Reimagining a World Without the Black Panther

Three weeks ago, the world lost a legend. He was a young legend, not even old in terms of the years he spent executing his craft. Nevertheless, he was an icon and a gift to those whose lives he impacted. He was a superhero, a strong Black super cat, an inspiration. He was our Black Panther. He was Chadwick Boseman.

I don’t want to write a blog about a comic book character to tell this story, so I won’t. Instead, I will talk about how legends like Chadwick inspire people to live fully, and on purpose.

Asha Tarry
Asha Tarry, Life Coach

Like many people I know, I didn’t personally know this man, but I felt him. I felt his soul through the cameras that mesmerized me when I saw his toothy smile (which by the way, I personally adored). I felt the way he cared about people by how his work would affect others who were watching him. I connect with that. It was important for people to see someone like him, a Black man, who defied anti-Blackness at a time when the world was becoming increasingly hostile towards Black existence.

From the beginning of his film career I was in awe of this guy. I didn’t know what it was about him at first. But, I’ll tell you what I have come to feel his life reminded me about integrity, something I’ve talked about in my book, “Adulting As A Millennial: A Guide to Everything Your Parents Didn’t Teach You”:

      1. Create representations and experiences within your life that have purpose.

      2. Let your spirit transcend your title and the roles that you play.

      3. Be remembered for how you make people feel (a replay on a quote from Dr. Maya Angelou).

When I reflect on what it means to live a life well lived I think of this: it is not the years one lives that makes a difference, but rather the impact one makes in the time they live.

I am sincerely grateful to have lived at a time when this man was alive and to experience agape the way I have imagined life can be experienced in this time. Thank you Chadwick Boseman, for showing us how to live a beautiful life, reimagined in #BlackExcellence.

*This blog is about becoming free. It’s a reflection of introspective thoughts and experiences that have crossed miles of self-discovery. I created this blog to inspire others to live life with less self-criticism, judgment and openness to new experiences. May you find that you learn how to live a life by design and on your own terms!*

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