What Zahara Reminded Me

Trusting your timing and finding your path, at your pace

Listening to Zahara (RIP) in the shower, I was met with millions of thoughts. Her song Destiny is a beautiful affirmation of life and differing timelines that you all need to listen to. We often compare our journeys to people around us, or famous people we know. We also get compared to others all the time by people close and far. This begins to create an anxiety about where we are going that has different effects on us. It causes some people to rush through the middle portion of their journey and it causes others to abandon ship entirely. We begin to doubt what we have to offer at times too. But let these words comfort you when you feel this;

Everything may be rushing on me

And everything may be too slow on me

But I will be here holding it down

I know where I am going

I know where I am going

Destiny - Zahara

“The journey is usually the part that you remember anyways,” Miley Cyrus uttered in a video that has since been memed to oblivion, but what a beautiful concept. I remember Joshy Soul giving me the same advice in my second year of doing Treefort. It stuck with me because we all rush to get somewhere fast when moving from a scarcity mindset. We do not let ourselves live in the moments between all the things that are happening. This happened to me so deeply in 2024, even after I received the advice two years before, I was everywhere and nowhere at once. There was no inner sanctuary I had created to come back to after all the shaking hands and kissing babies. And that is so necessary,

you have got to create space for you.

But, that’s what we do as humans isn’t it. We forget things that are important for our development. We smoke knowing it’s not good for us, we do all of these things that we deeply know we shouldn’t. It’s the human condition. That is why we need reminders like this. They help you anchor in the moment, which is not an easy thing to do in this moving world of craziness. So, pause, right now and breath a little bit deeper.

You are here.

Zahara’s album ‘Loliwe’ that includes, Destiny and many more incredible songs,

Earlier this month I listened to Raye’s album and I love how theater kid coded it is and how it is having massive success. This is something I have been doubting my own music could do if I lean into the musical theatre nature. Isn’t that so fascinating. But then this moment was a reminder of that too. External things can help you recognize the power of something you have been trying to do yourself. I had been doubting using this theatrical entrance to my album, but the Raye album gave me permission in a way. And it would be better if I just trusted my gut, but sometimes we need external versions of what we are imagining. That is what fuels movements. Seeing people do the things you want to do is a powerful way to affirm what you should/could do especially when you already know where you are going or where you want to go.

I think of Beyoncé, she was on 106 and Park, she was doing all the things her peers were doing at the time. At some point in Destinys Child they had Wyclief Jean as the celebrity feature. Now, I am not dogging on Wyclief at all but look at Beyonce now and Wyclief now. One was more consistent in doing the thing, knowing where she is going. She had a clear vision of the world she was trying to build. Now she is a household name. Clarity of vision is so important. Have you seen Michael Jackson’s manifestation journals? He had a clarity about what he was trying to build and that is unmatched. Our journeys are unique to us; let us not compare, but let us be inspired by those that decided to make a path and do the same.

And I thought of taking the route everybody else

Oh yes has been taking

But I know I have to find my own destiny,

- Zahara

“Chop Wood Carry Water” is a phrase I recently heard from an artist I adore, Michael Howell. The book he read titled this is an excellent book that talks about this concept of grounding and staying present as you grow. So, this little piece of writing is just a reminder that you know where you are going and you can breath a bit more. You can live your life and be present knowing that you understand yourself and the things that are for you will find you.

Sometimes things will rush,

sometimes things will feel slow,

but if you are consistent,

you will get where you want to go.

And if you do not know where you are going I have a few grounding exercises that can help you figure it out.

Do this 5-minute exercise: Set a 5-minute timer on your phone and start every sentence with ‘I want’… Let yourself just write and go crazy! Enjoy it. This will give you a sense of where you want to go.

Journal your ideal day in detail. What would you do every day in your ideal life? Write it down, and watch your life change.

Come back to that vision of your life often. Now that you know where you are going. LIVE YOUR LIFE. Another tip I would give you is to find something that will ground you. There is that one movie I do not remember the name of, where he uses a rock in his pocket. Find something for you that will do this! Ground yourself in the present often. It is so good for your nervous system.

Winning, losing, that ain't the matter

I will keep on trying, I won't give up

Talk soon,

You got this

Hugs,