I took a trip abroad to Portugal with little to no planning and booked it less than two months in advance! It was a life-changing adventure!
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“I was a bit embarrassed that Ms. Linda had to literally come over to my side of the table and really talk me through how to do the process. My hands were sweaty, and I was nervous. I kept apologizing for my sweaty hands, and she told me not to worry. She tried to help me adjust my stiff fingers, but my uncoordinated hands were not trying to listen. After a few more attempts, she began to cheer as I had finally gotten the hang of it. She happily exclaimed: ‘Yes, you have got it!’ Her African accent was gentle and genuine. I felt like a child again being praised for finally figuring out a problem. I almost called myself dumb for not getting it, yet she cut me off very quickly there.”
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“You cannot see what needs to be seen if you do not slow down and give time for one foot in front of the other, in this case, one plant in front of the other. I appreciated that we were forced to start with the leaves, then the flowers, then the twigs in that order as it forced us to see our piece deeply, over and over.”
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“The best way to describe my first improv experience was like unzipping myself for a moment, airing out my soul and putting it back into my body. My soul has so many parts. All of these parts matter and they have a place in the world. My whole self matters. My whole self is valuable. Improv reminded me that proverbial humanity is funny. We are naturally hilarious as people, and we are all awkward beings, combing our way through society. I played with a bunch of strangers. They said some wild things. We laughed. We got lost.”
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“I focused in on my body as the session got increasingly difficult. I focused in on my breath. I reminded myself over and over: ‘Sabriya, you are capable of this.’ Most times, at home, when things get too hard in a workout, it is easy for me to quit and lose form. In this studio, women of all body types are there, giving it their all with the instructor’s watchful eye, and accountability as well. I was determined not to give up.”
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“I began to talk to God. I began to think. I prayed for some divine ideas. I reflected on my life. So much had happened in the last few years. Huge moves, marriage, growth, change. Maybe this was the space where I could think of what was next for my life. Weirdly enough, I kept finding my mind go back blank. I began to feel this feeling inside that I needed to surrender to the nothingness. I began to just allow my body to become limp and my mind to deactivate and for just a few minutes, there was a nirvana approaching. The nirvana of surrender.”
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“There were three opening comedians before the headliner, Lev. As I snickered between sips of wine, I began to feel my anxiety subside now that the lights had dimmed and the whispers had stopped. The first comedian did their set, the second one did their set, and there was only one more to go before Lev came out, and I was stoked. As I was listening to the third comedian flow through his set, he pauses, looks directly at me, and announces the question everyone has been wondering,
‘Wait, are you alone?’”
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“Like a horse out to the races, the instructor abruptly jumped on stage with her apron and special with the paper plate having my name written on it dedicating the seat and canvas to be paintbrush in hand asking us if it was okay to start a bit early. As soon as we said “yes,” she began spouting off the directions so quickly and all you could do is hyper focus into the moment so you would not get left behind. Use the paper plate to draw the circle moon. Light line here. Shade in there. It was happening rapidly, but I was in my zone! I was loving the fast-paced directions and I was moving along with “Agility” as my middle name.”
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“Music blasting, random metal rods in our hands, we were OFF! Now Hannah, she had her rage focus: The unfortunate actions of government and other bad things happening in the world. My mind sadly went blank, but it did not mean I did not enjoy the moment. I was breaking stuff for the sake of breaking stuff, which was freeing. It was so fast that the glasses were shattered within minutes and the rage was coming to a close. We attempted to burst more glasses on the floor, but tiny pieces of shatter were not breaking much further. “
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This was an adventure! Would you consider building your own terrarium?
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“I slid my shoes off and giggled as I watched the little pygmy goats hopping all around the farm pen. The farm was beautiful with animals in the distance and plenty of sunshine to pull through the day. I felt freedom and silliness in my heart as I found my yoga mat on the floor.
Being there alone, it felt weird. Everyone else had their friend group or partner and well, me…I was an outsider. People were still nice to me, but I did feel like I was in my own world. Refocusing around me, I watched the baby goats running around chasing the workers down for more food. Animal crackers and plants. They craved both with all of their might.”
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“But see, that was the problem. This is the Year of the Hummingbird! It is not about failing; it is about doing! It is about moving with the freedom of failing however I please. It is about no wins or losses, just experiences, and lessons. Hummingbirds keep trying flowers for that beautiful nectar. They don't just give up and go hungry for a week; they keep flying, full speed at that!”
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“As someone who has spent most of their working career helping others to trust themselves to do what matters most to them, I constantly remind myself that I must practice what I preach. I must fail, so that I have stories to tell. I must win, so that I have stories to tell. I must experiment, learn, and share my results, just like you should too. We need stories to tell. Stories inspire, unwrap possibilities, and bring hope! I am proud to announce my newest and maybe most unhinged experiment yet, ‘The Year of the Hummingbird.’”
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“Joy is so much deeper than happiness. It is a decision that you make on a daily basis that remains consistently deep in your soul. When you choose joy, even when happiness is low, you still feel a twinkle in your heart. You feel content with the future in whatever it brings. The littlest hints of good in every single day shine bright despite the bad. You find something to smile about in every situation no matter how bleak.”
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