Insist!

- Alice Walker

I was thinking of a very close friend the other day. About how she insists on looking when the rest of the world grows weary and looks away. About how she insists on listening when many of us decide, for self-preservation’s sake, to block out the noise, about how she does her part despite how “small” it might feel to her or seem to somebody else.

So many times I have resisted offering anything (saying something, giving something, or reaching out in one way or another) because whatever it was I had the capacity to do and/or give in that moment felt “too small”, “too insignificant”. Nothing ever feels life-altering or world-changing enough. I sit around waiting for when I'd be able to do the world a big one. Why give the roadside beggar a penny when what they really need is help that'll make them cease to beg ever again? Why write/reshare a post about the Palestinian genocide— so many others are already doing that; what difference is mine going to make? Don't get me wrong, I have done both these things many times but maybe not as often as I could/should have because every time I have or have not, I have  been haunted by how little I am able to do, how little my help accomplishes. I am constantly bombarded by how whether I do something or not (in situations such as the two highlighted), nothing really changes. In the middle of writing this piece, all I can think is, "so why not just give what you can anyway?!". That question is why we are here. I have been so lazy! I hope you have been doing better than me. I know my friend Aminata (aka Amy) has.

Let me tell you a little bit about Amy. She, like many of us, believes in doing her part. She, unlike many of us, never seems to think her part is too irrelevant. Better yet, Amy never lets the seemingly “smallness” of her part hold her back. At least not as long as I have known and/or had the privilege to witness her. Unlike me, Amy does not wait around for her contributions to (potentially) utterly alter the direction the earth spins in. She believes in helping, and she goes out and helps— no matter how big or small that help may feel to her or be perceived by others. She insists by offering help where she feels called to, by lending her voice to conversations that aligns with her purpose, and by refusing to turn away and/or move on when the rest of the world passively accepts and moves on while gross atrocities are being perpetrated against others. My friend, through her actions, displays a deep understanding of the power in insisting. I admire Amy for many things but her awareness of her power and her insistence in that power even on days when she may feel doubtful, takes center.

Aminata seems to understand something I and many others are still coming around to learning. She understands that we are here part of a collective purpose and experience and when we do not add our drop to the ocean, when we do not insist on playing our part, we deny not only ourselves but others a possible awakening and dream come true. I admire my friend deeply. She is the kind of heart I want to carry.

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Insisting on not looking away, on doing our part, is critical not only for our individual fulfillment but for the fulfillment of the collective. Whether we like it or not, we are here part of a shared purpose and experience and every time we refuse to give, partake, do, or say something we feel divinely called to, the collective is possibly denied something it urgently needs to heal and progress. 

In insisting, we hold tight to the truth that our role here matters. In insisting, we do not cast our gazes away when we should be partaking and partaking hard. In insisting we play our part, no matter how big or small. In insisting we acknowledge that we never know what is trying to be awakened through us and so we give in.

I am inspired by Amy but I am also not saying do exactly what Amy does. I am saying do what you, yourself, have been called to. Not because everybody is doing or not doing it, but because it is in your heart. I am saying, you have a dream planted in your heart, let it bloom, give what you have to give, say what you must say, add your drop to the overflow. I am saying do you part, make your contribution, do your little because your “little” is exactly what the world needs at this very moment. If you must, it’s more than fine to take a moment to mourn that you cannot heal the world in all the places it is hurting, but please do not hold back and give nothing for the sorry reason that you cannot give everything; nobody expects you to give everything. I am learning this and I hope you can come along.

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Thanks for reading, Love! <3

If you can, please Check out Aminata's Instagram and contribute what you can to some of the fundraisers she shares to help individuals and families trapped in unfavorable situations and war-torn countries.

Love you,

Tealee

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