Affirmation; a word people don’t always take the time to understand. How it feels in my body to ritualize in the small moments, and the larger swings of change that come in waves. Affirmation is self-love, is seeing all of the parts and holding space for them. Extending an olive branch to the parts that would normally shrink, or be shelved until their glow is barely recognizable.

Affirmation is not giving up on the cycles of transformation that we all will travel through—maybe at different paces or on different timelines, but we will all travel, of that I am sure. Speaking light and grace into yourself will allow you to travel with strength, faith, and resilience.

Keep your word to yourself and water your faith daily. Tend to it even when you are at your highest point, feeling as if you could never lose sight of yourself again. Even and especially then, tend to yourself with intention and a slow and steady pace, so that when you must soar your body is ready to take flight.

Imagine your future as if it stands at your palms asking to be read. Take control over the fact that you must go with the flow in order to stay within balance. Overly seeking balance always leads to imbalance, welcomes an opening for chaos to thrive in your environment. Instead, self regulate so you can create and maintain the energy of your space with intention and autonomy.

Maintain peace as an embodiment—prioritize it over other emotions that may seem to satisfy a thrill because that is your trauma response to your own lived experiences. You can make space for these experiences without being subject to their twisted tangled woods.

Protect your growth at all costs, for it is how you are able to walk your path. And keep walking—don’t ever stop changing. Remember you feel scared then free again every time. Practice sweetness and love in your life. Remember and honor your ancestors. Release the need to control but understand the power of your energy.

Visualize your future in the hue of the sky that day. How many shades of purple can you find in the mountains? Did the fog raise the small hairs on your neck? Were the birds loud and unforgiving for their nests were built low in the center of maple trees? How many years did the blue hydrangeas bloom? And your hair tangled in the wind, asking for more questions rather than answers.
Asking to never stop asking.

Follow your dreams with conviction. Look up to the moon each night until it begins to look like a fuzzy glow—like a street lamp lit after the rain. Find the constellations from your field guide to the sky book. Keep observing until you can witness change in the sky. And then keep going—share your stories with the world boldly. Remember you are here to create with your hands. Keep writing, drawing, and painting, for they are entry points into your soul.
Begin at the beginning again.