conduit to their destiny. What's your skill? Do you have deft hands? Are you good with numbers? Can you remember things? Are you a good writer? Do you have the voice of an angel or beautiful mind? What is that thing about you that makes you different? What is your God-given strength? What makes you deft?
“You'll get mixed up, of course, as you already know. You'll get mixed up with many strange birds as you go. So be sure when you step. Step with care and great tact and remember that Life's a Great Balancing Act. Just never forget to be dexterous and deft. And never mix up your right foot with your left.” – From "Oh, the Places You'll Go!" by Dr. Seuss