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Do you think it’s possible to find unremarkable things in the same place you find something beautiful and wonder how both coexist without destroying one another? Let me tell you how I came to notice a few things recently on a walk I took in a colorful community in the north section of Brooklyn, New York, called Bushwick.

In case you haven’t heard, Bushwick is the newest, trendiest place to live in Brooklyn. It’s not only one of the last affordable sections of Brooklyn. it has the feel of the lower east side of Manhattan, but without the expense of Manhattan, but the culture of some of the most diverse sections of Queens. It’s where all the cool kids live, or so I was told. It’s also where the mix of young, queer, dog-loving, hippie-chic millennials, and professional working-class people who have transplanted from all across the world reside, set up pop-up shops, party close together on sidewalks, sit on curbs amid graffiti-laden steps talking to strangers and hosting photo shoots.

I like Bushwick. It’s lively, and fun, but also reminiscent of small pockets of old New York, where the scent of delicious ethnic food blends in with the naturalness of pot-smoking hipsters, vintage clothes and art, and beer gardens. It’s the dichotomy for me that opens my heart when I walk through that neighborhood. And that led me to think of you—yes, you, my incredible and awesome Village, the folks I write for each and every week. How may we bridge the small feeling of home with the bigness of an expensive city without getting washed up in it?

Is there space for us to coexist in awe and inspiration, without becoming jaded by the darkness that encircles us? How’s the beat of the city feel to you lately? Is it time for a reset, a break, or a rekindling of the places and spaces you once loved and overlooked? Drop me a line and let me know. I’m in the same place–lifecoachasha@gmail.com.

Until next time Village, tell a friend to tell 5 friends to subscribe to our blog. We have something new in store coming your way soon!

Asha…

 

*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!*

We’re in one of the best months of the year, July. It’s when mid-year celebrations reach a high—between national holidays, birthdays, vacations and family gatherings—July has a lot to offer. If you remember correctly, it’s also the month when we highlight mental health and education for people of color. Without getting into statistics and opinions, I do want to at least acknowledge all of the mental health advocates, practitioners (eh em!, lol) and educators who work diligently to support the growth, health and healing of marginalized people—Blacks, Latinx, Native Americans, Asians and Pacific Islanders, as well as people who intersect at more than one racialized identity.

As a blogger, but also a podcaster, I want to introduce you to a valuable conversation I had not-so- very long ago on my podcast, Black People Heal. It’s with my colleague and friend, Dr. Tana M. Session. Dr. Session and I sat down to talk about the incredible amount of health information at our fingertips that we often know little about—and it comes in the form of our health insurance-ease. But, thanks to 30 years of expert education in human resources, Dr. Tana broke it down in very simple terms for us.

This may not be the most exciting episode you want to tune in to on your day off, but if you don’t listen, you will miss details about your investments that could devastate your mental health in the long run, so I highly recommend it. For an easy find, click here– Episode 2 -” Maximizing Your Health Benefits in a Pandemic with Dr. Tana M. Session” – YouTube .

And for those of you who like to know the highlights, here’s a few:

1. 1. Don’t allow age—young or old—to determine when you will start making financial investments into your health. Waiting until you’re dealing with a crisis is the worst time to learn about the type of medical coverage you have or will need to heal yourself. Listen to the show to understand the multiple ways to maximize your pre-tax income.
      
      
   2. If you have a mental health advocate or practitioner in your life who can assist in coordinating care with your medical provider, the better you are for it, because these folks can be your linkage between health benefits and wellness recovery. Tune in to learn what specific advocacy they provide.
      
      
   3. You may work for an employer that offers FMLA (Family Medical Leave), which protects your job while you’re on a leave of absence, but that may not be sufficient when you are paying for a host of mental health providers. What can you expect your job to pay and what will you be required to pay?

Take a listen to the ENTIRE show (I know some of you out there may be skippers! LOL)– Episode 2 -” Maximizing Your Health Benefits in a Pandemic with Dr. Tana M. Session” – YouTube–and share it within your networks. We are STILL living in unprecedented times, and this information could LITERALLY save a life, possibly yours. As Dr. Maya Angelou once said, “when you learn, teach.” These are the times to learn as much as we can about mitigating loss; as you learn, teach, share, tell someone what we’re doing over here.

Until next time Village,

Asha…

 

*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!*