No. <- is a complete sentence.

No usually follows a request for something we’ve decided to decline. Because let’s face it, there are so many hours in the day- and we must allocate our time to first say yes to ourselves. We then assign what’ time we have left to other activities we’ve ranked as important. Now, of course, this isn’t new information. Neither is, what we say no to depends on who is asking. 

But how about this? 

Have we learned how to say no to things that render us bit players in our own lives? 

The other day, I heard a BBC commentator say, “they’ve come here to join because they want to be part of something bigger. ” Or was it greater? Sadly, that type of media conditioning is divisive. Yet, many swallow this concept hook, line, and sinker. But worse, it is a lie, like the deceptive lure we use to catch fish for dinner. Here’s the truth. A human-made movement isn’t bigger or greater – it’s a trap.

In the made-for-TV movie “Roots,” Omoro Kinte holds his newborn up to the heavens and proclaims, “Behold, the only thing greater than yourself.” Omoro then names his baby boy, Kunte.

The Universe is greater -and by the very nature of your birth, you are already part of it. So why do we continue to search for the proverbial chair we’re already sitting in? You are the leader in your journey through the Universe. Full Stop

So, act accordingly, be present in every moment of your life because your only possession here is the moments- and once it’s gone, so are you. That’s probably why No is the shortest sentence in the English language. It conveys its message with a quickness. 

By the way, the second shortest sentence is “I AM.” 

Do you sense a pattern? I do.

“The Goddesses Must be Crazy,”

Because we are.

Stephanie Danger – The Goddess Series

I feel seen. And I feel betrayed.

I’ve never identified with the goddesses as I do with this one. But the word “identify” feels inappropriate. The attributes ascribed to the Goddess are who I am to the core. People literally pay me to be their “voice.” I commented on this account that folks could call me “contrary.”
I’m an iconoclast because most beliefs and customs seem arbitrary to me. So much so that if it feels inauthentic – I work to look for its meaning.

I need to “look under the hood.”

So when Stephanie Danger mentioned others could acquire these characteristics and incorporate them into their daily lives – I was finished and almost clicked away.

But then I thought, maybe I’ve been looking at this “deity” thing backward.

Maybe we are the gods and have always been the gods we worship. We’ve selected the best part of our personalities and created gods to explain how things have come to be.

Maybe we aspire to be our highest selves, and then we’ve decided it is a goddess trait. And for the characteristics we hate – our shadow selves, we’ve selected those to cast out and down.

Even if we are mostly the Goddess’s head. (Hat-tip to E A’s comment) And we choose to incorporate “MTV” edits into our work – maybe it’s not to attract a specific audience. Instead, it is to honor part of ourselves we’ve neglected. When someone thinks or says, “that is uncharacteristic of you,” the action they’ve targeted isn’t. But instead, it’s a SELF-offering.

So, thank you. Stephanie Danger, for sharing your glorious Goddess SELF with us. Whenever I think I’ve seen it all – I learn everything in this world has many facets. It would take several lifetimes to experience it all. I’m so thankful for this life and the chance to experience it at least once!

Feature Image:

Jenifer Lewis embodies Saraswati, the Goddess of wisdom and expression. Her new book, “ Walking in My Joy: In These Streets” published by Amistad, comes out today.

Chain of Fools – Weak Links Welcomed

Chain text messages usually warn of imminent danger. The sender convinces themselves the concept is out there, so they want to keep friends and family safe. But some recipients say, “don’t hit send;” instead, they want them to play the weakest link and break the chain.

The chain messages are never helpful. These warnings give incomplete information and never come from law enforcement in an official capacity. Still, we’re moved to act somehow because the content taps our emotions. Except, fear leads to confusion that can compromise our safety. Especially when the messages arrive during a crisis.

As we enter the third year of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Omicron variant is on the rise; the Biden Administration announced on Wednesday, January 19, every family in the United States will be eligible to receive nonsurgical N95 face masks. According to the New York Times, 400 million nonsurgical N95 Masks will go to local U.S. retail Pharmacies and Community Health Centers. These masks come from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Public Health Emergency Strategic National Stockpile.

Yet, two days before the announcement, I received no less than two chain text messages. Both, including one that went to a group I am in, warning of chemically treated face masks.

According to the text warning, people would come to your home with an offer of free masks. These chemically treated face coverings would render the homeowner unconscious – and the intruders would proceed to rob your house. This chain text message has been shared globally since 2020, with law enforcement denouncing it in each of their jurisdiction.

 A version of this story happened in Arlington Heights, IL *- but it occurred at the pandemic’s beginning. In 2020, home invaders wore surgical masks and rubber gloves and forced their way into a house. One of the intruders was reported shot to death, and the other was apprehended by authorities.

End of story. 

When the chain message popped up again this month, The senders helped poison the well of rational thinking. In this case, some recipients are leery of the safety and security of any masks. Especially those being offered from “the GOVERNMENT.”

We can stop this mass hysteria.

Not sure what to do if you get a chain text message warning of impending doom and gloom? There is only one way to stop the spread of disinformation. Do not forward a message with incomplete information. It is propaganda used to influence or confuse the reader. Instead, ask yourself a few questions about the text. 

  • Who was hurt?
  • What happened.
  • Where did it happen?
  • When did it happen?
  • Why did it happen,
  • and how did it happen?

Contact your local law enforcement agency if you can answer all those questions. Either they will issue an alert or provide you with the following steps to protect yourself and others.

* Video shows men in surgical masks, gloves invade home during coronavirus crisis. by Sun-Times Media Wire – Published April 10, 2020, @5:23 PM
https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/video-shows-men-in-surgical-masks-gloves-forcing-way-into-home-during-coronavirus-crisis/2253972/