How Good Can You Stand It?

For those of us who have bought into the belief that everything is a heavy lift, my question is “how good can you stand it?” Seriously?

How good can you imagine it? Hold it? Conceive it? Expect it? While inspired by Frederick Douglass’ quote that without struggle there is no progress, I don’t want “struggle” to become my identity or my standard mode of operation.

Note to self. Release the (unnecessary) struggle. Stay ready for joy.

Addendum for Black women

Black women, in particular, are offered the legacy of carrying more than our weight. Our gifts of strength are often used to carry the burdens of others. We carry more than we are ever given credit for, celebrated for . . . and if we should carry this ish at all is another convo entirely.

Then there are times when it gets good… real good. But we (not just Black women) are afraid that this is as good as it gets. We hold emotional space waiting for the other shoe to drop. Holding that space is exhausting, it sucks up hope and saturates our lives with worry.

We are unable to be present or grateful. So when discomfort presents itself, we turn it into struggle and the cycle continues. We become the creators of our own conflict.

I am holding space for goodness and building a tribe of goodness holders. We catch each other…until we no longer cycle around struggles that define and rob us of a future we dare to imagine.