I thought long and hard about how I wanted to bring in my Obama year. I knew it had to be special because this year—the last 365 days were among some of the most difficult I experienced in my lifetime. And one thing I knew for certain was I didn’t want to bring the baggage I had accrued from October 26, 2022 into October 26, 2023. Already, this birthday brought many gifts:
- My best friend set up a writer’s retreat for me so I could submit an overdue project
- Jalen flew to Seattle to celebrate with the fam
- We ate at a new Black owned restaurant—Legions—that my mom could not wait to try!
- I got flowers from my soul family
- 200,000 (AND COUNTING) have taken the Black Census (you can too by visiting BlackCensus.org TODAY)!!
And…I am embarking on a new journey. As I HANDWRITE this newsletter, I do it from a dark cave retreat in Oregon. I am on a 5-day long retreat and today, Saturday, October 28, 2023, I am preparing to turn off the lights for what will be a four night, 3 day journey in complete darkness. There are no devices. I have them with me, but we are off the grid, and they are powered off.
No, no I am not in a batcave. It’s like an apartment, but soon I will have to learn to navigate in darkness. The anticipation is making me feel deep empathy for my Uncle Tony. I will have to eat, bathe, use the bathroom, wash my hands, brush my teeth, and everything else in the dark. I am missing music—especially this incredible October: REBIRTH playlist (you’re going to want to let that THANG RIIIIIDE!!) so much. I do have a drum rattle from Ghana, sound bowl, and tuning forks. I will be humming and singing a lot.
I will report back in November. Until then, know that 4+4=8. I am claiming new beginnings. New AMAZING beginnings for 44. I am about to lean into this sacred, safe womb-like space for the next few days and on the other side, I am claiming a divine, joyful, abundant, rebirthing—for all of US!
TOP 5 Things I Learned About Life This Year
The IMPACT Strategies and ARye Inc. Professional Development Program is in full swing. Head over to the official IMPACT Strategies Instagram to check out the stellar individuals participating in the fall ’23 cohort.
Sending you all the love, joy, freedom, justice, and power you can stand.
Righteously and cheerfully,
