a word to the poets

so lowkey prior to the diverse verses meeting the other day, i had been thinking about the group pretty heavily already. i wanted to encourage them some kind of way.  i wanted them to realize what lie in them. & coincidentally we ended up just kinda kickin it with the discussion we had.  i was forced to speak as usual lol but i couldn't get the meeting out of my head-- what was said & the great deal of insight that we got a taste of in that room that night. so here's what i wish i would have said had fear not gripped my heart lol


"inhale/ receive -- exhale/ let go. make sure you're breathing effectively. both literally & metaphorically."
i wanted to first thank the poets. your choosing to write is a simultaneous choice to answer the call on your life. it's clear that you all are gifted & there's no shame in me saying that yes, it's from God.  you've all been blessed with an amazing voice & not only that, you've chosen to use it. accepting the gift is the hardest part. believe me, i fought accepting myself as a writer for the longest time because i felt inadequate.  & even still, i came into this thing with those same feelings of inadequacy which resulted in me carrying this gift like more of a burden rather than a blessing. but i don't see that in you all. the weight of whatever is in your hand is all in how you choose to carry that thing.  


the mantel of a poet/ writer/ griot/ bard/ storyteller/ preacher/ minister/ evangelist/ messenger is indeed a heavy one. so first i want to commend you & thank you for choosing to carry it in the first place. every time you write, every time you spit-- you are answering the call. & secondly i want to encourage you & even charge you to practice the art of breathing.  it is a necessity especially in this sort of calling. there are two facets of breathing-- the inhale & exhale.  i know a lot of the time, we messengers tend to be givers & focus on giving only.  & i'm theee most guilty of that-- we're so used to having a word for everyone else that we forget to apply the message to our own lives. we exhale so much & give so much of ourselves that our lungs collapse & we become drained because we choose not to inhale.  we miss what God has for our own lives because we're so used to providing for others.  so we need to make a conscious effort to inhale in the sense of staying tuned to what God has for us even in our own writing.


exhaling is also important, not only in the sense of sending out a message but also in the sense that we need to expel waste from our hearts & minds. i know personally i'm guilty of ignoring my own thoughts, feelings, stresses all in the name of being a messenger but that is probably the most unhealthy thing we can do for ourselves & for those we try to reach.  when i write or speak about the things that are bothering me or causing me pain, they become real. we know there is great power in the tongue & so sometimes if i don't speak about an issue i'm having it makes it all the more easy to act like it doesn't exist. which is not good lol by any stretch. so with the help of the people around me who love me, i'm working on taking care of myself emotionally so that i can better take care of others. 
so. pretty sure i just lost track of what i was saying.
so. God is love. rev run.