Category: Critical Reflections

A constant factor of life is always…

change moves us to love

“All that you touch
You Change.

All that you Change
Changes you.

The only lasting truth
is Change.

God
is Change.”

The one thing you can’t say about change…is that it’s boring.

It’s literally the one constant alongside love that helps to shape our human experience. Yet we never acknowledge the vast currents of energy that exists with the the waves as… we enter the change …. to “become” the change…then “be” what the change is calling for.

We smile, act ignorant, act oblivious as we go against the current of our intuition. Yet here’s a reflected note to self: Has your intuition every left you astray?

Some of us, as we choose the path, to go against the fear, to be who you were born to be. We stand in it. Figuring out how to live within the present, pushing past the past, as the future is created within the praxis of today. Praxis is the accumulating function of what culture is..and what it will always be. Change happens within divine intent wrapped within the “nature of reality (ontology), value orientation (value orientation), relationship to the divine (cosmology), a system of truth and methods of generating knowledge (epistemology) as well as a system of human contact (system of human contact), (praham 2014). Love is the frequency that allows you to build within this mindset. Reflected note to self: Who told you being great was going to be easy?

Only love frees us to be the beloved community we always seek to belong within while we rely on the principle of harmony within the universe as a natural order of human existence:

  • The practice of “knowing that the spiritness permeates everything that is.
  • The notion that everything in the universe is interconnected.
  • Our collective is the most salient element of existence while the idea that self knowledge is the key to mental health. (T. parham 2014)

Nothing in this universe can survive centuries of dynasties without anchoring the human spirit of self to itself….Change is what awakens (the connections of) the spirit to love.

Reflective question to self: “if we cannot understand and love ourselves, how will we have the energy to love and understand others? (Thich Nhat Hanh)

I know this: the Sentimentality (of this world) does not exist within divine change. Change is about learning. It is love. #criticallearning

Keesa V. Johnson

Resources and image credit:

No one wants to hear a black woman cry…

The image is by @ashelystraker of a  black queen with a crown made of energy silently crying on the inside. 

No one wants to hear

a black woman cry

they don’t want to hear the utter truth of reality

of how this society

is  not synced within the transmittal waves of the sun

or how the natural patterns of the universe

adjusts to the sounds of our creative souls

our being

that which was is

It is no more

being intermixed within a false reality

this global anti black anthem creates sickness

of  blame

at me

at things

at us black man

at you

while we, are in and incumbent slumber of perpetual nightmares

as some of you walk past within your lower vibration

waves

we still love…we still love…we still love

Remember our dreams are mere touch points of learning

they do not define our souls

learning the secrets of

our trueselves

cures

this unjust timing

as our cries go into the darkness of undefined love, misogynistic temptations of children not yet arisen

our tightly knit cries

of untrust

are just

what keeps the world in a midst of silent mercy

Can you feel the change of frequency

Where love resides?

let’s be silent…….

Its time

to recreate our reality again

within ourselves

our family

our community

it will happen only thru black women

No one wants to hear black women cry

except God,

the Universe and the sun..

The elements are our angels, spirit souls connected to our vibrations

So a nation can rise no higher than where have chosen to stand….

Sistas we have work todo within in our own skin.

Let’s lift our vibrations within circles

cut the tv off, stop posting, let our love vibrate faster the sound.

despite the daily pains we take to keep this world in tact

truthful cries covered in false reality

in authentic lies and systems

that keep creativity from breathing…..

No one wants to hear black women cry

except God,

the Universe and the sun..

 

 

 

Time is my everything…

Time is my lover

It is my friend

It speeds the necessity of flow

Within the veins of all that will be..

all that is known 

we once were romantic lovers 

we both figured out very early

Sentimentality isn’t the strongest of bonds for us to be in 

it’s not real enough for us

we both became disappointed quite easily

across vortexes

So we decided to yield to our natural waves 

within vibrational love

Understanding

Care

consistency

In knowing that time only tells with this one life.

Times intention for me is always in lifting me up

To be greater than what I can see within the moment

it’s within that moment I’m able to lay seeds

for the future tense and only time allows me to see

for me..I respect the laws of it’s frequency

So time…

It’s the angel of stillness upon a frosted corner in the middle of a lonely night when only the sounds of nature and the spirit world are active. 

it allows me to be courageous

It’s my navigation system within a jungle of oppressive systems

it allows me to be resilient

It’s the brilliant sunbeams that feed my melanin energy at the calm of every story that my ancestors have transmitted unto my DNA

it allows me to create

I allow it to love me

Time

Time

Time

Is my lover

It’s my friend

It’s my twin soul experience of what was before and everything that comes after it

it’ will be my forever meantime

Time is my everything…

my year of intentions 2018

Tonight I am writing out my year long intentions that I will focus on throughout the year.  These are areas within my life that I’m passionate about and would like to see grow:

  1. Ask empowering questions to God through prayer.
  2. Love with no fear.  
  3. Work on myself, within my family, with my children, to spread peace and love as deeply as we can.  
  4. Meditate profusely.
  5. Utilize my prophetic imagination within every endeavour.
  6. Share more of my gifts through the arts, social justice, and foresight.   
  7. Redirect energy that isn’t mine.  
  8. Focus on my lessons and not use the pain for reference anymore.  
  9. Give deep attention in growing the act, process, and gift of critical learning wherever I go.   
  10. Work with people who are doing similar community work, who are fearless within the cause.  

Wish me the best or you can join me!  

Inspired by adrienne maree brown author of  “emergent strategy” and “octavia’s brood” 

image credit by artxman “opulence”

The broken clocks of toxic work environments

“A story teller does not tell of a different season” – Yoruba proverb”

Tick tock

Tick tock

Binnnnggggg

The old sound of chains

conformity

colonizing damages

No black woman’s voice for nurturing

Cultivation

Love

Creation

Using a so called black boy’s mane

To allow the black woman to be forgotten.

As the “so called” liberal whore is there for the usage

labeling it “diversity”

neocolonialism

bulldog

trade in

In the war of

continuing inbreeding

fucked up thinking

Within

socialized

white dominance

As the old crew of imperialism, capitalism, patriarchy, laughs, back bites, during golf or cigars

always pushing their personal agendas forward

positioning

Welcome to the “ game of orgs”

YET

Winter is coming

it’s about who gets what when, and how from

scalable efficiencies

accessibility, diversity and inclusion are root words for keep it going…standardization  

hidden

hidden

hidden

hidden

within bastardized personal learning language

algorithms of homo sapien futurizing

that same ole shit

instead of New World, New Sound, New Thought, New Definitions that’s that “creative science” shit that’s embedded in African Thought Systems

top down

leadership masquerading as management

Flat culture

buzz world ritual management until it chokes

all the impactful creating from

learners as individuals

This is the “enlightenment” era of Ed technology

So everyone’s a casualty

Without the money, power, and title…really?

In this age, in this stage of the original man thinking…

Yet entrepreneurship is the new mindset for learners

design thinking

community

collaboration

creativity as passive language

This system doesn’t want that shit!!!!

Let’s be realistic

augmenting the new workers

new chokers

new jokers

rejecting their own humanity

for a quick fix of the latest technology

mass producing non critical thinkers

to make it happen within the same old pipeline

of slavery

delivered personally under innovation and obedience

SHHHHH…no thinking

SHHHHH…don’t make no waves

SHHHHH…just do what’s required

be apart of the “buzz world” of non producing

only paper documents are required and a checklist if it was done or not

SHHHHH ignore the code of genius inside of you.

You’ll keep your job.

Tick tock

Tick tock

Tick tock

Tick…

tock..

The broken clock of toxic work environments   

 

Resources:

Journal Club thoughts….

We started a few different things at work…one of which is journal club.  I have no idea what journal club is suppose to be about other than sharing papers that “management” picks and we discuss.   This can be good if the overall goal of this time and focus is shared so it can be mutually beneficial.  There’s never any balanced discourse.  Everyone agrees with what ever is going on and most of the time the literature is based upon some end goal that is never shared with the entire group.

What i think journal club is suppose to do is be a space for us within the Hub to present papers that are related to the mission and goals  and to emphasize an interdisciplinary environment while learning from one another.  I’m more of a transdiciplinary type of person.  I like to create new things so sometimes I get lost within the rhetoric and space of this activity.

I’m hoping over time that this would be a place for authentic discussion as well as leadership development when it pertains to our roles within and outside the hub.  It should also be a place where we find out more in depth about the projects other people are working as the theory they present should match to what they are putting into practice.  It would be great that this could be the opportunity to practice mini talks and get feedback from our peers thereby creating a supportive collaborative environment.  Instead it seems quite forced feed due to the lack of psychological safety within this new space.

Some behaviors I see that are stopping it from happening:

  • Only men speak.
  • Only men respond to one another
  • Only men ask questions
  • There’s no real diversity in thinking shared
  • there is no psychological safety in sharing
  • the aim and goal is not clear enough for the participants

Instead it’s as if the activity is drifting between aims and goals within the department.  Just a trial activity being lead from management and not from the people who are leading the day to day front (the people).

Resources:

 

Design Dilemma #1 : Creating Authenticity Combat Vets – Embracing Stories iteration 2

How authentic do we want this experience to continue to be?  During boot camp nobody receives choices other than to do what’s being instructed in the military.  Why should we give our learners choices when our combat veterans had none?  What do we do?  Is it possible to recreate this feeling of loss of choices?  We’re mirroring an experience many of our learners, future social workers and helping professionals, may not ever experienced in their life.  There needs to be a learning balance.

Working on this problem of how authentic our simulated experiences should be is tough when designing.  As an inclusive designer, I love to give learners choices on how they submit their assignments to help increase the engagement yet should they have a choice on what they do during boot-camp?  The die heart immersive designer in me says NO!  I always ask, What would Chris say (My brother from another mother).  It would be no lol  yet I’m glad Emily brought up these question during our work time.  Early this week we came up with some amazing ideas on how to give our learners choices on what to do during boot-camp and assigning points while creating a leader board to view the points.  lol  We go big all the time.    Now…we’re back to the basics on allowing no choice in what they do for boot-camp but choice in how they submit.   The boot-camp assignments are to build camaraderie.  The only way to do is have all of them go through the same thing and share.

Dilemma solved.  Love to hear your thoughts.

Resources:

Growing up, I was never taught the notion that education was limited.  I was taught that it was a source of freedom.  A freedom of curiosity, pleasure, fun,  resiliency, and unlimited imagination.  It will always be a place of love for me as it is the strongest form of self validation for me.    As I’ve gotten older and have become educated with the system.  This system is not the same….

questions not welcomed

curiosity is absurd

deep thinking isn’t required

narrow views

homogeneous thinking

is our goal

cognitive diversity is constantly ignored

the environment

is not inclusive

teaching styles are equated with serving others

as unequal

leadership is fueled by fear of being extraordinary

backbiting or being silent is the way to the top

There’s no room for shared values or beliefs

Only a select few can determine this culture

while others are robbed

of their uniqueness

with names spelled incorrectly

perceptions fueled by mis-education

is now the rule of the land.

I was always taught a name is worth more than gold

hearing such thoughts

  • that no one thinks like you
  • Well paper designing is real designing
  • just concentrate on what I give you

who you are doesn’t meet the noted standard of mediocrity

the very pulse of the environment

is cold

unwelcoming

uncongenial

disrespectful

a constant drink of mixed abuse

unethical practices

among group think

The status quo

is about ruler ship

portfolio learning

big data

lack of accountability

limited achievement

constraints

set limits

yet the tone is set about

being better than everyone else

Who do you serve amongst this polarized view of reality??

no growth

no souls

no connection

no relationships

transactional

learning

will always be the goal

there’s only

one way

one light

one current

one frequency

unmuted static tone

of

no love.

Image by Jean-Michel Basquiat

Inspirations: