June 28th, 2022
welcome to the unfolding, a bi-weekly(-ish) newsletter curated from my heart.**  
thank you for unfolding with me. ✨  view past newsletters here.
(4 minute read &/or 6 minute 🎥 )
 

reflections on living & unfolding

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hey y’all -
 
long time no chat, its good to be here with you. i’m going through a lot of change at the moment, which seems like the vibe in these last few years huh? with all that is going on in my private life, my work, my relationships, my leadership, there’s one big question that comes to the forefront: how do i navigate all of this?
 
by this, i mean the curveballs of life, life of consistent changes in different realms at different times. what do i do?
 
when i sit with this, i’m reminded of two things: 
1. Octavia E. Butler’s Parables of the Sower’s first passage - “All that you touch you change. All that you change, changes you. The only lasting truth is change. God is change.” 
2. adrienne maree brown’s Emergent Strategy principle of intentional adaptation.
 
when i interlace these two, i’m able to answer my loved one’s question of “how do you navigate this complexity with such grace?” it boils down to believing in something beyond myself that knows my pillars/values/desires. believing that i can be sculptor and clay.
 
when i use the term God here, that can easily be replaced for life, chaos theory, astrology, or simply the stories/mottos you hold about how life is going to work for you. which makes this topic of navigating change so tricky because we’re talking about believing in something beyond ourselves, beyond the physical body, beyond the capitalistic-patriarchal-white supremacist belief in total personal responsibility of our lives. its “unprofessional”.
 
but the truth is, if we only believe in ourselves, then we only believe in what we can control. we can’t control life.
 
we can shape life, as Butler and brown remind us, and in that shaping we are shaped by life. to believe that we can control everything will only lead to more stress, spiraling, catastrophe for ourselves. we can't lead in our power when we move from the place of control and ownership.
 
think of yourself as a steward over what is the shape of your life instead of the owner. this is how we being to shift into more grace, in life and in change.
 
this doesn’t mean there will not be frustration or challenges, it means we allow ourselves to flow with the current of the uncertainty of change even with tears in our eyes and confusion in our hearts. we believe in something beyond ourselves that allows us to feel okay and able to exercise our intentions to adapt. we are clay and sculptor based on what we believe in.
 
and if we believe that our lives will be filled with destruction, harm, pain, then thats how we will shape and navigate change.
 
so i/we come back to ourselves and ask: what are the stories, narratives, elements of life that i want to believe in beyond myself so i can be clay? what are the values/pillars/intentions that help me be sculptor?
 
my answers to these help me navigate change with grace and trust. i want you to percolate on the answers of these for you, too. share your thoughts with me via reply. & may the answers empower you.

solo self-practice: take a moment to sit with the questions above. write about them, dance with them at heart, draw something, allow yourself to discover the answers instead of claiming them. 
 
what's happening: June

this season i'm listening to the call to coach more and facilitate less. 
are you navigating change? is there something you are uncertain about in your life, leadership, or development? perhaps you desire partnership in empowerment through clarity of living your values as verbs in a culturally-aware way?
 
if this is you, i invite you to consider coaching with me! i'm opening up the books to folks who would like culturally-aware and embodied discovery. 
the shape of the coaching container can be customized for your needs!
sign up for a free 50-minute discovery session below!
 
what's in my atmosphere lately

- Kelsey Blackwell is opening up her Decolonize the Body series for WoC again: “This 8-week exploration is about being in healing and practice together for our own liberation and the many beings we touch.” check it out! #resourcingus
 
- i just finished up Aycee Brown's Healing the Wound Series and omg it was mind-blowing! “Through the lens of Human Design, Astrology & Trauma-Informed practices, we will get to the root of your fear, lack, avoidance, and sabotage to create a plan that is in alignment for you to reach your financial goals.” if this is your jam, get into it! #definitelyrecommend
 
- all things Ehima Ora feed my spirit and being. her guidance and affirmations are truly everything and has been holding me down for over a year now. #getintothisjuice
 
& may your unfolding be everything you need.
yasmin 💛

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**curious as to why I may have omitted capitalization? - 

lucille clifton inspired me. bell hooks taught me. & more here.

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