A Feline & A Lion Are Not the Same.

There are moments when anger rises so quickly that it feels easier to react than to breathe. But whenever my anger edges toward rage, I’ve learned to return to stillness. In that stillness, I remember who I am, what I’m building, and the life I’m trying to manifest.

Over time, I’ve realized something surprising: the people who hurt us the most often become the unintentional catalysts for our breakthroughs. Their actions push us toward clarity, purpose, and elevation. In that sense, silence becomes a form of strength. Strength becomes power. And power becomes the space where we receive what is meant for us.

Whenever I pause instead of react, I grow.

In my moments of reflection, I remind myself that I am a lion. And the people who provoke my anger are often moving with the energy of a rat—not in worth, but in integrity, courage, and intention. A lion doesn’t chase a rat. A lion doesn’t waste its strength on what lives beneath its calling.

As you move through your own life, ask yourself:
Am I responding like a lion, or am I being pulled into the noise of rats?

Before you type that message or post that reaction, pause.
If someone thrives in negativity—gossip, chaos, tearing others down—like a rat, let them stay in the trash they choose.

And you? Stay aligned with the pride you come from.
Stay grounded in your strength.
Move like the lion you are—focused on your purpose, remembering that while a Lion is a cat, it is not a feline – let us not be deterred from our purpose by the meanderings of rats.

On My Way.

In the Invitation to Love, I speak to the concept of faith. – For me, faith is like love, it’s perfect in aspiration, but imperfect in application.  -And similar to love, the foe of faith is shame.  Shame is regret metastasized.  Shame is what hinders progress, growth, and breakthroughs.

Since the time of first writing my book, I have experienced a number of moments where shame or regret has seeped into my system.  What I learned in writing my book, and continue to work to master, is that on the other side of shame is redemption.

Redemption is the activation of faith – knowing that mistakes, missteps, and poor acts each come with an opportunity for recalibration, realignment, and yes, redemption. To be clear, redemption is not necessarily the return to something of old, but it is the applied lesson of old set to something new.

In the case of a relationship with another that was marred by mistakes, redemption is not necessarily the restoration of that relationship, but may, in fact, be the lesson(s) learned from that relationship in the birth of something new.  Understanding this truth can be the start to disempowering shame.

The anecdote to the shame is the act of trying again. It is the act of trying to love ourselves again, when our best selves have become foreign to us. It is the act of trying to love another, when our past experiences have left us pained. It is the act of trying again when the last attempt ended short of success.

In the days of late, I have had some moments (minor, but notable all the same) of regret and shame from acts that are out of alignment with myself – at my core. But also, in the days of late have been great moments of pride when I look back and see how I have activated love and initiated faith in my attempt to apply lessons, try again, and recalibrate.

So know this for sure, while you might not have the relationship you desire, the peace you require, or be the version of yourself that you aspire; be keen to honor you are on your way. We are on our way each time we work to silence shame, by trying again with faith and love as our journeymen.

American Beauty

Sometimes putting pen to paper comes with great ease and at other points, it can be quite challenging. This has been one of those seasons where the metaphorical pen well has often run dry. But as of late, I have been reflecting on recent lessons learned and how to codify my thoughts in a blog like this. I thought of many things, but what seemed to flourish for me is the insights gained from 2023.

In the United States, in this season, we have experienced defining legislation limiting the rights of many. We have seen diversity and inclusion weaponized to formulate factions, division and incubate fear. At the same time, we have also seen communities coalesce and move with solidarity toward the goal of our collective freedom.

Last summer, I joined millions of Americans in the tradition of celebrating the Fourth of July -a time marked in this region of the world for independence – represented by BBQs with friends and loved ones – and fireworks to close the day. Now, I see Independence Day not as a celebration of history, but rather a hope for the promise in tomorrow.

In the book, A Course in Miracles, love is spoken as not the opposite of hate, but the opposite of fear. The thought-leader Dr.  Brené Brown writes that the only way to combat hate is through connection. With those two truths in mind, perhaps in this season of Independence, we would all benefit from a reflection on the spaces where fear and hate reside – first within us, and then in the communities we are part.

Fear internally, for me manifest most often when I am looking in spaces other than myself for joy, for peace, for acceptance. The fear surfaces when I give the power of my joy, my peace, and my acceptance to people (and communities) that were never destined to hold that authority.  Hate is hard to carry when seen up close, and in this season, I take pause to ask “how” more than “why” to answer that great call offered by Brown. Asking the question of how is one’s fear developed, rather than why. Asking how did one decide to hate, or desire to diminish the voice and power of another rather than why. With the question “how” I seek to get at that illustrious virtue known as empathy.

Empathy for me is one of the keys to my freedom, which in my view (freedom) is the keystone of Independence. So, in this moment of reflection on the year recently passed, or as I share the pain of millions facing up to the harsh winter storms in recent weeks, I continue to seek freedom, liberation, and independence not just for the United States of America, but for the citizen whose care I have been entrusted most: ME.