Hey Kristen!

You know what time it is!! No? Let me give you a hint… Hohoho and Falalalala… LOL

For those who can’t figure it out… Christmas is this month.

Also Hanukkah and Kwanzaa and Boxing Day and jumada al-akhira and… all the things! In my culture (personal and communal), this time is about family, being present, and sharing as much love as possible. The holidays are not the same without my mom, AND I still have much and many to thank God for over here. I feel blessed to be doing and figuring out life with my loved ones.

AND… I haven’t been actively finding my way or sharing my calling the way I had hoped. This past year was full of fatigue and uncertainty and lots more. However, I always knew that I have been called to create a more meaningful path to healing and joy. Emotional wellness is at the center of this, though there was always something missing.

I realized (late) this year that the main component I wanted to bring into my own life was ease. Ease of spirit, ease of giving and receiving, ease of movement; in more ways than one. Have you ever though about how another word for illness is disease? Dis-Ease. I can attest to the fact that with illness and disease, we tend to attach a high level of difficulty and hardship… and a lot of “I can’t”…

Let me speak for myself here… I know I have for sure

When I brought together those thoughts, I realized also that ease is not simply about things being “easy”. Easy does not equal ease. We will - in fact we must - do the hard things… and we can do them with more ease. Peace, soundness of mind and spirit - because we know truth, love, and gratitude accompany it.

Let me give an example: I have been allowing difficulty and dis-ease to float around my attempts to “get healthy”. I have not only allowed others’ words, but also my own inner conflicts, to stop me from doing things I thought my body could not do… When I decided to take on ease, I also decided that I was going to do more than I “thought” my body could or would or should do in order to allow for more strength. I still am not sure how my body will continue to react to strength training… but I’m doing it. And I’m… exhausted; and sore… Is that a bad thing? Not necessarily. Maybe it’s the best thing. When my body is done, it will tell me, and that will also be ease. But for now, I am choosing difficult, hard, unsettling, knee-quaking because I am ready to create my OWN ease; to choose my health, to choose me.

Now, in keeping with a season of ease - in purpose and care - I am also going to change things up a little bit. My content has always been mostly for people experiencing the pain of chronic illness and dis-ease. However, I have not been focusing on that in the way my calling would warrant. I have been seeking to inspire everyone and while noble, in some respects, it’s not my purpose and will no longer be the priority. I hope that my words will continue to give anyone reading the peace of mind, autonomy, and self-authority to live life on purpose and with joy… AND the people who want something different on their journey through illness; the people who want joy, peace, and ease… you all are getting my full attention. This is how I choose to activate my joy and live in fulfillment.

Now, before anyone decides to unsubscribe (which you are more than allowed to do)… please consider passing on this newsletter and my profile to a loved one or associate you may have heard recently say how hard it is to have an illness, or how much pain they’ve been feeling, or how alone they might have been. Or, simply pass it on to someone you know could use some continued joy. Sending love to you all

Joy, Love, and Deuces,

Kris G