Golden Laws to Greatness: #9 Your Gift is Your Wealth

Your Gift is Your Wealth

"And I wish on all the rainbows that I see, I wish on all the people who really dream."

                                                            Rose Royce, "Wishing on a Star"

Black women are the masters of hustling.  We have no choice.  When you are sitting at the bottom of the social, political, and economic food chain it takes creativity, business savvy, and determination to survive. 

Yet, in the midst of us carving our existence, we often let our natural talents fall by the wayside.  When life hits us hard between children, jobs, relationships, and ensuring basic necessities, we justify the sacrifice of our knack or that distinctive thing we do, as something that was nice, but it never paid the bills.

Tsk, tsk sister, it is a new day.  Ain't God ever told you that the gift is your wealth, and that we can flourish spiritually, emotionally, and financially.  When I was young my mother used to sing a song by the 70s group Rose Royce on the guitar and piano.  It was called "Wishing on a Star".  My siblings and I would giggle at her small concerts.  My mama? Singing? Playing instruments? The age she was then, I am now.  The biggest difference was she was married with five children going on six. Me, I'm still single and have a lot of nieces, nephews, and godchildren. 

Today, my mother plays about twice, maybe three times a year, now for her grandchildren.  They now giggle and scream as she roughly go over notes she hasn't plucked in a long time.  Her beautiful guitar sits in the corner. 

I too struggle between pursuing my writing and performing, and hustling to eat another day.  This shit we got going on right here is serious, especially now since other people are feeling the economic crunch and our scrounging for dollars too.  It is getting savage out here.

I must offer you this gem that I got from one of the craziest men I called myself dating.  As I was balling up my fist like Miss Sophia on the "Color Purple," he said to me right before I was about to clock his ass, "It is a sin when you do not use your God given talent.  You gift is what makes your heart beat." 

I hesitated so I could mentally chew on those simple sentences I still remember verbatim.  Wish I would've taken the gem and ran, but the glutton for punishment I could be, I stayed, until I had to literally knock him the hell out some months later. Oh well, that was another lifetime, so let me continue with the golden law.

My love of writing and the performing arts feed my soul.  It is my therapy. It is my salvation. It has been in a lot of ways, my bread and butter.  More importantly, my gifts are my prayers. That is how we should see our gifts, as our prayers to the divine, which in turn are our prayers honoring our spirits.

One day, my mother and I will pray together.  She will be on the guitar and I will be reciting poetry.

Support and honor your sisters' gifts.   

Destination:  Your place of birth, your mama's house, or your grandmother's house.

Alternate Destination: Call them if you are far away.

Lifestyle: Acknowledge your gifts and meditate on how you can incorporate them in your daily life.  Think about a business you can sculpt around it.  Collaborate with others if you can.  Remember, this isn't a quick fix.  Respect your gifts. NEVER second guess and unapologetically release them on us troubled souls that are hungry for more authenticity in this superficial world.

Alternate Lifestyle: Buy and critique black art, black businesses, and black products.  There are quite a few sisters who are moving into their natural love of something.  Though it is a gift, all talents are cultivated and developed.  So if a sister tells you the shea butter body crème you made was not emollient enough, then take the suggestion and go back to your lab.  Recently, I've been doing my poetry again, and honestly my deliveries are not close to what I used to do several years ago.  I got work to do as well.

Beauty: Ugliness and disease start at the spiritual level then works down to cellular, finally emerging physically.  Notably this is the process of beauty, healing, happiness, and prosperity.  Reverse the negative and manifest all that is divine.

Health: One of my favorite tea combinations given to me by an elder whom I miss dearly. He is looking over me, I know this.  Womb tea, combine all of these herbs "Chamomile, Lemongrass, Hibiscus and Red Raspberry."  BUY YOUR HERBS IN BULK.  I've been shopping at this wonderful place called Penn Herb for years.  There selection is out of this world! Go to their site and see for yourself www.pennherb.com.