Time for round 2! I will be hosting my second Mighty and Sparkly event in New York City!
Description:
We all have a story to tell that needs to be heard. We have a voice that needs to speak.
Storytime is an open, creative, and safe space where we will tell our stories unafraid and unapologetically. As we open up and express what we’ve experienced in our mental health journey, we will reflect on our transformation and growth.
You will have 5 to 7 minutes each to pick an important moment or memory you have in your mental health journey. To supplement your individual storytime, you can bring an important artifact/healing tool (drawing, writing piece, notebook, sculpture, part of a song, creative creation, helpful website etc.) that has helped shaped that moment for you.
As you reflect, don’t forget to be gentle with your journey.
Details:
Date:February 17, 2019
Time: 12 pm – 3 pm
Address:38-12 30th Street Long Island City Queens 11101
If you are interested or in New York send me a message, rsvp on The Mighty, or simply click “going” on the Facebook page.
Simply because I’ve been in a mental turmoil, I ask to be reeled into safety where I can find peace again. Peace will fight for me. Peace can teach me to hope again. Where did my peace go? Please, peace come back to me.
Broken.
You are broken.
Not good enough.
Keep to yourself.
Be quiet.
You’re dramatic.
Relax.
It’s not that serious.
Get over it.
Be quiet.
Pain.
Fake.
You are faking.
You have a fake illness.
It’s not that serious.
You are being difficult again.
No one wants to hear you.
You’re talking too much.
Be quiet.
Your fault.
Look what you did.
You’re poor.
Failing.
You’re failing.
Be quiet.
Quiet.
Be quiet.
Quiet.
Silence….
What is it to have a mental breakdown? To feel the gradual overflow and overwhelm. To give in and allow the thoughts to consume all of you. The mental breakdown that takes you with it. That you believe everything it says. To be overruled by sadness and anxiety. To judge yourself so much it becomes who you are. To you it becomes truth. Every problem is your fault, and every mistake yours to make.
The mental breakdown.
In this context of healing, you are progressing, letting go, moving on, and allowing yourself rest from constant mental turmoil. What does that look like for you? What do you need to come to terms with to allow the healing process to surface and take its course?
Say whatever is bothering your peace of mind out loud. Speak in order to establish the pain. Do not remain in denial or give excuses. What is it that bothers you the most?
When you put together the pain you feel into words affirm and declare something different. Speak in terms of what, why, and how in order to establish contact with the pain and negative thoughts.
What now? What do you need in order to let go? How will you take a step forward from that point of pain?
Start with yourself. Turn pain into peace. Establish peace in pain.
The new year is not an excuse to try to do something different. The new year is not the only time where you have to start something better. We are faced with difficulties every day and every day is a continued chance to do something different and better. How can we think about our lives in ways that are progressive? The more we procrastinate and remain indifferent or complacent with our current struggles, the less we will attempt to progress and learn from our mistakes and misfortunes. What are we going to do right now? How are we working toward our goals? In what ways will we set ourselves up for a steady transition for our next big moves?
How to Make Reasonable Goals and Next Steps
As we navigate our schedules, we must include additional next steps and add them to our past accomplishments. Let’s continue building instead of starting something new and different than stopping. As we create new goals, we must motivate ourselves to finish them. How can we make our bigger goals into smaller goals? What can we do now versus later? What is our overall goal to accomplish? How can we continuously work on our resolutions and not abandon them? What are we doing that prohibits us from accomplishing what we want? How are we breaking up our resolutions and goals? What can we accomplish in a day versus in a month?
To change how we think about the year and beginnings, we must first know why we are starting something new and if we want to actually accomplish that goal. Are we continuing our toxic behaviors or working on them? What are our professional, personal, and emotional goals? What about our next moves will lead us closer to our bigger aspirations? Are we serious about this resolution?
As we think critically about what we will do next, remember that every moment is important. Downfalls, failures, and setbacks are apart of the process. Grow, learn, and change your approach until you achieve the results you want. The new year can be a great time to improve yourself, but it’s not the only time. Don’t forget all the progress you’ve already made. Add on to that progress. Build yourself up. Make your goals, resolutions, next steps, and aspirations a priority.
@JacquelineWhitney_ posted this open-ended prompt on her Instagram story.
While debating whether to participate, respond, and complete this prompt, I thought about lessons I learned in the past year. What new perspective and positive self-talk do I want to continue and pursue during this year and after? I decided I wanted to continue on through the new year with confidence in my ability to believe in myself and my strength. Using ongoing active positive statements to lead in further progress, I’m able to achieve my goal of pursuing, believing, and working toward all I’m able to.
Learn with self-compassion in mind. As you move toward progressing into who you want to become, know who you are. Understand yourself enough to plan and execute decisions that are fit for you, your schedule, and what you can endure. It’s necessary to have boundaries and strategic goals as you enter new spaces.
Be your own leader as you negotiate, navigate, and critically think about the opportunities that come your way.
You are worthy of greatness and success, but remember to think everything through. Failure is a state of mind, move on from opportunities that did not fit your journey. Keep trying.
You are in control of yourself. Remember to include yourself in every decision. Move at a steady pace, there is no rush.
Let’s make our next decisions moments we are proud of.
In moving on in self-awareness, I will move on to a new cycle of 2019 with learning and improving my control and compassion.
As I write I declare and affirm that I will be able to control the thoughts that may consume me and practice self-compassion. I may also make conscious and progressive decisions and reach the success I see for myself. I will take my time and do my best in my journey.
Self-love will lead my continued journey and I will find refuge in self-care as I’m working toward my goals.
For some, the holiday season is especially difficult to deal with. So, what does it mean to prioritize your mental health during this time of year?
Check out my Defying Shadows article where I explain and express some helpful tips for dealing with the holidays like asking yourself important questions, navigating the best tactics to stay mentally stable, and embracing boundaries!
The Mighty Mic was an amazing experience. I’m extremely grateful that I was able to collaborate with The Mighty to help my community as they find strength in their mental health struggles. Here are some highlights from my event and a message that I learned. I will be planning and hosting more events so stay tuned!
My Open Mic Poem: A Messy Masterpiece
I look up to the rainbow that extends from one end of the equator to the other.
The rain that just passed has drenched me with growing pains as the flowers sprout from my insides out.
A messy masterpiece they called me.
As I feel the thunderstorms inside my gut, my tears run frantically like uncontrolled children in the playground.
A messy masterpiece they call me.
I can’t breathe like someone is putting duct tape on my mouth as I try to scream, my surrounding get blurry again, I can’t see
Overwhelm
A messy masterpiece they call me
I’m a mess I say
They say
They look at me confused because I’m in one of my silent spells, they think I’m upset but really I’m in this deep dark place in my head, my body is free but my mind captive
A messy masterpiece they call me
Sometimes my bed arrest me
I’m in trouble from the thoughts that told on me, I broke the law
Now I’m confined to my pillow and blankets, I got life but I’m planning on breaking out Sooner than later because I deserve to be free
A messy masterpiece they call me
You see, my footprints tell a story
It’s not just an abandoned trial
It’s meant to be a pathway for other people like me
How I walked that walk and now they can see a way they can go
They too are messy masterpieces fashioned together to make beautiful poetry learning that their voices too do still matter Because ears that need to listen will be drawn to the sounds of their voices in the distance
The Mighty Voices
A messy masterpiece they call me
My Story and Advice
After some mighty poets and speakers shared I was compelled to share my story to them as well. I noticed a pattern in the themes that recurred in the poems and pieces everyone shared and thought I would give some advice based on what I learned.
Late Night Talks With Nina: Final Thoughts
Navigating Purpose
Purpose, worth, self-talk, and identity were themes that recurred while I sat and soaked in the message of each story. While we are faced with difficulties with our mental health, it’s often due to mental conversations about those themes. As we continue on in our journey and our battle we must let go of the notion of a single purpose or single mission conforming to the standards of the society we live. Instead, we must continuously walk in our own self-fulfillment-whatever that looks like-while also navigating our peace through the opportunities we are able to take up. We live our life through how much we are filled with happiness and satisfaction with what we are doing. Let’s not waste ourselves with expecting purpose to manifest without manifesting ourselves in the process. We manifest purpose by being alive and continue fulfilling our own talents. Learn yourself, love yourself, and find peace through appreciating your life and the opportunity to live it.
SparklyWarTanks 