Just Do the Next Right Thing
Journey over Destination Always
Hey, Family!
My apologies for the brief absence. The start of 2024 has been so filled with travel and speaking and writing deadlines and momming and just overall living that I took a bit of a break from the newsletter in order to “gather myself.” LOL But in the words of Ms. Celie in The Color Purple, “I’m still here…”
If you are like me at all, then there was likely a season in your life when you used language like “destiny” and “outcomes.” Maybe that’s you now? You set goals and make plans and invest all your energy trying to get to some still ambiguous “there.” Too many of us have been taught to see every event in our lives as a road to some “place.” A route to an accomplishment. But what if it isn’t about that at all? In fact, what if that mindset actually limits what is possible for us?
I know I’ve written this quite a bit but I can’t help but to say it over and over. We must shift our focus from the future to the present. I’ve come to learn that my healing has always come less from this idea that I’ve “arrived” somewhere and more from all I learned along the journey itself. It’s actually the day to day process of unlearning and relearning, unraveling and putting myself back together again, where I’ve learned to be present and lean into what I’m feeling in order to embrace all the shifts and pivots that inevitably come.
The truth is, joy and peace aren’t things we earn. They aren’t things we have to “get to.” There isn’t a bunch of stuff you have to do to get to joy. Joy is our birthright. Peace is always present. Even in the midst of chaos. Even when we are numb to it. We just have to sit still long enough to locate it. To reclaim it. And guess what? Being present, focusing on the “now,” might actually take us further then we could ever plan. In every area of my life, it’s never been in my best interest to work myself to the bone trying to access a peace and joy “out there.” Doing so only created MORE anxiety, more stress, more pain. It’s always been so much more healing to unearth the peace and joy that already exists inside me as I walk my life out. So every day I do my best to to shift my focus to the present. So much so that, as you know already, I’ve taken up the mantra of “just do the next right thing.” After I set goals and make plans (because I’m just hardwired that way, Lord help me), I work toward not worrying too much about next week. I just do the next right thing and let God handle the rest.
So as we begin this new month and week, let’s be present and embrace the PROCESS of healing. There is no destination. Joy and peace and love all await us in the now.
Love you. 💜
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I am so excited to introduce you all to the BLACK JOY BOOK SOCIETY--a FREE vibrant book community that celebrates Black literature, healing, and joy! Every quarter there will be a selected read and at the end of that quarter, we will gather via Zoom and/or social media for empowering discussions that center these Black narratives. The goal is to foster a community where Black readers can connect, share, and uplift one another.
SIGN UP TODAY HERE: https://www.traceymlewis.com/black-joy-book-society
OUR FIRST QUARTER READ: Black Liturgies by Cole Arthur Riley
OUR MISSION: The mission of the Black Joy Book Society is to create a brave and fun space where Black readers can immerse ourselves in stories that resonate with the beauty, resilience, and triumphs of Black lives. Where we can experience the magic of literature that heals and brings joy to our hearts.