About

Hello beautiful people and welcome to this dose of Celestial Goodness.✨✨✨✨💫

As always, thank you for joining me on this journey, and in this space. It has certainly been a while, and if you are still around, if you are still subscribed to the channel (Celestial Goodness 1111) and to my blog, my deepest appreciation and a very big thank you. See the YouTube video here: https://youtu.be/xUVPbGeT-Sc?si=RAQdA_caTrciWF_R

I love when we start by putting a hand over our heart space, and just taking a deep breath.

I am so thankful that you are here—as in you exist. I hope that everything has been going well for you. 

I had to check to see when the last time was that I made a post, and it was approximately six months ago. I had no intention of being away that long, I just knew that I was overwhelmed with life and adulting, and so I needed to make some hard decisions about what would get prioritized. My writing and creative endeavors are important to me, but so is my health, family, friends, work obligations, and so forth. There is so much life to squeeze into each day! C.S. Lewis said, “We must stop regarding unpleasant or unexpected things as interruptions of real life. The truth is that interruptions are real life.” 

The last six months have been filled to the brim for me with beautiful lessons and blessings. There have been painful lessons, and reminders that even for a Pollyanna, the world is not all sunshine and 🦄 unicorns, and that is ok. Our own shadow side is very informative about where there is some necessary healing that may need to happen in our lives. In the midst of everything though, there has been so much for me to feel gratitude about. 

Within the last six months, there were some definitive highlights:

I went to see one of my favorite people (who also happens to be my cousin, haha) on the beautiful island of Bermuda.

I went to California to watch one of my faux kids graduate from medical school. You know there were happy tears because I am a water bucket!  

I finally lived out my teen dream of seeing Craig David perform live!

I taught my summer class at the university, and two of my little cousins and my sister got to see me in action.

I went to Mexico for some relaxation with friends, and I got to take mommy to Chichen Itza. 

I got a very good health report—something I had been working on for about two years. I ordained a beautiful wedding—that’s right—I can ordain your wedding if it is not in Virginia or Tennessee. 

I made Turkish lamps with my friend Steph which was super cool.

I went to London for two weeks to see family and friends, and celebrate my cousin’s amazing nuptials.

I popped over to  Ireland for the first time with Charmaine and mommy to harass Derek hahaha.

They teased me endlessly because I had done my ancestry and it looked like the united nations rolled into one person—so cheers to my 5% Irish blood. 

I spent some time with lovely friends all throughout. I attended some amazing live concerts. I went back to Mexico for another amazing wedding and mommy and I got to relive our 2022 Puerto Vallarta trip.

I attended theater shows and got lost in the artistry and creativity of the talent. I had very beautiful and intimate conversations with people that I love on every possible topic.

I participated in community activities with various communities that I am a member of and I continued my workouts and Yoruba lessons as a personal gift to myself.

I stressed myself out for not making videos for Celestial Goodness lol, and not working on my creative dreams enough, but they will come! These were all wonderful moments, but life also left me feeling a bit worn out, and close to what I might call burn-out. 

Burn-out for a super extroverted, Sagittarius sun, and Leo rising person is probably the equivalent of the death of a supernova.

Fun fact, there are 5 stages in the death of a star—in the first stage, the star does not have enough fuel left to burn and to make it shine—it prepares to collapse under the density of its own weight. In the second stage, the core collapses, and it sends out a shockwave which produces a very bright flash of life from inside the star. In the third stage, the shock blows the star apart, and the core becomes a compact atomic nucleus with the mass the size of the sun. The 4^th stage is supernova stage, and this is when everything expands. The fireball is brighter and grows to over 10 times the size of the original star. In the fifth and final stage, all that remains is a beautiful glow, and little star bits spread-out all-over space.  Burnout for me feels similar on a much more micro scale. According to the Dictionary of Psychology, burnout is defined as “physical, emotional, or mental exhaustion, accompanied by decreased motivation, lowered performance, and negative attitudes towards oneself and others.”  Essentially, we have a lot of energy to give until we don’t. 

I have also heard this sentiment a lot from friends and family members—“I just feel tired, and I am not entirely sure why.” Fatigue is one symptom of burnout. Most of us are feeling it on a micro level yes but let me not neglect to mention all the things that are happening on a global scale that impact us mentally, emotionally, and even physically. Sometimes we want to just pause everything and get a moment of reprieve from all the things.

The problem is that we can’t escape the world. We are citizens of our respective countries and participants in a very interconnected life on a planet that existed before manmade borders, crisis, and an onslaught of traumatic news.  It is too much sometimes, but we can never be fully disengaged from the world. We are all connected, no matter how things look. There is a quote that I love from the Talmud. “Do not be daunted by the enormity of the world’s grief. Do justly now, love mercy now, walk humbly now. You are not obligated to complete the work, but neither are you free to abandon it.” 

And yet, neither are we free to abandon ourselves. We should do what we must, to protect our sanity and our mental health as well! When we can be still enough to listen to our internal voice, we can hear clearly what it is that we need in any given time. In stillness I hear my soul. In stillness, I find momentary peace from the troubles of the world, and from my own stuff; all the things that I must deal with daily. It is also in that stillness that I often find very viable solutions to the things that I have to deal with. 

We never really know what each day is going to bring, and as much as we plan, sometimes life has other plans. That is one of the things that brought me back to my blog and channel. (Also, massive shoutout to the folks who always ask how Celestial Goodness is doing, and when was I coming back. I appreciate the love and I appreciate you.)

My creative endeavors were never far away from my mind, it is just that I had a lot to do and my own internal compass was saying to slow down. Also, whenever I experienced any sadness, I allow myself to grieve without feeling the need to rush the process. Unfortunately in the past six months, I have also witnessed many people that I love deal with death close to them. Many moons ago, I made a video/blog post about death. In Western society we don’t really talk about it as we probably should, and we don’t allow people sufficient time to grieve.

We rush the process of death instead of slowing down and allowing it to inform us about life. When someone dies, is usually when most of us pause to think about how we are living our own life. And yet, each day we can get up and say, “I am thankful for this life. I don’t know if this will be my last day, and so I will live this day to the fullest. I will be kind; I will find things that bring me joy. I will add some good energy out to the world, and I will treat each moment as though it is a sacred and precious thing.” But we don’t—and the cycle repeats over and over again. Death is a reminder that we are not immortal, and that none of us will make it out of here alive. How are we choosing to live this life? 

And that brings me to the topic of choosing stillness, and choosing to slow down especially when everything seems to be speeding up. Slowing down in a world that glorifies the hustle, and “sleeping when we are dead,” feels like walking into a crowd of people going in the direction opposite to you. Some people cannot understand why you are not going in the same direction they are, and in some cases, you bump into people, angry and annoyed that you are choosing a different way. But you must learn to listen to yourself. In my case, I could feel the weight of all my obligations—like Atlas—with the world on his shoulders, and yet, something softly whispered to me—slow down.

Rest when you can, sleep, exercise, and find ways to incorporate more downtime. Does it always work? No, why? Probably because I am an adult with responsibilities, and bills, and an oldest daughter at that, so I am fighting against my inherent nature to be responsible all the time haha. That being said, it definitely made me aware that my pace was not sustainable, and it helped to put some non-negotiable downtime on my calendar. 

In Rest is Resistance: A Manifesto, Tricia Hersey, says some important things about resting. “We are socialized into systems that cause us to conform and believe our worth is connected to how much we can produce. Our constant labor becomes a prison that allows us to be disembodied. We become easy for the systems to manipulate, disconnected from our power as divine beings and hopeless. We forget how to dream. This is how grind culture continues. We internalize the lies and in turn become agents of an unsustainable way of living.”  

She also says, “Treating each other and ourselves with care isn’t a luxury, but an absolute necessity if we’re going to thrive. Resting isn’t an afterthought, but a basic part of being human.” She also said, “You were not just born to center your entire existence on work and labor. You were born to heal, to grow, to be of service to yourself and community, to practice, to experiment, to create, to have space, to dream, and to connect.”

And finally, “You are worthy of rest. We don’t have to earn rest. Rest is not a luxury, a privilege, or a bonus we must wait for once we are burned out. I hear so many repeat the myth of rest being a privilege and I understand this concept and still deeply disagree with it. Rest is not a privilege because our bodies are still our own, no matter what the current systems teach us.” These are lessons that I am still learning. The rest, the downtime, the stillness, are actual vital to everything else that I hope to do or to be a part of! In fact, the lesson of the tortoise and the hare is that “you can be more successful by doing things slowly and steadily than by acting quickly and carelessly.”

So yes, I have been working, traveling, and hustling and bustling around, but I am also listening to the wisdom of my body and finding time for other things—mindfulness, meditation, tending to my plants (and myself as the ultimate houseplant), doing my exercises, spending time in nature, and carving out moments to just being.

It is hard to unlearn the feeling that if we are not actively doing a task, then we are not being productive, and that if we are not being productive then we are being lazy… but in slowing down, we can speed up when the time is right to do so. Rest, and tending to your body, mind, and spirit gives you the tools to do more later if that is what you want to do. Through it all—don’t lose the joy of living. 

So, I hope that you are all doing well. I will be back, much sooner, and I hope the stars shine over you, until we meet again.

Rest, slow down, and be still for a moment. Listen to the wisdom of your heart and allow it to align with the wisdom of your mind. What will you hear?

 

Hello beautiful people and welcome to this dose of Celestial Goodness. Please find this week’s video here: https://youtu.be/ptkiidZ_1rc?si=eY8aIqscgxi9Z5Or

As always, thank you for joining me in this space and on this journey. I hope as always that you are doing well, taking time to savor the experience of living, and doing your best to take care of yourself—in all the ways—physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually.

Now what that means will look different on different days. Some days you might be at 20% and other days you might only be able to give 110%. Do your best. That is all that you can do. 

 

It seems to me like 2024 has somewhere to be because the days have really been zipping by—at least to me. I can’t believe that it is now mid-March—in the year 2024—I blinked and here we are. Four years ago, around this same week, I walked into my workplace for what would be the last time for at least 17 months. Yes, the panini started four years ago, and it turned our worlds upside down. There are also moments when my brain truly thinks that the 90s were just ten years ago. So wild. And how can I forget that brief period of oh say three years where I was telling people that my not-so-little-little-brother was 19 even though he had passed 21. Hahaha. Too funny. What is time anyway?

Julian Barnes in, “The Sense of an Ending,” said, “I know this much: that there is objective time, but also subjective time, the kind you wear on the inside of your wrist, next to where the pulse lies. And this personal time, which is the true time, is measured in your relationship to memory.”

 

Soon all of these days will be but a memory, and we will keep transitioning in and out of seasons, chapters, days, and events. People will come and go, and some will stay, and either will be a beautiful thing. In essence, everything is fluid, moving, changing, and transitioning. Even now, in this hemisphere, we are emerging out of winter and into spring.

Despite the assault on my sinuses, spring is definitely one of my favorite seasons. Everything starts to bloom again, and to come alive in grand spectacle. My apartment has a really great view high above my neighborhood, and off into the horizon. This vantage point offers me a spectacular opportunity to spy on the transitions of the seasons.

Seasonal transitions are never sudden; one day you get up, and amidst the bare trees, you notice something green yearning to come into the world. The colors in the pond below changes color as well with the weather and season. In the spring the water looks almost indigo. One day, everything bursts into bloom, and the whole world looks technicolor. The greens are greenier, the flowers look more vibrant, and for those of us who need an abundance of sunlight, the days are longer. Spring will always come without fail. 

 

And that is the topic of our conversation today. Spring always comes. The dawn always comes. As my boss reminded me one day of this passage from the Tao Te Ching, “High winds do not last all morning. Heavy rain does not last all day.” I say this because some days are inevitable tougher than others. Did you ever have a day where you woke up, and you struggled to summon the ability to feel cheer. Not like a depression, you just woke up tired, cranky, maybe a bit more irritable. Everything starts to feel as if it is conspiring against you instead of for you. And let me say that when these moments happen it does seem to create a domino effect. You might spill your coffee on a clean white shirt, stub your toe, and have to deal with the most idiotic things and perhaps people. When it rains, it pours. And yet…this too shall pass.

Be not defeated by a bad day or even a bad chapter. Know that things can also change for the best. I may have spoken about this before, but there is a story out there in the world about not looking at things that happen as either good or bad—they are just things happening. This is the story of the farmer and his son.

A farmer and his son had a beloved horse who helped the family earn a living. One day, the horse ran away, and their neighbors exclaimed, “Your horse ran away, what terrible luck!” The farmer replied, “Maybe so, maybe not.”

A few days later, the horse returned home, leading a few wild horses back to the farm as well. The neighbors shouted out, “Your horse has returned, and brought several horses home with him. What great luck!” The farmer replied, “Maybe so, maybe not.”

Later that week, the farmer’s son was trying to break one of the horses and she threw him to the ground, breaking his leg. The neighbors cried, “Your son broke his leg, what terrible luck!” The farmer replied, “Maybe so, maybe not.”

A few weeks later, soldiers from the national army marched through town, recruiting all boys for the army. They did not take the farmer’s son, because he had a broken leg. The neighbors shouted, “Your boy is spared, what tremendous luck!” To which the farmer replied, “Maybe so, maybe not. We’ll see.”

And sometimes we do need to see, or we need to switch the perspective and get ourselves into a different mental space. I recently got a new book—shocking—I know. This one is by one of my favorites if not favorite writer, Paulo Coelho. It is an inspirational companion to his book, “The Alchemist,” and it is called Maktub.

The rough translation of which means, “It is written.” On the back cover of the book, it says, “Today somewhere a treasure waits for you.” The other day I was in a mood, and I happened to walk by and glance at the book and saw that. These words caused emotions to swell up inside of me, and I took a deep breath and said yes. I released some of the pent-up emotions that I was holding on to. Let me not lose sight of today’s treasure, holding on to energy that does not support my well-being. We might feel defeated by a day, a week, a month, or a chapter in our life, but we cannot stay in the space of feeling defeat. That is because things pass. Days pass, and there is so much life yet to live, so much to experience, to feel exuberance for and about. We must not let certain circumstances cloud our vision to the beauty that remains in this life.

Also, in Maktub, one of the stories—it is a book of short tales—says this, “These words are written by the cellist Pablo Casals. Each day I am reborn. Each day I must begin again. For the past eighty years I have started each day the same way. This is not a mechanical routine, but something essential to my daily life. I go to the piano, I play two preludes, and a fugue by Bach. It is a sort of benediction on my house. But it is always a way of re-establishing contact with the mystery of life, with the miracle of being part of the human race. Even though I have been doing this for eighty years, the music I play is never the same, it always teaches me something new, fantastic, unbelievable.” 

Many years ago, I wrote an article for a friend and a portion of it said this, “As Florence Scovel Shinn said, “It is dark before the dawn, but the dawn never fails. Trust in the dawn.” Many of us spend a great deal of our lives planning. We make plans to graduate from high school, then go to college, get married, have a family, buy a home, build a white picket fence, and then retire. We never plan for the divorce, the death of a close loved one, the crumbling of our business, or the crumbling our dreams. No one talks about the pain and despair of watching everything that you have worked for dissolve as though it all meant nothing. As a society we do not talk about the time that is necessary for some people to grief after the physical death of a loved one, or the death of a relationship. We expect people to be always strong, and to face each day without any weak moments.

We encourage people to believe that “failure is not an option,” when sometimes it is the outcome. We see people going about their daily lives, and often times we know nothing of the struggle that they face beneath smiles. We do not realize that they are in a dark place within their own mind. We do not realize that depression is a reality for so many people in our society. We do not realize the crippling effects that many people face when life does not go according to plan. A dark moment or a dark patch in a person’s life can make all hope seem lost. The perception of a failure can be too much to bear. We do not encourage each other to see that from our darkest moments could arise some of our greatest accomplishments and lessons. We are not encouraged to trust in the dawn.

 After you have gone through your darkest moments, after you have gone through the valley of the shadow of death within your soul, you will arrive at a point where you will realize that you can only see the stars in the darkness. Let them guide you, and remind you, that you are a part of so much more. They will remind you to be humble, because you are a tiny part of a much larger whole; but then they will also remind you that you are great. They will remind you that you have gifts that are unique to you, and that you ought to share them with the rest of humanity. The stars will shimmer, and hope will arise in your heart. You will remember that each morning, the dusk gives way to the dawn. These are the lessons that we learn in the dark—strength, perseverance, resilience, determination, and courage. 

When the dawn does arrive, you will be stronger and wiser than before. You will realize that in your life, many things will happen—the good, the bad, and the downright ugly—and most of what transpires will be out of your control. You will experience the entire gambit of emotions—everything from love to anger, and all that is in between. The darkness will teach you that no matter what happens, change comes, and you have the ability to react in the positive or the negative to anything that you face. Whatever happens, never give up!

Look to the sky and remember that the dawn is coming, and with it, your joy. John Steinbeck said, “Somewhere in the world there is a defeat for everyone. Some are destroyed by defeat, and some made small and mean by victory. Greatness lives in one who triumphs equally over defeat and victory.”

May the stars shine brightly over you until we meet again, and may you not be defeated.

Hello beautiful people and welcome to this dose of Celestial Goodness. As always, thank you for joining me in this space and on this journey. See this week’s video here: https://youtu.be/i8qA6de3baM?si=_PIimCCa0Rqf4jbR

Before we begin, let us take a deep breath—you can put your hand over your heart space as you breath in, and just say “thank you.” Thank you to your body for functioning as it does. Thank you to your heart for beating. Thank you to all your organs for functioning without you telling them specifics on what to do. Thank you for life, thank you for anything that you personally feel gratitude for right now.

Each week, and almost daily, I am reminded that people are often fighting personal battles that we know nothing about. The smallest amount of kindness can transform someone’s day and even their entire existence. It can be difficult when we are faced with our own stuff to picture ourselves in another’s shoes, but it can be an emotionally moving experience to offer grace to another. 

Last week was actually Random Acts of Kindness week in the United States. I found out late, but kindness is a part of my way of life, so every week is random acts of kindness week. Truly, there is no reason why we shouldn’t feel inclined to practice this every day! I think that people think everything related to kindness has to be financial, but yes, while you can surprise someone with a gift card for coffee, sometimes just checking in on someone is enough.

Sometimes your “strong friends,” especially need to know that someone also cares how they are doing. I am the beneficiary of many acts of kindness, and for those I am eternally grateful. I am also thankful because I have friends and family that check on me all the time and seem to know when I also need to be poured into. And you know—this is just your reminder that adulting is not easy. Life didn’t come with a manual that gives us step by step instructions on how to live, how to love, how to find our purpose, and how to just be a human being in the world at a time like this. Hopefully, there are more days where you feel like you are getting it right. 

One of the things that has been on my mind for a few weeks has to do with the fear that is often inherent in starting something, trying something new, or learning something new. I recently started learning a new language—for those of you that will ask—it is Yoruba. For one thing, when I was in school, no one ever said, you know, Heather—you can learn an African language. So, not only has it been fun learning something for no other purpose than just for my own enjoyment, but it has also expanded my mind again in ways that bring back nostalgia to being a beginner at something.

I think that is something that when we get into adulthood, we feel that everything has to have an end result that is geared towards something productive. We often forget the joy of learning something new, of making mistakes, of immersing ourselves in something that brings us back to the beginner’s mind, and that challenges us to move outside of our comfort zone.

I am reading/listening to a wonderful book called, “Hidden Potential: The Science of Achieving Great Things,” and there is a chapter on polyglots.

If you know me, then you know that in my life I have studied 3 languages outside of English intensely. Those are Spanish, French, and Japanese. You may also know that when asked about my desired superpower, it was always that I could communicate with anyone, anywhere, and in any language. Yet, this superpower eluded me. I have always been amazed by my friends who knew 3-5 languages and could switch between them easily. The book mentioned that most people think that only kids are good at learning languages, but the author has met actual polyglots who learned multiple languages fluently in adulthood.

What was the secret? They were not afraid to make mistakes, to look silly in the process of learning, and they immersed themselves in the language and actually did it. That’s right—instead of just reading the books, they met people and communicated, they had actual conversations! So here I am learning a new language and I find that each lesson there is at least one tonal word that is difficult for me to say.

Initially, I told myself, well I am an adult now, and maybe that is why I am not getting it, but I will remove that excuse from my brain, and just keep trying and practicing. I am not afraid to look silly learning something. Also, a special shoutout to my friends who are encouraging me and helping me practice for my homework. Ese. (Thank you in Yoruba).

When kids are learning to walk, we don’t push them over and ask why aren’t they running marathons yet? We give them grace, and we should give ourselves grace as well. Is there anything that you want to learn? Is there anything that you want to start. I often think about how quickly time seems to be going by.

While I wouldn’t consider myself biblical by any means, when I was growing up, I had to read the bible more than once, and some of the passages stuck with me. Zechariah 4:10 says, “Do not despise these small (humble) beginnings because the Lord rejoices to see the work begin.” I think too of the Tarot, and how the first card is traditionally the fool. In this card we see someone who is ready to embark on a new adventure, come what may. There is excitement, anxiousness, and a sense that anything is possible. If you have a dream or a vision that you have been sitting on—consider this your sign to begin. Why not you? Why not now?

We also live in a time where there is an immense amount of resources available to us for learning and absorbing knowledge. Unless you have been living under a rock, you know that AI is a thing.

I think as a disruptive technology, it will be with us forever more—the question is, will we learn how to engage with it, set up proper parameters, and remind each other than no matter what technology learns how to do, it will never have a heart and the emotional sensibilities of a person. We must learn these technologies so we can remember both how far we can go with them, and what boundaries need to be enforced. So, learn some new tech, learn something for fun… start now.

Dr. Seuss said it, “You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose. You’re on your own. And you know what you know. And YOU are the guy who’ll decide where to go…” As I would say to any of my friends—I believe in your vision and your dreams because it is your vision and dreams. Everyone doesn’t have the same vision, and I do believe that when we act on our dreams, we are offering something in service to humanity.

So, start the thing, do the thing, be brave, make mistakes, and dole out some kindness. May the stars continue to shine brightly over you! Thank you, until next time.

Hello beautiful people and welcome to this dose of Celestial Goodness.

I had a rather longer than planned hiatus, and so if you are still here in this space with me, I offer my deep gratitude and appreciation. 🙏🏾

See this weeks video here: https://youtu.be/SuhH_CrkFCM?si=UdZwxSx9-kBxjOAH

Life is very mysterious in how it unfolds, and sometimes what might be the plan to take a few weeks off becomes months off. To say that a lot happened in that time would be a major understatement.

What were some highlights? 

Visiting Arizona, California, New Orleans, Jamaica, London, South Carolina, Germany, and Nigeria. I felt as if I went across the US and across the world multiple times. I love to travel and even though most of these trips were unplanned when 2023 started, I had a lovely time in each place. I had delicious conversations, yummy food, rest, rejuvenation, hugs, endless synchronicities, firewood to feed my creative flames, and just beautiful reminders of love in abundance.

In the case of both Jamaica and Nigeria, it had been over six years since I had been to either country. When I was in New Orleans, a lady that I met told me that sometimes you have to go back to a place to touch the soil. I felt that in my spirit. Returning home to Jamaica was a profound and powerful experience.

My cousin Latoya had her first Sacred Souls Healing Retreat in our home parish of Portland. I went to help her for the first week, and then for the second week, I hung out with family and friends. Shoutout to mommy who came down to hang out with me. This was my best trip home to Jamaica. I saw the country through different eyes and enjoyed parts of it that I had not experienced before. I will probably make a video/post about it separately but being there reminded me deeply of where my family and I were coming from, and of where we have yet to go. Being by the sea and up in the mountains calmed my nervous system, and just recentered my soul. It was a beautiful experience.

Going back to Nigeria was a similar experience. I spent time with my “Nigerian family.” Hehehe. I rested, ate good food, partied, rested some more, and let my creativity unfold. Lagos is one of my favorite cities in the world, and somewhere that my soul just feels a deep resonance.

I can’t explain it beyond, a beautiful quote that I heard— “I was not born in Africa, but Africa was born in me.” I will probably also do something separate on that so stayed tuned.

So what of the Celestial Goodness space? Doesn’t it feel sometimes like the world is in more need than ever of kindness, compassion, empathy, gratitude, reminders of the beauty of life, and just our interconnectedness? Yes, I have some plans for this space that will continue that work for sure!

This particular dose of Celestial Goodness is inspired by one of my dear friends. I can’t sing the praises of my close friends and family enough—because even as a joy filled unicorn sprinkles spreading soul, I definitely have those moments where it feels like life is dragging me. I have learned not to avoid those moments, but to lean into them because they are informative. I do know though, that we can’t stay in those moments… but sometimes it is hard to pull ourselves out. Sometimes we need our community to help pull us out from the proverbial underworld.

Late October 2023, I was definitely feeling out of sorts. I went to dinner with some friends and a few of us were feeling in a similar way. One of my friends who was in a remarkable mood—spoke pure life into the rest of us. His excitement and happiness for life was contagious. It is true that a rising tide raises all ships because he got us together at that dinner. One of the things he said to me was , “I learned some of this from you—Celestial Goodness. When are you putting out another video lol.” So you know, I have to take my own advice haha!

What he said to us that we needed to change our perspective. How amazing is it that we get to live this life, and to do all the things that we do? How amazing is it that we get to have the experiences that we do? That we get to live and love and be here on the planet at this time. He mentioned that he had reclaimed his mornings—incorporating meditation, a gratitude practice, and physical activity. It reminded me of a quote I have often read. “In many shamanic societies, if you came to a medicine person complaining of being disheartened, dispirited, or depressed, they would ask one of four questions: “When did you stop dancing? When did you stop singing? When did you stop being enchanted by stories? When did you stop being comforted by the sweet territory of silence?”

My friend also asked us what if anything were we doing each day that was specifically for us? I felt so moved by the reactions that I was having to the questions that I made up my mind that I would resurrect my meditation practice, gratitude practice, and add a bit more movement to my days. How has this unfolded? 80+ days later, I have meditated every day—it is a work in progress. I have a blog post/video on meditation if you want more information and resources. What I have noticed is that I feel more centered and calmer. Some days I struggle to quiet the mind, but that is not the goal. My goal was to reform the habit and stick to it! I also write a sentence or two of something that I am grateful for in my notes app on my phone. It is amazing to scroll through and look at everything that I have to be thankful for. It reminds me on seemingly bad days that I have a lot more to be thankful for than not.

And then movement. I have been seeing a trainer once a week for the past year and a half. I have felt stronger and more confident in myself, and he has helped learn new exercises that keep me interested in my workouts. I have also reminded myself to dance, and sing—the primary audience for this are my plants, but they haven’t complained. All of this is to say—what are you doing for yourself? How have you been taking care of your physical health? Mental health? Emotional health? Spiritual health?

What are three things that you feel immense gratitude for right now? 

How can you squeeze even ten minutes into your day just to remind yourself to breathe and to be?

I know the world feels often like it is burning. The work that we do internally echoes very loudly externally. If we want to change the world, we must start with ourselves. We must start in our communities and the spaces we inhabit, and let it ripple out across the world. Ultimately, travel reminded me yet again that we harbor more similarities than differences, and that most people in the world are concerned with the same things on a micro level—purpose, relationships, health, safety, and so forth.

So, this is my encouragement for you—paid forward from my friends—the angels that walk among us. Can you put your hand over your heart right now.
Can you take in a deep breath and just absorb this message.

You are needed here.

You are love and loved.

You are the essence of the divine made manifest. 

The world is a better place because you are in it. 

May your smile light up the lives of ten thousand souls.

May your love echo across the planet and light the love in a million hearts.

May you know this deeply.

May your life unfold in beautiful ways.
And may the stars shine brightly over your week—until next time!

Hello beautiful people and welcome to this dose of Celestial Goodness. As always, thank you for joining me in this space and on this journey. It has been about two months since I posted anything, so if you are still here, thank you. You can see this week’s video here: https://youtu.be/dq4oa6sziRk

Thank you for your patience, and for understanding the ebbs and flow that come along with creating, writing, thinking deeply about life and everything that comes along with that.

Thank you for understanding that as a human being, living, working, experiencing the range of emotions, feelings, and situations that one can, that life has felt as though it were both moving at an accelerated pace, and also moving slowly, and I thank you just for understanding the need that we have as humans to take breaks from the things that we feel deeply passionate about, so that we can come back to it, more devoted, more focused, and more inspired.

I feel everything so deeply, and there are so many things to absorb myself in these days, that with only one of me, and not being “artificial intelligence,” I have to make decisions on what gets done. The natural hierarchy is for the things that allow me to take care of myself, and to live, but in the last many weeks, I have also invested a lot of time and energy into my various communities.

For the last few years, the notion of community has been at the forefront of my mind. What is it? Who is it? What makes a strong and healthy community? How do we create community? Nurture it? Allow it to grow organically and to be what it needs to be at a time such as this?

Recently, I went to dinner with some dear friends, and one of them said to me, “Where is Celestial Goodness… you need to pop in…” We laughed, but it meant a lot to me. When I had the vision for this blog and channel, it was with the notion that we would be a community. That this would be a safe space, a sacred space for love, joy, peace, and endless reminders of the beauty in life, and the importance of your presence here. The Celestial Goodness community, is one that I am dedicated to as well, and it means a lot that you have spent your time here.

Now, if you were to look up the definition for the work “community,” lots of things would pop up. One of the definitions that I like says, “a feeling of fellowship with others as a result of sharing common attitudes, interests, and goals.” It sort of makes me think of Lord of the Rings, or any epic journey where someone is fighting for the good of mankind. The lesson is always that we can’t do it alone, we can’t go it alone. Even for those people out there who are fiercely independent and like to be alone for the most part, ultimately you still need people.

Community can also be the sharing of a physical space, a spiritual place, or even an emotional space. For me, community is about people, no matter where I am. There are many dimensions to me, many aspects of my life, and the people who I cross paths with matter. My community matters, my dear friends and family matter very much. I never view an encounter with someone as random or coincidental. We have either met for a lesson, a blessing, season, or lifetime as the old saying goes. It is also my view that you can meet someone for even a brief moment who could have a profound impact on your life.

So, my last many weeks have been filled with community. I have been communing with, attending to, and tending to the communities that I am a part of. The take away is that I am immensely blessed to know some of the world’s best people, and the way we have all been able to pour into each other has been a beautiful thing indeed. 

Where my family is from in Jamaica, is the kind of place where everyone knew everyone…someone could look at you and know who your parents or grandparents were. When my family moved to America, there was a lonelier aspect to it because we didn’t know all of the people around us. As a matter of fact, it can get weird if you are the weirdo from the Midwest, making eye contact and saying hello to people everywhere you go. Ha. I won’t stop.

I am reminded that when I went to visit my cousin in Bermuda, people expect whole conversations in passing. I would just say good morning. One day, Toya turned to me and said, “You have to make eye contact with people. Here everyone says more than just good morning.” I said, “I am a nice person, I swear.

I think the city life just made me more don’t make eye contact, and mind your business.” I do feel that people especially after the global pandemic, are starved for human connectivity. We want to know the neighbors (and shout out to my own very cool neighbors), we want to talk to people, hear their stories, and know how their day went. We want to feel as though we are part of something bigger than ourselves, and we are. Please don’t forget this.

Wherever I go, I tend to collect people, and we make a community for ourselves. I like the shared bond that we have as people occupying similar spaces. So here is my directive to you—think about your people, the people that fill you with the most love, care, and that help you to be your most authentic and joyful self. Think about the spaces where you can be, just be, where you can flow, and thrive and know that you belong. Now think about how you can make more spaces like that. How can you create community where you are? How can you show up for your people? How can you expand the communities that you are in?

In the last weeks, I have spent an abundance of time with some of the best people. We have laughed, cried, discussed serious things, and silly things like the endless reels on Instagram. I have come up close and personal with death, but I have also seen babies coming into the world, ready to express whatever little personalities they will grow into. I have had intimate conversations with people who trust me to safeguard dreams, goals, desires, and vision. I have also been reminded, when faced with my own anxieties, sadness, or angst that there are kindred souls who will show up for me too. In an article I read in the NYC some months ago, it said that people who tended to their relationships with others, lived longer happier lives. It feels sometimes like we don’t have much to offer to this, but committing to our community isn’t always a big endeavor. The article said, start scheduling 8 minute calls with your friends. Tell them, this will be eight minutes, and set a timer. Just start making and tending to the connections in your life.

Poet John Donne said this, “No man is an island, entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main. If a clod be washed away by the sea, Europe is the less, as well as if a promontory were, as well as if a manor of they friends’ or of thine own were. Any man`s death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind. And therefore, never send to know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee.”I am involved in mankind. We all are.

I hope that wherever this week finds you, that you will take a moment to think about the communities that you are in. What do you love? What makes you feel gratitude? Is there anything you want to change? Is there anything you want to do more of? Who are the people that help you do this life thing? Shout out to them, right?!? And a special shout out to my people—my community, my friends, my family, who inspire me every day with love, with realness, with genuine care for me—the real me. I appreciate you immensely. May the stars shine brightly over your week, and may it be a beautiful week indeed

Hello beautiful people and welcome to this dose of Celestial Goodness. As always, thank you for joining me in this space and on this journey. I appreciate your time and your presence. See this week’s video here: https://youtu.be/E5otfDvznZQ

How are you doing? Well—I hope that all is well with your heart, mind, soul, and body. There is an old hymn that someone in my family used to listen to, and these lines have stayed in my mind. “When peace like a river, attendeth my way, when sorrows like sea billows roll; whatever my lot, thou hast taught me to know, it is well, it is well, with my soul.”

And so before I get into our main topic, I wanted us to just check in with ourselves. How is your heart? Is it well? How is your mind? Are you overthinking or is your mind calm? How is your spirit? Settled or unsettled? How is your physical body? At this very moment, how are you? Are you tense? Unclench your jaw. Think about your favorite person in the world—I hope that brought a smile to your heart. Think about the most beautiful thing that you have ever seen? Maybe you thought of many things, but those two things—favorite person, and beautiful thing can almost immediately help to shift a mood.

We must check in with ourselves, the body is so wise, and can tell us so much. Of course, it is on us to listen, and then to take action. Sometimes the action is no action—to rest, or be in stillness. In our society today, we talk a lot about mindfulness and about “being present.” There is so much going on and so much of it feels like a constant assault to our nervous system, that it is more important than ever to keep ourselves grounded, centered, and steady in our body and soul. The founder of Headspace, Andy Puddicombe said, “The biggest gift we can each give ourselves is the gift of being present — engaged with life, connected with each other, listening with kindness, staying open-minded, free from judgment.”

There are many ways of accomplishing this, but I would say that two of the easiest ways are to check in with ourselves, ask those questions, and bring our focus to this moment through breath. Sometimes just breathing deeply brings us into the conscious awareness that we are here now—not in the past and not in the future. Going too far in either direction can create anxiety and a lot of unnecessary stress. (Disclaimer: this is not meant to minimize anyone’s deep trauma, and if that is your reality, I am a huge advocate of seeking professional help for that).

As a recovering overthinker—and not fully recovered yet, sometimes I get in my own head and I need a reminder to just come back to the present moment and center myself. I am thankful to have some lovely people around me to remind me of the tools at my disposal for staying present. My cousin, my sister—the OG edgesnatcher, and some of my closest friends remind me when I forget. Granted they all have their different methods of reminding me lol, laughter, sage words, memes, but my cousin has been known to call me (internationally mind you), and actually breathe with me. Once I was crying so hard (I am a water bucket after all ), and she just said, “it’s okay honey, breathe with me.”

There are things that we can do to help calm our own nervous system—we can help ourselves to find our way back to the present moment. Fun fact, when I teach my university students the art of negotiations, one of the things that I remind them is that they should pay attention to their breathing. If they catch themselves doing small, shallow breaths, they should consider a small break to just refocus their breathing. It has been proven that making decisions when your nerves are frayed is no bueno. You are more inclined to make poor decisions.

So we are going to just breathe together for a moment. If you are reading the blog, then I would encourage you to just take in a handful of deep but comfortable breaths. Do what is called “diaphragmatic breathing.” Sit or lie in a comfortable place. Place one hand on your chest—preferably over your heart chakra, and place one hand on your abdomen. Inhale through your nose for 4 seconds, hold for 2 seconds, and then exhale for 6 seconds—slowly and steadily through your mouth. Breathe up from your diaphragm.

Once I have my breathing down, I like to include a small mantra. Some good ones are, “I am safe,” “I am supported,” “I am at peace,” “I am love.”

When I am done, I like to just thank my heart—at that point I can generally feel it beating and that too is a reminder—once we are alive, there is so much hope, there is so much potential for love, beauty, joy, and peace. From a centered place, we are agents of these things—we are as Paulo Coehlo would say, warriors of light. “The Warrior of the Light is a believer. Because he believes in miracles, miracles begin to happen. Because he is sure that his thoughts can change his life, his life begins to change. Because he is certain that he will find love, love appears.” We are never sure if or when these things will happen—the various things that we want for our future—we just trust that they will or that if they don’t, we can still be at peace. As we take action by living each day, putting out the intention for what we desire, listening to the guidance that we receive on next steps, and staying present, we realize one day that this is the journey, and that it is constantly unfolding each day before us.

I am sure that I have spoken before about the topics of patience, trust, flow, and navigating the unknown, but these are always good topics to come back to, especially when they have been on my own mind heavily. I would not consider myself a patient person naturally, that is something that I have been learning over time. I do think that the concept of trust is tied into patience. How do I stay in the flow of my life, especially when the things that I think I want have not yet appeared. How can I trust that what I desire, or rather what I want and need will come to me? I have been known to give the advice to others that we know not the hour of our own good fortune. Maybe we must wait another day, week, month, year or years, but the journey really is the destination, and we don’t give up just because it hasn’t happened when we might want it to. So many people in the world believe in things that they cannot see. We believe until we see. How can we savor whatever phase and space we are in at the moment while also keeping our heart and mind open to what lies before us?

I was not always a morning person—I used to prefer to stay up late, a certified night owl if you will, but in my adulting life, I have become a morning person. It does not matter what time I go to sleep, I will probably wake up before my alarm and before the sunrise. This is surprisingly ok with me because I have grown to relish that time—the quiet hours before the majority of the world is awake. In that quiet time, everything feels so peaceful, and the potential of a new day lays out before me.

One of my favorite parts of the early morning is watching the new day come in. From my living room and office, I have a wonderful view of the East. As a connoisseur of greeting the day, I have learned that every sunrise is different; some come in slowly without much fanfare or colors, sometimes it is raining or cloudy, but light will eventually peak in, and those dark blue/grey days are also quite beautiful. Some sunrises come in and they are simply magnificent to behold. I cannot look away—because if I do, I might miss some of the splendor, the vibrancy of the colors, the way each looks like a painting meant just for me.

There is also a certain speed to which the sunrise (and sunsets) happen. It all happens very quickly in the grand scheme of things, but yet if you are watching, each moment feels like a beautiful eternity watching a masterpiece unfold. I may not be sure of a lot of things in my life at the moment of a sunrise, but I can always be sure that morning will come. I can trust in that, even when I have to be patient for the sun. I cannot rush the sun. It moves at its own pace, but when it comes, it shines brightly. Insert, “Here comes the sun, doo-doo-doo-doo… it’s alright…,” here!

There is also something comforting about this process. In those moments of stillness, of silence, just appreciating nature, something happens to my spirit. I notice that when I ease into the day, I don’t feel the anxiety of all the things that need to get done, or worry about some of the things that I carried into the dreamworld with me. That act of being present to watch the sunrise, makes me feel more centered, more empowered to handle the uncertainties of the day. It is also a huge reminder and lesson in patience and trust. I have patience for the sunrise, and I trust that morning always comes. I can do the same for other things in my life. 

Rainer Maria Rilke said, ““Were it possible for us to see further than our knowledge reaches, and yet a little way beyond the outworks of our divining’s, perhaps we would endure our sadness’s with greater confidence than our joys. For they are the moments when something new has entered into us, something unknown; our feelings grow mute in shy perplexity, everything in us withdraws, a stillness comes, and the new, which no one knows, stands in the midst of it and is silent.” Every day contains the potential for miracles.

Paulo Coelho also said, “The only trap I must beware not to fall into, is to think that each day is the same as the next. In fact, each morning brings with it a hidden miracle, and we must pay attention to this miracle.”

Life is filled with a lot of unknowns. How we approach navigating the unfolding can make life heaven or hell. Being in the flow of life, trusting that whatever comes we will be able to handle it, and being able to see the miracles of life are all beneficial tools for helping to cultivate trust in the future. Being present, breathing, living, loving, laughing, and trusting are so helpful right now. There is a lot going on in the world and it can be overwhelming.

I encourage you to take even one moment to appreciate the beauty that is still abundant, especially in nature. Appreciate the people around you, and trust—even when things feel hard—that life is supporting you endlessly. I hope that the stars shine brightly over your week, that it is a beautiful week indeed, and that you allow life to surprise you with delightful things and experiences.

If you do ever feel overwhelmed, just remember me saying—like my cousin, “its ok honey, just breathe with me…” or like my sister, “it’s ok sweetie, you’re doing great.” I venture to say that things are better than you might even realize—the not great stuff has a way of taking over everything else, so we have to fight a little harder to see what is working, what is going well, and how some of what we used to worry about has actually worked out! You got this, and I believe in you!

Hello beautiful people and welcome to this dose of Celestial Goodness. As always, thank you for joining me in this space and on this journey. I appreciate your time and your presence. I was going to make a posting two weeks ago about the beginning of the Lunar New Year, but things have been a little bit busy. That being said, I think it is an important part of this 2023 energy, and so we will have two topics for this dose of Celestial Goodness. See this week’s video here: https://youtu.be/DVsRxbfuY4E

I actually wrote up a short article for our newsletter at work, so some of this is adapted from that. While much of the world celebrated New Year’s Day on January 1^st, thanks to the Gregorian calendar, there are many people in the world who abide by different calendars and thus different New Years. If you have been following my channel or blog for a while, you may have heard me mention that some of my best friends from college are Asian, and over the years, I have gained some exposure to different cultural practices.

It was in this way, that I learned that there are different cultures and religions that use a lunar calendar or a lunisolar calendar to celebrate a new year. With these calendars, the months are observed by the cycles of the moon. In the East Asian cultural sphere some of the Lunar New Year celebrations for this year began on January 22^nd, 2023. (There are some that will begin on February 20^th). The date of January 22^nd is because the New Year begins with the first new moon of January and last until the next full moon. Sunday, February 5^th marks the full moon and the end of the new year celebrations. Most lunar celebrations are filled with beautiful celebrations, delicious foods, and cultural traditions that go back for thousands of years. For example, I learned from Melody that in Chinese culture, red envelops are given during special occasions and holidays. The color red symbolizes energy, happiness, and good luck. Wrapping money in red paper is expected to bestow more happiness and blessings.

I also learned that the number 8 was considered to be the luckiest number because it is associated with wealth and prosperity. Having friends from a wide range of the Asian diaspora taught me that while a lot of people say, “Chinese New Year,” that “Lunar New Year,” is more accurate since while there are similarities, there are also major differences in the celebration of the holiday across the region. The most important part of the holiday for everyone, however, is spending time with family and friends. This year will usher out the year of the Tiger, and we will welcome the Year of the Rabbit.

I have found through my own astrological studies that the Eastern Zodiac lines up very well with one’s Jupiter placement in Western Astrology. In the Eastern Zodiac, the zodiac wheel consists of 12 animals. The 12 zodiac animals are the rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, sheep, monkey, rooster, dog and pig. (Please note that in some countries, like Vietnam, you will find that this is the year of the cat—in place of the rabbit).

In addition to the animals, five elements of earth, water, fire, wood and metal are also mapped onto the traditional lunar calendar. Each year is associated with an animal that corresponds to an element.

The Rabbit is said to be the luckiest sign of the zodiac, and this year’s element of water is said to promote calm and smoothness, so hopefully we may all have a wonderful and peaceful year. To sum up, one of my horoscope apps said this, “2023—the year of the Water Rabbit. Drumroll please, you are about to enter a year filled with magic. As if making an appearance directly out of a magician’s hat, 2023 will cast a spell on you, and it is just what the world needs right now…The Rabbit is considered the luckiest sign of the zodiac, and for many people, this will be the ongoing theme of 2023. Many of you will experience stretches of luck that can’t be explained and can be surprising. Others may experience situations that seem anything but lucky, and yet, with the undercurrent beneath these experiences, you will see that they were carrying you to places that were indeed auspicious. That’s why it is so important this year—and all the time, really—to always assume the best. Just because something that happens in your life appears to be unfortunate or undesirable at the time does not preclude it from bringing something unexpectedly wonderful into your life…this is a year for cultivating inner peace and harmony, as well as fostering connections with others….Let us strive to make the most of this auspicious year by focusing on inner peace and harmony and by supporting and uplifting one another.” I think that is a beautiful approach to this lunar new year.

Speaking of support and uplifting vibes, the next topic of discussion was inspired by one of my most supportive and uplifting friends. A few weeks ago, my friend Notoya took me to brunch.

She is a Jamaican queen, one of the hardest working people that I know, bold, courageous, and when she knows what she wants, she goes for it. As the Roman poet Virgil said, “Audentes fortuna juvat,” or rather “Fortune favors the bold.” I hope that fortune will always favor her. My heart felt uplifted and renewed by our conversation. You know that spending time with some people is truly like feeling the sunshine pour into all of your nooks and crannies. As we were discussing life and laughing away, one of the things she leaned in and asked me was, “Do you have space in your life for the things that you want?” It made me pause.

Did I have space in my life for the things that I desire at this juncture of my life? I didn’t know—I had to take stock, of this and since then, it has been a constant on my mind. She said to me, “clear away the old things that are taking up energy…” she meant the unused things, the things that represented an old chapter of my life, and things that I needed to let go of. She also said, and this is something that my mom has also asked me—do you have space in your actual space and calendar for love, for adventure, for peace, and for joy? Is there room for another person? Have you made time in your calendar for these things? You mean someone couldn’t fit in next to my plants (which are looking amazing by the way)? Notoya asked if there was room in my closet for someone else’s clothes—hahaha, that made me laugh cause my friends know how much I love clothes—the sparklier, the better. I got what she was saying, and it really did make me think.

The O street mansion flashed across my mind. Ever since my visit to the O Street Mansion—a beautiful home, (you can visit if you are in the DC area), to be sure, but it also gave me high anxiety because they had never thrown anything away—it was truly a hoarder’s dream come to life. There were many treasures, but I also felt overwhelmed by the sheer magnitude of things everywhere. I have analyzed whether I have something because I truly need it, or if it is because it is satisfying some deeper underlying issue.

I gave Marie Kondo a hard time when she first came out, primarily because of the debate about books and whether they give us joy. Yes my books give me great joy, so it is admittedly hard for me to let go of books. also have two magazine subscriptions and so I have a pile of magazines that I will soon release to vision boarding.

When I was little, a fresh immigrant to Wisconsin, it dawned on me that we were poor in terms of a lack of resources. My mom and aunt worked as hard as they could, but the reality was that there were things that I had to do without. I think that created a dynamic later where if I had something I kept it, or I got other things—maybe things in bulk just in case. However, I am cognizant that is also a lack mentality, and a fear of running out and being without. I don’t do that anymore, and I like my space to feel spacious, airy, and uncluttered. A few years ago when I was moving a friend came by to help me pack, and he was like “why do you need 100 store plastic bags.” Sirrrrrr, that is a black person tradition—those grocery bags serve multiple purposes, but I did think—will I ever use all these bags? Probably not. Sometimes you need another person who is not as invested in the stuff as you are to help you let go. My younger sister is ruthless when it comes to getting rid of things. Her philosophy is one thing in, then one thing out. I know everyone is different, and you may be holding on to certain things for reasons only known to you. But I do wonder and must ask the question—by holding on to things that you do no longer need, or that carry no true sentimental value, what are you blocking from entering your world? Where in your life could benefit from making some room and some space? What is it that you even want for your life?

Here are some things to think about. What are the things that you are no longer using? What are broken things or things that have holes in them? Do you have any plants that have died or that are unable to be nursed back to health? Old papers (FYI—Office Depot and Staples will shred I think it is 3 pounds of papers free, and then I think it is less than 99 cents per pound after that)? Old pictures and memorabilia of old relationships? Clothes and shoes that you don’t wear or plan to wear ever again? 

These are just a few things to think about. Celestial Goodness is a judgment free zone. I noticed that when I got rid of some things, that I did feel better. My mood greatly improved clearing out stagnant energy. This is also true for the digital world. I saw somewhere that someone asked the questions—Why am I saving this? How will I feel if I release it?

You might not know what to do with the things. Remember that one man’s junk is another’s treasure. You can donate things, sell things, give gifts, or trash stuff. The world is not easy for a lot of people, and your old, unused items could be a blessing for someone else. I think as a society, we also don’t realize how much stuff we have until maybe it is time to move, or someone passed away and we have to reconcile their life in things. I made a vow several years ago, that I would not put things in an official storage unit because I would probably never use those things again and I would just be spending the money to store things that I probably could have repurposed. Again, everyone has their reasons for holding on to things, but if you ask yourself the questions—what do I want for my life, and is there currently space for it, you might be very surprised.

There might be things that you can let go of. Mommy always kinds of rolls her eyes when I tell this story, but I think it is an important one. For years, she wanted a particular vehicle—but for years she was holding on to her old minivan. At one point I told her it would probably cost more to fix the minivan than to just get a new vehicle. The minivan eventually stopped working properly (cue safety hazard), and sat in our family’s garage for a while just taking up space. I did what any oldest child who wanted to see her mother manifest something better for herself would do… I called the Purple Heart Foundation and scheduled for them to do a midday pick up. They yoinked that van so fast. Insert diabolical chuckle here. Mommy was of course horrified, and perhaps a little upset, but they say if you want a new vehicle, and there is an old vehicle taking up room in the garage, then there is no space for the new vehicle. Once the old van was gone, it wasn’t long before she was in her actual dream car.

This is an analogy for life—if we want the things that we say we want, then we must make space for them. I hope that this makes you think, makes you analyze whether you have things that you can let go of. Make physical and energetic space because it is the year of the Rabbit—a lucky year, and you just never know what life is waiting to surprise you with—of course, if you have the space for your blessings. Make space for your blessings. May it be an auspicious time for all of us, and may the stars shine brightly over your week. May it be a beautiful week indeed.

Hello beautiful people and welcome to this dose of Celestial Goodness. As always, thank you for joining me in this space and on this journey. I appreciate your time and presence. See this week’s video here: https://youtu.be/2iaohpcVKMk

In making the decision to ease into this new year, I did something a little unusual for me. I prescheduled downtime for myself. Insert audible gasp here. This included time for reading, resting, and for listening to my own heart.

Yes, that is correct—I scheduled time to intentionally listen to my heart. Listening to one’s heart is not something that I feel like modern society encourages. In fact, I think we are more encouraged to follow the mind—to be logical, practice, and reasonable.

In law school, there was much mention of “the reasonable man.”

According to Justia, this is a phrase, “used to denote a hypothetical person who exercises qualities of attention, knowledge, intelligence, and judgment that society requires of its members for the protection of their own interest and the interest of others.” There is a certain amount of caution that this person takes, and then they behave sensibly according to the standards of society. This generally leans towards the logical and the rational.

The logical and rational are within the jurisdiction of the mind. The heart however, is more emotional, and seen as sometimes irrational. The heart is usually more willing to take risks that the mind won’t take. The domain of the heart is love. Sometimes the heart and the mind are in conflict. When they are, often we are encouraged to make the common sense choice, and follow the mind. I have found that the mind can lead to overthinking, which can lead to anxiety, and which can lead to sadness because ultimately we did not follow the heart.

This can express itself with everything from relationships, to career paths, to heck, almost anything. I am of the mindset that we should let love lead our actions—that the mind should bow to the wisdom of the heart…and yet, how many of us know with certainty what it is that our heart is trying to tell us? How will we know if we don’t ever make time to listen to what it has to say?

A quote by Jack Kornfield which I came across in Bell Hooks seminal book, “All About Love: New Visions,” says, “It is possible to speak with our heart directly. Most ancient cultures know this. We can actually converse with our heart as if we were a good friend. In modern life, we have become so busy with our daily affairs and thoughts that we have lost this essential art of taking time to converse with our heart.” So I say, “what says you heart?”

If you have been listening to this channel or reading my blog long enough you may know of my longstanding love of Paulo Coelho books, and The Alchemist especially, which is probably my favorite book of all time.

There is also mention of listening to the heart there as well. “Why do we have to listen to our hearts?” the boy asked, when they had made camp that day.
“Because, wherever your heart is, that is where you’ll find your treasure.”
“But my heart is agitated,” the boy said. “It has its dreams, it gets emotional, and it’s become passionate over a woman of the dessert. It asks things of me, and it keeps me from sleeping many nights when I’m thinking about her.”
“Well, that’s good. Your heart is alive. Keep listening to what it has to say.”

When I made the decision to ease into 2023, as I mentioned before, I did something that was out of the ordinary for my normal extroverted self. I blocked off two weeks where my calendar said, “Do Not Plan Anything.” This is a big deal for me because I am generally always out and about, with some “downtime” which usually comes when I start to feel burnout. Then my friends will gently say, “Ma’am, it might be time for some downtime.” Hahaha. I savor life, and I love to soak up every minute of it, but I am learning through the wisdom of my own heart, that sometimes for me, this includes “hermit time.”

That is time spent in solitude, resting, reflecting, and talking to myself—I mean when we need expert advice on our life—we should talk to ourselves hahaha. I joked to one of my friends recently that I was enjoying my downtime so much, that I could probably become a hermit easily. Her response was a resounding, “Yea, no, I give you three days alone by yourself max before we call in reinforcements to get you to leave the house.” That was funny, because I do thrive on my time with my friends and family, so point taken, there has to be a balance.

The last year ended and this year began on a Mercury retrograde in the sign of Capricorn, a sign that has heavy influence in my natal chart. My own Mercury placement is in Capricorn, and so the energy was ripe for slowing down, reflecting, and finding some time to refresh my spirit.

So much happened last year, and so much happened all at once it felt like sometimes I could not catch my breath; I don’t think I had much time to process. I like to “process,” “excavate,” and see what if any lessons there were to learn from situations and experiences that pop up in my life.

I probably could have been an archaeology major easily lol, but since that wasn’t my path, I have to be the archaeologist of my own life. While some things will and should remain buried away, when we can look objectively at life—at our own life, there is opportunity for growth. Maybe there were situations in which I could have reacted differently, maybe there are places in my life where I need to be more proactive, or maybe there are still things that I am learning—like about patience for example. I decided to take some intentional time for this process of reflecting.

Intentionality has become very important to me, and it was with this in mind that I sat down, drafted up a vision for the future from this point, and came up with my “word,” for this year. For the past several years, I have selected a word that helps to anchor me to a particular goal or intention for that year. Some examples have been, “flow,” “balance,” “abundance,” and “fun.” This year, my word is devotion. I also have a word for this decade of my life, and that one is more private and personal, but it feels delicious to my spirit. This year’s word is “devotion.”

I wrote a short snippet about it on social media. I said, “This year’s word is devotion. Devotion to my heart, to love, to joy, to the joy of living, to beauty, to kindness, to my own well-being—physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual. It is also devotion to my enjoyment, to my quirks, and to my tribe. Devotion is my anchor word. It signifies love, loyalty, and enthusiasm.” I was on a walk through the park when I thought about this more deeply. What does devotion to love and to life even like to me? What was love even?

Whenever I have a deep question, a book with answers will always find me. In this case, as I was dusting one of my bookshelves, my copy of “All About Love,” by Bell Hooks, fell on my toe.

That’s a sure sign that it wasn’t so accidental. There are so many good parts to this book—which is a love letter in it of itself to remaining hopeful about love in a cynical world. One of the passages says, “Love redeems. Despite all the lovelessness that surrounds us, nothing has been able to block our longing for love, the intensity of our yearning. The understanding that love redeems appears to be a resilient aspect of the heart’s knowledge. The healing power of redemptive love lures us and calls us towards the possibility of healing. We cannot account for the presence of the heart’s knowledge. Like all great mysteries, we are all mysteriously called to love no matter the conditions of our lives, the degree of our depravity or despair. The persistence of this call gives us reason to hope. Without hope, we cannot return to love. Breaking our sense of isolation and opening up the window of opportunity, hope provides us with a reason to go forward. It is a practice of positive thinking. Being positive, living in a permanent state of hopefulness, renews the spirit. Renewing our faith in love’s promise, hope is our covenant. I began thinking and writing about love when I heard cynicism instead of hope in the voices of young and old. Cynicism is the greatest barrier to love. It is rooted in doubt and despair. Fear intensifies our doubt. It paralyzes. Faith and hope allow us to let fear go. Fear stands in the way of love…When we love, we no longer allow our hearts to be held captive by fear.”

This echoes beautifully what Marianne Williamson said in “A Return to Love, Reflections on A Course in Miracles.” She said, “Love is what we are born with. Fear is what we have learned here. The spiritual journey is the relinquishing or unlearning of fear and the acceptance of love back into our hearts. Love is the essential existential fact. It is our ultimate reality, and our purpose on earth. To be consciously aware of it, to experience it in ourselves and others, is the meaning of life.” In devotion to love, and to life, I am cognizant that will require vulnerability. It also feels like we have become a society of people who are afraid in some sense to be vulnerable with each other, to go beneath the surface, and to allow others to see the things that even frighten us about ourselves. Yet, it is diving deeply and being vulnerable where the true opportunity for meaningful connections lie.

As Brene Brown said, “We cultivate love when we allow our most vulnerable and powerful selves to be deeply seen and known, and when we honor the spiritual connection that grows from that offering with trust, respect, kindness and affection. Love is not something we give or get; it is something that we nurture and grow, a connection that can only be cultivated between two people when it exists within each one of them – we can only love others as much as we love ourselves. Shame, blame, disrespect, betrayal, and the withholding of affection damage the roots from which love grows. Love can only survive these injuries if they are acknowledged, healed and rare.”

I do not yet know how the intentional selection of a word like “devotion,” and adding in vulnerability and love to that equation will unfold over this year. I think it will offer some beautiful moments, some lovely conversations with people and with myself, and will offer some deeply meaningful experiences rooted in the tenderness, the loveliness, and the joy that is also inherent in life. It is work though. In all of the aforementioned works, there has also been mention of acknowledging where we have a wounding, and thinking about how we can heal the wound so that we can experience life from a more joyous place. (I acknowledge fully that some trauma is very intense, and I will always advocate for therapy and anything that helps people to take care of their entire wellbeing).

In another post, I will talk about the wounds we carry and make an astrological connection (of course) to Chiron, the wounded healer.

We will discuss how wounds also appear in our natal chart, and once we learn how to overcome those wounds, how our own tests can often become a testimony for others. Where was our first wounding? Where was our first conscious recollection of love? Life does not come with a manual for living or for loving. There are things we learn along the way, whether for the good or for the bad. If ever we are to devote ourselves to love, then those questions are also important elements to the equation. I have asked myself where was my first abandonment, what are the wounds of my inner child, and how can I let her know that we grew up and we are okay now, so we don’t have to react with anything but love? How do I console her when she is triggered and frightened? How do I soothe her into realizing that we don’t have to react in old ways to new situations. I don’t have all of those answers, these are just things to think about. For now, I wonder—do you have a word for this year? Do you ever listen to the sound of your own heart? Are you someone who is more led by the mind? There are no right or wrong answers to these questions.

As I think about how I want the year and quite frankly, the rest of my own life to unfold, I know that I want my mind and heart to be able to co-create together. I want my mind to bow to the wisdom of the great mysteries of the heart. I want my heart to appreciate that the mind wants to offer its protection, so as to minimize hurt, but to recognize that hurt is an inherent risk when we make a decision to reveal ourselves fully. Despite that, there is still life after hurt.

I want to listen to the soul of the world, and to my own heart, and then take action from that point and place. Regardless of what happens, I want to exude love as my natural state of being. I want to embody love, and to remind all of us that it is the most important part of living. I hope that you have a wonderful week, filled with beautiful reminders of love. I hope the stars shine brightly over you, and I hope that you are able to hear the wisdom of your heart, and to feel the devotion that your heart has had to you all along. Thank you!

Hello beautiful people and welcome to this dose of Celestial Goodness. As always, thank you for joining me in this space and on this journey. If you are reading the blog or watching the video this week, congratulations—you have made it over into a new year. This week’s video available here: https://youtu.be/HJzCMaZ97io

I was joking with one of my friends that there are many ways of marking a new year—and there are many cultures and groups that celebrate a different new year—the Lunar New Year for example—which will happen on January 22^nd, marks the year of the Water Rabbit.

Our birthdays—the solar return, are also a beginning point. I turned 40 recently, so that was a new decade and it definitely felt like a new chapter of my life was beginning.

My friend and I jokingly devised a new year for each month this year hahaha, so if this one doesn’t work for you—make your own! All of that being said—today, January 1^st is the day that most of the world celebrates a new year. Marked by different celebrations, fireworks, and fanfare, we have collectively created a ritual that sends out the old energy of the Gregorian calendar year, and that welcomes a new one.

Along with this comes many little rituals of sort that help us to ceremonially close out old energies in our personal lives and welcome a new energy. I thought about this for a few reasons. First, this was the first year in over six years that I was home for New Year’s Eve—I have celebrated the holiday in different locations, including in England last year.

This year it was nice to be in my space, having a very low key and chill evening. It was also the first New Year’s Eve in at least ten years that I was by myself. Some friends invited me out, but my spirit desired the alone time. I will speak at a different time about the benefits of solitude for the soul. You can be alone but not lonely. I have grown over the years to learn how to enjoy my own company, and in recent months, I have been relearning myself.

I also know that my family and friends are a literal phone call away should I start feeling in need of human companionship. I derive great joy from my relationships with others—and cultivating and devoting time to nurturing those relationships will continue to be an important part of 2023; there is also a strong need within myself to nurture my relationship with self. It is for that reason, I know that New Year’s Eve was its own kind of bliss.

I got fresh flowers from the market—while walking over there some rain drops evaded the umbrella—they felt cool on my skin and I remembered the quote attributed to Bob Marley—“some people feel the rain, and others get wet.” I felt the rain, and want to continue living life with the experience of feeling—of not being numb to things like sunrises, sunsets, and the coolness of raindrops. I also stopped for a bit to observe the fog rising up from the pond by my place. Fog always feels so mysterious, mystical, and otherworldly. When I got home from the market, I made myself dinner, listened to the rain, read snippets from several of my books, watered my plants, danced around, and listened to the Buena Vista Social Club.

At midnight, I had a small bit of Moscato d’Asti and I ate 12 green grapes. One grape to signify abundance, prosperity, peace, joy, and love for each month of the upcoming year. I forget where I learned that tradition, but it is a fun one if you have grapes handy! That leads to the second reason that I thought about personal rituals. I spent most of the day doing a deep cleaning of my place. I mean dusting the corners, scrubbing the shower curtains, mopping, dusting all the nooks and crannies… like deep deep cleaning…I probably looked like Cinderella, but there is absolutely no shame in my cleaning game.

When I was little, my mom always wanted everything to be immaculate. I use to mutter under my breath when I was woken up early on the weekends to clean, that as an adult I would do whatever I wanted lol, which didn’t include getting up on the weekends to clean. It also didn’t include deep cleaning before the new year. Turns out that was a lie. It is just hard for me to focus when things are chaotic—my home needs to breathe, to have things in their rightful place, to feel clean and smell good—it needs to be a sacred space for me. We tend to temples, and my home is that for me. It is a sanctuary away from the rest of the world. It is a safe place, a comfortable, peaceful and Zen place for anyone who crosses the mantle.

When I was little, Jamaicans made it seem as if the clock struck midnight on New Year’s Eve and things were out of place—the clothes weren’t washed, the dishes not put away, the trash all taken out, that was to be your fate for the rest of the year. It felt like oh my God, you were going to be living in filth for a whole year. I would seriously get anxiety about it. Anyway, that is not the case, but yesterday still felt cathartic. It wasn’t as if the place was messy to begin with, but there was something about ensuring that everything was in its place and I was throwing things out that made me feel as if I was ceremoniously saying good bye to 2022. After everything is clean, I also do a smoke cleanse with the windows and balcony door open, and then burn some of my favorite incense.

Good bye to old energies, and welcome to something new. I am curious about other rituals that people do to celebrate the end of an old year and to welcome in a new year. I know that some of my friends eat black eye peas, some people attend a church service, and some have to stay up until midnight to make sure that yes the old year is in fact gone. Some people go to bed at their normal time so that they can wake up feeling refreshed. I read online that in Scotland, the last day of the Gregorian calendar is called “Hogmanay.” It may be derived from Norse and Gaelic traditions, but it involves gift giving, visiting the homes of friends and family, and there is very special attention paid to the “first foot.” That is the first guest to step foot into your home in the new year. I never even thought of that, but I think it is cool. I will have to pay attention to remember who will be my “first foot,” for the year! What are some of your new year’s rituals or traditions?

The New Year’s Day also reminded me that a new energy is being ushered in—both astrologically and in terms of numerology. I will get into the astrology in a different video, but this year is a 7 year in numerology. 2+0+2+3=7. In numerology, a 7 year is one that emphasizes introspection, emotion, analysis, intuition, reflection, seclusion, research, and faith. It is also a year that finds most people deepening their spiritual practices and a year that leans towards creativity and mysticism. What that all sounds like is that some of us may feel a pull to turn inwardly during the year, and even though we spent most of the pandemic inside, this feels different. This feels more like tuning in to our inner voice—to hearing ourselves speak from a soul level, to tapping into our creativity, and to feel more connected with the divine whatever that means for you. I hope that however your year has started off that you feel a sense of peace—a sense of gratitude for what is gone and what has yet to come, and just a sense of knowing that you are loved and supported by life—even on the difficult days.

I saw a poem online which I loved. It says, “The old year is worn and tired. Time now to kiss it goodbye. Take with you its wisdom—the authority and the power of all you have learned. Remember the past year with love, but let go of its despair. Live the year that lies ahead with fresh energy and hope. Be strong, have courage. It is time now for something new.”

Before I end, I do want us to just take a moment—close your eyes if you can, and just take in a deep breath—it should be deep, but comfortable for you. I am going to lead us in a small meditation.

Put your hand over your heart space, and take in three deep but comfortable breaths. As you inhale and exhale, become aware of your breath. Feel a sense of gratitude for your body, which functions mostly on auto pilot. Be thankful for your heart which beats each day, and which also emits vibrations of love out to the world. Be thankful for your mind, which allows you to process so much information. Now I want you to visualize that you are standing by a bonfire. You are able to drop anything from 2022 and prior that may have caused you stress or grieve into the fire. From the ashes will spring a glorious phoenix that brings with it the promise of a transformative energy. Next, visualize a beautiful glass cup filled with crystal clear (and clean) water. You will take a drink from this cup. As the water fills you—as it is cool flowing through your body, you imagine that the new year will be filled with love, joy, prosperity, growth, and anything else that you desire that is in its proper divine timing, and for your overall benefit. You feel a sense of peace and purpose. You become aware of your breath again. Sit with that sensation of feeling your breath rising in your chest. Say thank you, and then open your eyes.

I hope that this year will unfold for you in the most delightful and beautiful ways, and I hope the stars continue to shine brightly over you! As always, thank you, and happy new year. ♥️