Mastery

I was in the 4th or 5th grade when I realized that lashing out at my siblings when they interrupted my solitude didn’t get me more quiet time; it only got me in trouble. So I resolved to do a better job of controlling my emotions. I frequently failed.

It took me a while to understand that instead of repressing my emotions, I needed to recognize what I was reacting to and choose a rational response that incorporated my feelings and reason. And that mastery is a life long endeavor…

“…every emotion offers information about you that is important. When you ignore your emotions, you ignore that information.” ~ Gary Kukav, The Heart of the Soul

Inhale Realization, Exhale Repression…
Inhale Rationality, Exhale Irrationality…
Inhale Response, Exhale Reaction…
Just Breathe

#Awareness
#JustBreathe

Emotional Awareness

We can’t prevent, avoid or circumvent our emotions. Our sadness, frustration, anger, hurt, jealousy, etc., are all a part of the human experience. Our emotions are telling us something about how we are processing our experiences. We don’t have to act on them…but we must go through them to get to wholeness.

“We cannot selectively numb emotions, when we numb the painful emotions, we also numb the positive emotions.” ~ Brené Brown, The Gifts of Imperfection

Inhale Emotions, Exhale Stoicism…
Inhale Energy, Exhale Avoidance…
Inhale Experiences, Exhale Repression…
Just Breathe

#Awareness
#JustBreathe

Blaming Superwoman

Charley Bordelon West, middle child of the fictional Bordelon family from Oprah’s OWN “Queen Sugar” is a black woman we don’t get to see often on TV. Stunning, smart and strategic, she is usually the smartest person in whatever room she occupies.

This season has been all about the cracks in the façade of control she presents to the world. Yet during a curated discussion of the show with other women, Charley’s revelation of just a sliver of vulnerability…the escape of a tightly held tear down her face…elicited derision and suspicion.

It was a familiar reaction and reminded me that we often don’t even permit ourselves or each other the dimensions and layers of a richly imagined character…

“We’ve been raised in a culture that denies us the value of experiencing our sadness. I believe our tears are a sign of release…a natural part of our emotional cleansing system and they promote our ability to heal.” ~ Julia A. Boyd, Girlfriend to Girlfriend

Inhale Vulnerability, Exhale Repression…
Inhale Authenticity, Exhale Suspicion…
Inhale Emotions, Exhale Judgment…
Just Breathe

#JustBreathe
Reflections With Renita

Development

Each of us has something we are uniquely purposed to do. All of our innate talents, to include our personality can be honed to serve that purpose.

But before our gifts or our talents become strengths we have to invest in them. The most successful people start with raw talent and multiply that talent by investing time to add the skills, knowledge, practice and experience to turn talent into strengths that can help us achieve our purpose.

“He handed out gifts of apostle, prophet, evangelist, and pastor-teacher to train Christ’s followers in skilled servant work, working within Christ’s body, the church, until we’re all moving rhythmically and easily with each other, efficient and graceful in response to God’s Son, fully mature adults, fully developed within and without, fully alive like Christ.” ~ Ephesians 4: 11-13, The Message

Inhale Evolution, Exhale Inhibition…
Inhale Investment, Exhale Limitations…
Inhale Expression, Exhale Repression…
Just Breathe…

#JustBreathe
#Strengths