Hope answers when you least expect it. #MessyMovementMonday
There's something about looking for hope or signs of hope that makes hope much easier to see. As Gabby Bernstein says in her book "The Universe Has Your Back," you have to look for your signs. You have to look for the things that guide you back to source and back to love.
After a pretty rough few weeks, I recognized that I needed to have a seat firmly on my meditation mat. I found my way back to the audible book and started it from the top.
I deeply appreciate the way she talks to you in a way that we can all understand. I think it's important to note that if you're curious about Gabby B.'s work, she is a white, thin, wealthy, cis-het woman, while I am a Black, Queer, Fat Femme. We have two very different life experiences and spiritual backgrounds, but somewhere there was alignment. I have both admired, engaged, and challenged her digital presence. My share is not to say her teaching or class spaces are a good fit for everyone's spiritual journey, but I cannot deny that she is a damn good teacher and one that has greatly impacted my life. Engage in the work at your own pace, capacity, etc.
Context.
I remember being introduced to Gabby's work as I was sitting on my college dorm floor over a decade ago. I was in a shitty place, in a shitty relationship with shitty boundaries. Basically, a lot of shit. ;) lol.
Anyway, it was my senior year of undergrad, and I spent most of my final semester viciously writing business plans. I wanted to lead transformational movement classes, retreats, and become a motivational speaker. "Speak. Write. Dance" was my motto for my career.
In my search for successful motivational speakers, I found Gabrielle Bernstein through the very small Facebook streets at that time (a la 2010-2011). Her words guided me into studying A Course In Miracles and taking a deeper dive into the world of metaphysics. This world of reconnecting to the body, embracing ancient spiritual practices, and now metaphysics was blending into this reality that I live in today: The Messy Movement Lab.
Her work then was a sign for me that I could do something more with my life. The message reminded me that I had immense value that could never be changed or altered based on someone's perception of me. And my life has immense value in relation to my own perception of it. I carried A Course In Miracles around with me everywhere, and then I got a Kindle. lol. That book is heavy as hell. I knew I wanted to have a deeper relationship with source in ways that kept me and guided me to live fully and embrace my whole self.
As we navigate this part of my mom's life journey, I have been wrecked at times, unconsolably angry and tired. I have also had some of the sweetest and most tender moments with my mom, my husband, and my family. I have found my own relationship to nurturing and protecting. I have unraveled, collapsed, and stood up taller, stronger, wiser, and with more knowing.
I reached out to my family, my friends, and I shared with them that I was hurting. They held me, fed me, swept me up, let me cry, prayed over me, and reminded me most importantly that God's got my back in all things. I let myself be cared for and held.
So I told you that in Gabby's book, she said you have to go look for your signs. Decide what your "sign" from the universe is and then allow it to be presented. We were visiting with mama one day, watching one of our favorite gospel songs from our home church Trinity. There's a cart that's always in mama's room that we use for the screen display and any food/drinks etc. While we were watching our youtube church, I looked down and saw my sign right there attached to mom's cart.
I showed it to my husband, and Miller was like "ITS A SIGN!" <3.
(Yes, I roped him into the affirmations too,ya'll).
And a sign it was indeed.
That following week I had more energy, lightness and ease coming into the week. I danced all week long. It was just a good week.
I don't know if you needed a sign to look for your sign but here's a sign.
See you on the dance floor,
Rashida KhanBey Miller (she/temptress)