And Then We Rise: A Guide to Loving and Taking Care of Self

Puntos clave de And Then We Rise: A Guide to Loving and Taking Care of Self

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   When Gratitude Becomes Revolutionary

   

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   Each morning begins with two words: "Thank you, God." Not as ritual, not as performance, but as genuine recognition of life itself. This simple practice-starting the day in gratitude rather than anxiety-marks a transformation that extends far beyond personal wellness. Growing up on Chicago's South Side, wellness wasn't part of the vocabulary. Soul food meant love, not nutrition. Movement meant survival, not medicine. But somewhere between those streets and global stages, a profound truth emerged: for Black Americans, self-care isn't indulgence-it's resistance. Audre Lorde called it "self-preservation" and "an act of political warfare." When systems are designed to deplete you, choosing to nourish yourself becomes revolutionary. This journey from unconscious living to intentional wellness didn't happen overnight. It unfolded through music, mentors, and moments of reckoning-each one revealing that true power comes not from external validation but from the daily choice to honor your body, mind, and spirit.

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   The Awakening Through Food: When Hip-Hop Planted Seeds of Change

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   At nineteen, over pork chops in Los Angeles, a friend's words landed: "You need to take better care of yourself." Crossing the street afterward, a decision formed - no more pork. That small choice marked the first conscious act of self-love through food. The awakening didn't come from doctors - it came through hip-hop. Artists like KRS-One and Brand Nubian embedded messages about vegetarianism and consciousness into their verses, planting seeds that would bloom into transformation. Moving to Brooklyn at twenty-six deepened everything. Surrounded by vegetarians and artists, juice bars and plant-based eating sparked rebirth. Dr. Tracey Rico brought scientific understanding: ideal nutrition comes from whole foods. Dr. Sebi's place in Honduras introduced fasting and pure foods that created unprecedented glow. Lauren Von Der Pool revealed that food carries energy and frequency - we impact what we eat as much as it impacts us. Morning green juice and plant-based dinners became the foundation. Chronic illness isn't random - it results from accumulated daily choices.

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   The Body as Sacred Ground: Movement as Medicine

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   At twelve, working as a ball boy for the Chicago Bulls during Michael Jordan's first season planted a seed: greatness requires dedication. Basketball began in Biddy Basketball league, where tears came after scoreless quarters. An uncle's confrontation ended the excuses. Practice became relentless-dribbling before and after school until skills improved. That struggle revealed a fundamental truth: usually it's not others blocking our path-it's ourselves, our blocks, hesitations, and fears. Landing a first film role in "Smokin' Aces" at thirty-two required looking bigger and stronger. Having not worked out systematically in fifteen years felt daunting. Harley Pasternak started simple: push-ups, sit-ups, squats, and lunges-just thirty minutes a few days weekly. Through consistency, strength grew physically and mentally. "You're going to look better in your forties than you do now," Harley promised-a revolutionary concept that proved true. Exercise became medicine-providing endorphins, lower blood pressure, and stress reduction better than any pill. Physical self-esteem came from growing up in a community that openly discussed each other's characteristics. Being teased about height (five-foot-two until sophomore year, despite having a six-foot-nine father) could have bred shame. Instead, this openness eliminated it. When everyone acknowledges your perceived flaws while still showing love, you learn complete self-acceptance. The body isn't just a vehicle-it's sacred ground deserving reverence and care.

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   Finding Light in Darkness: The Pandemic's Unexpected Teachings

   The pandemic brought converging challenges - concern for the Black community disproportionately affected by COVID-19, enforced stillness in a life built on perpetual motion, and personal battle with the virus itself. One difficult morning, after an emotional therapy session, an impulse emerged despite pouring rain and exhaustion. Putting on A Tribe Called Quest's "Electric Relaxation," push-ups began on the living room floor. Each rep became meditation, reinforcing why wellness tools matter - they serve as anchors when everything else feels unstable. For nearly thirty years, life operated at maximum velocity - constant travel, perpetual hustle, always being on call. Then the pandemic arrived like a cosmic pause button. In newfound stillness, building relationship with God through honest conversation replaced rushed prayers. Meditation, previously considered "too slow," became essential. Simple pleasures - walking outside, feeling sunlight, watching trees sway - filled life with deeper gratitude than any award. The realization struck: grinding had been mistaken for love, sacrificing connection for work. The pandemic taught intentionality with energy, prioritizing quality over quantity. Darkness ultimately led to more authentic light.

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   The Mind's Projection: Healing Through Understanding

   Therapy with social worker Susan Shilling began after heartbreak left me adrift. She explained how our minds interpret experiences through the past's lens. Many try to "redecorate the house without working at the foundation"-making surface changes without addressing deeper issues. Through this work, I processed childhood trauma, including being molested, and understood how parental relationships shaped my identity, particularly feelings of abandonment. Centering became central-a state achieved through meditation, exercise, and proper nutrition. Susan describes it as having a center line through your core, like an oak tree with deep roots allowing branches to bend while the trunk remains unmoved. She recommends the HALT principle-not getting too Hungry, Angry, Lonely, or Tired-because these states deplete the nervous system. While filming in London during constant rain, unfamiliar peace settled into my body. A doorman's warning about a gunman-emphasizing "We don't have guns like that out here"-crystallized why my shoulders felt looser. The absence of guns had removed tension I'd grown accustomed to carrying, revealing how environment shapes our internal states in ways we don't recognize until circumstances change.

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   Creativity as Divine Channel: Art as Spiritual Expression

   The creative journey began at twelve, writing a first rap while visiting a cousin in Ohio. Inspired by local rappers called the Bond Hill Crew, their encouragement revealed creativity's divine nature-allowing higher power to express through you without ego or judgment. Creativity enables growth, healing, and human connection. When operating in purpose, give your best, prepare thoroughly, and trust divine timing. Even without immediate acclaim, art created from love has inherent value. First Broadway play, "Between Riverside and Crazy," challenged finding stage rhythm while portraying a formerly incarcerated character. Preparation rituals-clean eating, morning prayer, scripture reading, and workouts-managed this pressure. The physical toll of acting is real; portraying suffering means the body experiences that pain night after night. During a challenging moment disagreeing with the director's vision, stepping back to attend a basketball game provided fresh perspective. Breath became central to performance-voice coaches taught breathing from the whole body. Ancient traditions viewed breath as carrier of life force, connecting mind, body, and spirit. Genesis 2:7 tells us God "breathed into his nostrils the breath of life." Every breath connects to divinity, the root of self-care and love.

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   The Cycle Continues: Planting Seeds for Tomorrow

   When daughter Omoye was born, John Coltrane played to her in the womb, hoping to share values. Now at twenty-five, she's developed her own relationship with wellness and spirituality, saying "You and mom told me these things, but I had to develop it for myself"-music to the ears. Her journey shows we never stop learning when remaining open and humble. Ecclesiastes says, "There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens." Power comes not from reaching a destination but from the process itself-the discipline of saying no to what doesn't serve and yes to what nourishes. This power emerges in moments of choice: declining traditional foods, choosing not to drink alcohol, discovering authentic self in those decisions. This story is fundamentally about self-love and hope extending from self to family to community and future generations. Like Coltrane's *A Love Supreme* beginning with "Acknowledgement," this closes at a new beginning-with blue skies on a clear morning, feeling self-empowered and ready to embrace each day's majesty. As Dr. King said, "Knowledge is a process of piling up facts; wisdom lies in their simplification." Start from where you are. The revolution isn't coming-it's already here, in every conscious breath, every intentional choice, every moment you choose to rise.

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