Once in a Lifetime Meeting

Peace, love, and light to everyone on this beautiful Friday. I am in the most wonderful mood after having the pleasure of being in the presence of one of my personal heroes Sister Souljah. Just writing that sentence makes me smile! She was everything I imagined that she would be—eloquent, genuine, real, warm, and most of all loving. Her divine essence was pure light and definitely was a blessing to my spirit.  The event was held in a public library. As I made my way into the space, I noted Souljah standing on the left at the podium. The energy of positivity, love, and admiration filled the space as well as the eyes of all who were present. As Souljah took questions from the attendees, I noted how she spoke with truth, with fire, and actually “listened” to the questions, took the time to think about her responses, and never rushed anyone who had multi-layers to their questions. Her compassion was apparent in each phrase that she spoke. I watched as she looked the attendees in their eyes, how some were brought to tears as they attempted to frame their question, how her heart remained open to us all.

The brothers and sistars who attended all had a look of appreciation on their faces as she took time to take pictures with them, hug them, and sign autographs. The knowledge that she shared was absolutely inspiring and truly has left an indelible mark upon my mind, spirit, and my heart. You can never be in the presence of such greatness and not be changed. As I listened to her describe her craft of writing, I realized how much is possible; how a turn of a phrase, a sentence, a paragraph can absolutely change someone’s life, even if the work is fictional. I also realized that there are many stories that are left to tell, that need to be told, that we must put into the universe.

Sister Souljah is a modern griot, a masterful storyteller, a gem to us all. I have been changed by this experience. May she continue to provide a voice to the voiceless, inspiration to the forgotten, and the soothing salve of storytelling to the brokenhearted.

Hetepu,

Andre’a The Tru Lioness

Be the Peace You Seek

Peace everyone. I hope this message finds you all in peace and harmony. I notice I say peace a lot these days, more so than I used to. Is it because of the lack of peace that I have in my life? Is it because of the desire to see more peace in this world? Is it because I am a bit of a hippie? I do believe it is a little bit of all of these things. Albert Einstein once said ““Peace cannot be kept by force; it can only be achieved by understanding.” I am finding me; ever-evolving, transforming, transmuting, vibrating, and becoming.

My revolutionary thoughts and actions never supersede my ultimate desire and also my manner. I am a very peaceful person and find myself seeking it more and more. Planetary alignment and Mercury retrograde aside, I have always been very comfortable being with myself. Not a lot of people can say that they enjoy solitude. It is in solitude where one can truly make inquiries to the universe and actually receive a response. I am known for being lively and social but I am actually a bit introverted. I would much rather be to myself, reading, creating, and thinking, than being in a  large loud crowd.

I said all of that to say this—life is tough and sometimes it is hard to turn off the noise inside of ourselves. However, it is so necessary to learn to still our minds and find peace within. Revolution begins in the mind. I have learned that the things that we seek externally are actually representative of that which we need internally, well outside of the necessities. We fill our lives with stuff that we actually do not need, waste time doing things that are not feeding our spirits, and with people who are literally draining the life out of us and why?? We have no peace within. We do not love ourselves as we should. We have no comfort.

So, what is next? Take a look in the mirror and find out what you really and truly desire. Do you really need another television in your home, another purse? Do you really love him or is he just a distraction? Can you be alone with yourself and not go crazy? Then think about your level of peace. Do you have peace within? Like my girl Lauryn Hill said “How you gon win when you ain’t right within?”  Think about it. Be gentle and loving to yourself. You deserve peace, joy, happiness, and love. Raise your vibration so that the true revolution can begin.

Peace, Love, and Light,

Andre’a The Tru Lioness

Take Care of You

Peace, love, and light everyone! We are already halfway through the month of January. All I can say is Wow! My grandmother used to say “Time waits for no man” and that is so true. I often think that I am wasting time but I realize that the work I am doing is more internal. These days, I am spending my so-called “free time” reading, meditating, researching, exploring, reflecting, and learning more about myself.

I have not always taken time for me, quiet time in solitude, truly alone with my thoughts. I realize now that the time of solitude is necessary for my own sanity. We all need time to recharge, to be with ourselves, to tend to ourselves. I know that as a mother /daughter/sister/friend, I have often sacrificed myself and my well-being and comfort in order to be there for others. However, I now know that I was not helping them at full capacity because I was not taking care of myself as I should.
There is an old saying that goes “You cannot serve from an empty vessel”. I know that my life as a servant of the people requires that I refill myself. I need love, I need joy, I need peace, I need quiet, I need music, and guess what? The things I need in order to feel balanced and at harmony and peace with self is perfectly A-Okay!

I used to fill my life with “things” that were not meeting any particular need. They were filling physical space in my home but never the spiritual and emotional spaces in which I actually yearned to be filled but did not overstand my own need. I now know and overstand that everything is energy and vibration and that I am a spirit first and foremost- a wonderful spirit that requires nourishing from a different perspective.  And so are you. I want to encourage you to listen to yourself. If you need to step outside, take a few deep breaths—do it. If you need to take a day to just walk in the park—do it. If you need to take a weekend and be with yourself—do it. Resonance is a message from yourself to yourself to do what your true (Spirit self) wants, needs, and desires. Take heed. It’s absolutely fine to let go!!

Have an Awesome Day!

Andrea The Tru Lioness