THE GIFT: IMAGINE
A child is a seed. A seed is a gift.
I listened to an interview with the amazing Bishop T.D Jakes, and within that interview, there was a reference he made that I felt could resonate with people from all walks of life.
He said, “When given a tree, imagine what it could be. When given a child, imagine what it could be. When given a spouse, imagine what it could be.”
“When God hands you a tree, imagine a table, a chair, a wall in a room. Imagine a log cabin. Imagine what it could be.” - Bishop T.D Jakes.
When given a chance to heal from your past, imagine what that journey can lead to.
We, as humans, were given the gift of imagination. We can see an object or circumstance and imagine bigger and better things for it.
You have the opportunity to take a situation and make it beautiful. It all begins and ends with what you choose to do with that gift.
SOW THE SEED
To me - sewing the seed means accepting the journey ahead.
It means saying yes and not going back, no matter how uncomfortable one may feel. The only way to grow is by being uncomfortable.
The best place to start is by practicing self-love.
To make a change in this world, one must be comfortable with the core of who they are. You have to love yourself wholly. Flaws and all.
I want to share some steps I took to begin my self-love journey.
First, I identified my needs. You have to identify the things you need to make yourself happy.
Secondly, I had to prioritize myself and make time for self-care. Take at least an hour out of each day where you do something for yourself or something you love.
And third - practice mindfulness by expressing gratitude for the things you already have. Counting your blessings is a cliche for a reason.
These are my top three to start with. Take these steps and imagine what things could be like if you dedicated time to these tasks.
My partner and I played a game called “Better Than Yesterday,” it gives you different challenges to do every single day with elements of my beginning recommendations above.
The game will help you to become comfortable with being uncomfortable.
Nothing good ever comes easy, and to succeed on your journey, learning to love the most uncomfortable parts of you is a great place to start.
A brand built fundamentally off love for yourself is the super sheik, luxurious clothing brand tREv Clothing, owned by Trevor Silver.
T - Trust in yourself
R - Respect yourself
E - Educate yourself
V - Value yourself and others
What I love about the brand is that it emphasizes that it all starts with you.
You can’t correctly trust, respect, educate or value anyone until you do those things yourself.
You can’t love your partner or loved ones correctly if you don’t understand how to love yourself.
It’s a process that takes time - but it is truly worth the time it takes, and in the end, you will be healthier.
MY TOP 8 SELF-CARE GIFTS TO GIVE YOURSELF
PLACE THE BOUNDARY AND THEN COMMUNICATE IT
While on your journey, you will begin to feel different.
More confident in some areas and more irritated in others.
You will feel uneasy about some of the old spaces you’ve occupied, be it specific physical spaces or sometimes even people you once enjoyed being around.
This is normal. You will naturally grow away from things that no longer serve you in this new space.
Let it happen.
Those things have to leave for the new to come in.
This isn’t me saying to cut everything and everyone off. If and when those things drift away, allow yourself to be freed.
As things change for you, you need to communicate to your loved ones and the people around you about the things you will and will not accept anymore.
Boundaries.
Boundaries are so important.
The mistake most folks make is keeping their boundaries to themselves. Some people don’t even know their boundaries or when to create one.
Here is my take on boundaries and when to create one. Any time anyone does something to you or involves you that doesn’t feel good to you - that’s when you’ll know a boundary needs to be created.
For example. If you don’t enjoy being cut off when speaking, communicate this immediately when it happens.
Don’t allow somebody to cross your boundary after you’ve communicated it.
Nip it in the bud right away, and be stern and respectful about it.
You have the right to walk away from anyone or anything that continuously disrespects your boundaries. Anyone worth keeping in your life will respect the boundaries you’ve created for yourself.
I’ve had to create many boundaries, especially in the music world.
Being in the music industry, people will continuously cross your boundaries if you let them.
There is always so much pulling and tugging on you; folks only care about their benefit from using you, not your mental sanity.
And to be fair, that’s not their job.
It’s yours.
Family, friends, romantic relationships, and career. All of these things need boundaries to maintain a healthy status.
Set your boundaries and stick to them and those who don’t like it.
They can kick rocks.
You hold the power. So use it.
ENJOY THE JOURNEY
All-in-all. Have fun.
Life is ultimately what you make it.
For as long as you live, you will always be going through one thing or another.
That’s just life.
There’s a saying that my mum said to me once that I think of often, and it always brings me back down to earth during an episode of craziness in my life and career.
She said, “Life isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass Key. It’s about learning how to dance in the rain. Keep moving”
I’m sure she didn’t originate that saying there, but how she said it made all the difference.
I can remember back in 2022. I made an incredibly hard decision to take a break from working publicly.
I experienced heavy burnout and lost the fire I’d carried my whole life.
I decided not to release my new album and held off on releasing my children’s book “I Am A King.”
I took that whole year to pour into myself. To strengthen my mind and to gift myself the love I gave everybody else.
It was hard.
I can remember a conversation I had with God. I said, “God, wherever you lead me next, I will go. Even if that means I have to take the blows of breaking through to a new space. I will do it as long as you promise to always be here throughout the process.”
I never looked back.
Reminiscing on 2022, now all I can say is wow. The amount of growth and love I have for myself is unbelievable.
I don’t regret taking that time out. I feel so much stronger and more focused.
But it took work. I didn’t quit. I kept moving forward through all of the uncomfortable feelings and conversations I had to have with people and myself.
I learned how to dance in the rain. How to enjoy life despite not knowing where I would end up.
The only thing sure in this life is uncertainty.
IN CONCLUSION
Life is a gift.
Seize every moment. Take heed to every opportunity that feeds your soul.
Count your blessings and be grateful for the things you have right now. Wake up with a positive mind and know that only you have the power to make your day good or bad.
Lead with love, and you will never go wrong; love is the key to finding peace.
Look in the mirror and remind yourself that you are powerful. You are light in a world full of darkness.
Keep an open mind and be open to new things. You can only grow when you are uncomfortable.
Please don't be afraid of change. I know it can be scary, but so is staying the same. With change comes growth and great rewards.
Life can be tough, but you are tougher. So don't wait until the storm is over to enjoy life. Instead, learn how to dance in the rain.
Give yourself time to be sad, cry, or be angry; don’t stay there for too long, though. It’s important to feel your feelings to have the strength to keep going in a healthy and positive way.
Give yourself grace.
You are not perfect; we all make mistakes. Dust yourself off and get back up. Put your feelings first and love yourself to the moon and back.
Your body is precious. Take care of it.
Be respectful and honest. It will take you far in life.
Honour your gifts and talents. It's ok to be afraid of your big dreams. Chase them anyway.
Believe in yourself.
Nothing good comes easy. Work hard for the things you want.
Always do your best so that even when you don't win, you will find peace in knowing you gave it your all.
Young men, you are beautiful.
Young women, you are beautiful.
Never let anyone tell you any different.
Life is a gift; learn to enjoy the ride.
Beauty doesn't come from triumph; it is created throughout the journey.
Imagine what it could be.
Keonté Beals
KBeals Entertainment | kébe
Comments