Hi, Subscribers. This blog uses the power of Play to guide our daily lives. Play can help you grow personally and professionally and helps to power up your creativity, problem-solving skills, and overall well-being. Let’s set ourselves up for success and inspiration and remember to find joy in every step of our development.
It’s time for an accountability check-in. I've been consistently waking up at the same time each day, and I'm noticing an improvement in my sleep quality. Training for a new rollout is progressing well, and people seem receptive to it. I've tested the Webinar functionality of my new Graphy tool. However, I’m not winning the battle against distraction, especially with the allure of social media. I often think big thoughts but struggle to act on the most important ones. I show up for my day job and my family, but I need to show up for myself. How can I position myself to complete my two painting projects? Let’s delve into this.
I’ve been listening to Octavia’s Parables. It’s a podcast about the Parable of the Sower by Octavia E. Butler. The Parable of the Sower is a science fiction novel about a world set in a time that seems eerily like our current political situation. One of the co-hosts, Toshi Reagon, created a rock opera based on the novel. The opening music from their podcast highlights a quote from the book about change. “All that you touch, you change. All that you change changes you. The only lasting truth is Change. God is Change.” I am using Black Tarot: An Ancestral Awakening Guidebook, written by Nyasha Williams and illustrated by Kimishka Naidoo. Let’s get ready for the week ahead. Picture descriptions are at the end.
“What do I need to change?” Armed with only a sphere, this youth is diving beneath the surface. As someone on the spectrum, it often takes a while for me to process information in a way that clicks. For example, the idea of sitting in discomfort. I’ve journaled and had conversations for years, but only recently, with the catalyst of the Parables blog, have I finally started to understand what discomfort means. When I dive beneath the surface, I notice that I need the spear because I am not proud of what I found underneath. Nyasha Williams advises us to “Honor that change is brought by being open to new thought processes and ways of thinking.” The root word for motivation is movement. For our thoughts to become real, we must take action. I’ve noticed that I’ve become locked in, spending hours on my computer managing work. I used to take breaks to rest my eyes and stretch. Being refreshed makes me better at what I do. Next week, I’m going to use my Pomodoro timer in earnest. What do you need to change? Are you only at the surface level? For me, I need to get back to my playful roots.
“What is changing within?” Many people associate Temperance with balance. When cells are out of balance and reproduce unchecked, they are cancerous. I like the idea of harmony because there is more freedom of movement. I’ve never found anything in life that does not have a trade-off. Think of harmony as an orchestra. All the instruments play simultaneously, but each has a moment in the spotlight. Is balance possible? The universe tends towards entropy. Tempering chocolate is a delicate balancing act. If you act too quickly or have the chocolate at the wrong temperature, you will not get the desired smooth, glossy finish. The chocolate wants to be in a specific state, just as we desire to stay the same. I have been reluctant to change but have made a practice of leaning into that discomfort. Seeking to transform has made me more comfortable outside my comfort zone. What helped? You know I am going to say Play, but it’s true. Playing a dungeon crawler game during the pandemic was a safe place to explore risk, and I have changed. My son has a school assignment to have people take the color quiz. When I took it many years ago, my results were a strong tendency to follow the rules. My results now show that I am more likely to take risks and that I am more analytical. “All that you change changes you.” What differences are you noticing in yourself?
“How do I shape this change?” This would have been easy to answer with the card prior since she was actively working on shaping the chocolate. What can we learn from the Star? Both of the dancers have shaped their bodies in connection. The woman leans against the man, which allows her to bend deeper. This speaks to me of the power of being in community with something outside ourselves. According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, communion is “intimate fellowship or rapport.” We can be in communion with nature, our inner self, and our community at large. The dancers follow the North Star, and the moon's phases remind us that there are also phases of change. In change management work, you prepare for change, make a game plan, execute the steps, and tweak the process as reality sets in. Like tempering chocolate, we need an understanding of the process and a vision of the end result. The couple could represent aspects of ourselves. Like the orchestra, sometimes one instrument carries the tune, and the others adapt to support the sound. Doing the inner work allows us to bend instead of break. What do you want your “to-be” state to look like? Write it down. Future me sets aside time to create art and takes regular breaks. What about the future you? How will you be the change you want to see? Namaste
Play is a safe fun way to begin the process of change. If you're looking to infuse more play into your life to navigate through the challenges, my current offerings are listed on my Link Tree: https://linktr.ee/thingstothinkabout. I also urge you to share your experiences and strategies with the community. Your voice is a valuable part of this journey, and your unique path can inspire others.
Picture Descriptions: Three cards. The first is the Son of Knives reversed. It’s a picture of a Black youth with a spear diving into the water. The second is Temperance, a deep olive green card with a picture of a Black Woman chef tempering chocolate. The phases of the moon surround her. Finally, The Star Reversed is a deep purple card depicting a Black couple dancing under the North Star. The woman wears a white flowing dress and the man black pants as she rests on his back. Both are arched with their arms thrown back.
