Over the Rainbow
Well, here I am, once again trying to write something
fetching that’ll snare your attention for a couple of moments. In our days, and nights, of breakneck speed,
deadlines, heartbreaks we rarely take the time to figure out what we need as an
individual. I battled this syndrome for
what seems like my entire life. It reached
a point to where I am constantly looking up into the sky, day or night. Not so much as questioning my existence, but
really searching for my “Over the Rainbow” life. That life is so far removed from what
mainstream society expects of us, that it shatters beliefs, loves, and
foundations.
We all, or hopefully all, have seen the Wizard of Oz. And if you haven’t read the book, run and
snatch a free ECopy ( found here
http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/55). And even if you haven’t seen or read the
book, you have heard at least one cover of the song, “Somewhere over the
Rainbow.” But no matter the style, Judy
Garland put her foot and soul into the motion picture rendition. The phrase that has stuck with me, in the
highs and lows of my life, is “If bluebirds fly, then why, oh why, can’t I?” It’s that question that runs through my mind
as I look upward into the vast universal sky.
Mid life crisis?
No. Emotional breakdown? No, but damn close. I am a spoken word artist, a writer (screen,
stage, novel, and poetry), an actor, a singer, a woman of color. I carry so many badges of honor it was easy to lose my identity with all the tasks I
was thrown daily. Only when I found my
way over the rainbow did I start to define what my life would be.
I am no guru, but I do know what has helped me overcome
social homicide, heartbreak, depression, and (still battling this one) obesity
have been these 6 steps. Each of them
helped me pave my own yellow brick road, made it through the Emerald City, and
flying high with those bluebirds on our quest to enjoy the newness of being.
1) Get up out of bed.
Seriously, for those of y’all who find it hard to get out of
bed some days, push yourself to do so.
2) Look into a mirror.
Stand in front of a mirror for a couple of minutes for some
you and you time. Familiarize yourself
with the changing of your features, and accept them. That dimple, fat bulge, wrinkles around your
mouth? Your imperfections are what make
you gorgeous and different. And most issues
we face stem from a unacceptance of some quirk or behavior beheld or performed
by one or others. Once you get a hold of
you are as an individual, the rainbow is closer to touch.
3) Open the windows (let the light and air in!)
Have you ever walked into a space that is devoid of natural
sun or skylight? A poor circulated place
that reeks of stale and dust? It is a
freakin’ dreary place to be, to say the least.
Everything just seems, dim, and that is not good for a person. We stem from a fountain of life that derives
from evolution pulling and pushing itself towards the light of day. It’s just the way it is, loves. When we neglect ourselves of this natural
energy, we are neglecting a basic need within ourselves. Let it in.
4) Take a walk around your block.
This little gesture helped me kick start my major weight
loss. In 2010 I weighed ¼ of a ton… dude
that is insane. It would kill me to walk
up the 6 flights of stairs to my apartment!
But I became conscious of my eating habits, and the lack of movement I
had allowed myself to reach that morbidly obese position. I started off small… with daily walks around
the block. You will hear all types of
timing statistics one should take to lose weight, but really? Just get out of the house and walk. Forget about time, the trigger of many
stresses. And with each step, you are
paving your own yellow brick road to true acceptance. The distances will increase, as will your
will to succeed.
5) Trust in Yourself.
I know for me, this was a HUGE issue. Trying to trust that I was doing the right
thing, moving in the right direction. With
no magical compass, we’re all just walking and wondering around. But believe me when I say that when that day
comes, and it will, when you know that you trust yourself, everything will fall
into place.
6) Stop looking at loss as a failure.
We, me included, tend to do this more often than we care to
admit, or realize. When we dwell on
loss, regardless of its degree, we become blind to current surroundings. We tend to shut ourselves away from potential
gains, and that is a depressing state of mind to be in. One cannot grow in that negativity, period. Sorry
to break it you so bluntly, but it is the truth. Look at what the loss taught you, and move
on. Real talk.
One point that is just too vast to list is to be weary of
anyone offering a quick friendship, courtship, or relationship. This lesson I had to learn the extremely hard
way. But it was one lesson that pushed
me over that rainbow, and away from some negative situations, places, and
people.
The whole point of this entry is to get you to hear and see
the bluebirds that are heralding your success in reaching and going over the
rainbow of the mainstream. In this
place, you will no longer question the wrong doing of others. You will react to injustice in a just
manner. You will be the person you never
knew you could be. You can be a black
girl grown into a woman of color who commands a stage, who commands more for
her life. You have the feet, physically
or metaphorically, to move you, never doubt that. You
are so important, believe in that. You
are wonderful, know that. Trust that you
are dream stuff that made its way over the rainbow.
(And a counseling
session isn’t necessarily a bad option in overcoming hardships :))
Written By Olivia Johnson
