Kuumba (Creativity): To do always as much as we can, in the way we can, in order to leave our community more beautiful and beneficial than we inherited it.
Imani (Faith): To believe with all our hearts in God, our people, our parents, our teachers, our leaders, and the righteousness and victory of our struggle.
Bet you thought I didn't finish eh?
WELL I DID!!
And well...I hate to rub it in, but it's pretty safe to say that King QT has thoroughly blessed our Kwanzaa.
I mean, I REALLY hate to say "I told you so..." but umm...yeah. I did.
(I don't really hate to say it. Actually, I love saying it. It's awesome. Feels great.) You saw the movie. Your friends saw the movie. Louis Farrakhan saw the movie...and loved it. I think he's earned his crown. You know why.
I'm just going to knock two things out with one entry here. I don't really have to "Kuumba" because this whole experience has been Kuumba. However, there is one thing I learned about the creative process this time around that I think I skipped before.
Do what amuses you.
Sounds so simple, right? But do we ever? The biggest, bravest part of doing what amuses you, what you have absolute passion for...is being ridiculed for it.
Sure there was a chance that the Kwanzaa cake would have been a disaster.
There's a chance that the stream of consciousness of "Purpose" would have come off too spiritual and icky and turned off some people.
There's a chance that one entry would get hundreds of views and others... five. (Yes, this happened.)
But who gives a shit? Not I. I had a ball the entire time and not a single fuck was given. THAT is what it's all about.
And in that spirit, I would like to address "Imani" and the focus of it...which is overcoming struggle.
...Which I totally disagree with.
Think about it. Which would you rather do? Laugh or frown? Celebrate or hate the fact that you're not celebrating?
So, no. I don't think we should focus on struggle. I think we should focus on the opposite of struggle.
We should focus on strength and endurance.
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| Is that all you got?!! |
See, because what you focus on is what you get more of. So if you focus on struggle...you're going to get more of it.
Focus on strength and you'll find you'll get more of it. Focus on happiness and you'll find it's all around you.
Focus on being responsible for your own happiness and eliminating phrases like, "He makes me so mad."
No. You do. You're the one in charge of your emotions.
Take responsibility.
Can't find a job? Maybe focus on FINDING A JOB because you've been focusing on NOT BEING ABLE TO FIND ONE.
Get it?
It's like looking through a totally different set of lenses.
Tomorrow is going to suck? Why of course it is. What if you changed your language though?
Tomorrow is going to be the best it can possibly be.
Feel the shift?
Go ahead. I'll help.
Fill in the blanks with your normal script. You know, that thing you bitch about? Your man. Your woman. Your job. Your baby momma. Your kids. Your boss. Fill it in as you normally would.
Go ahead. Knock it out.
"But Nyree, you don't understand. My _____________________ is so _______________________ and it's just ___________________________. I am so ready to _____________________________. "
Got it?
Awesome. NOW... we'll "flip the script".... as the old heads say.
It's the same thing but this time, we'll focus on the positive aspects of it. Need to borrow a script? Here you go.
"But Nyree, you must understand. My situation is so simple to correct and it's just a matter of ME making that decision . I'm so ready to do whatever the hell it is I have to so to change it."
Imani'd. POW.
So... what did I learn this Kwanzaa?
That I need to write more. That I need to do what amuses me. My purpose. That I am responsible for my own happiness and that QT's brilliance, isn't a fluke. (Thank GOD!)
And neither is yours.
-Nyree
And I know...I know...the Switzerland post. It's coming...it's coming.
