Debbie Larry-Izamoje: For Those Days You Have Nothing To Give The World

There are days I wake up and I only want to write about the beauty of the world and her many unexplored elements. Some days I want to share tips on how we can stay positive or take our meditation and yoga sessions more seriously.

Then there are days where my lips feel numb yet my heart burns with many emotions.  Because after watching the funeral service of George Floyd and everything happening in the world, I’m left speechless, heartbroken, helpless, confused, and dare I say, angry.

Is this the world I am to bring children into? Is this the world that I am to serve as a protector and a guardian? As I rage with these questions, my optimist side pokes me a little bit, encouraging me that the world would one day be a better place, just like my grandparents believed.

As I write this, even while dealing with navigating life through a pandemic, my deepest fear, at this moment, is sadly no longer how to keep my distance when I walk into a supermarket. It is the heartbreaking thought of my kids asking the same questions I fear I’ll never really find answers to; because, if I’m being honest, my parents asked these questions too. So when does the cycle end? When does the world actually get better?

Since I’m not one to write an article and leave you to ponder on solutions alone, I’ll share the resolve I came to that would probably make me sleep well tonight.

My suggestion to anyone who seems just as frustrated is to focus on what you can control – from your playlists to your meals, to your conversations, to your timeline. It’s the little things.

I hope that this also serves as a reminder that though you’re tired and even emotionally exhausted, better days are ahead. The days where the sun shines a little brighter will come. The days where your laughter is a little louder will come. The days where you feel more at peace with the world will come. I know this because I’ve seen better days, we all have, and what’s that thing they say about life being in seasons?

While we try to put out the fire by bringing up tough conversations, changing policies, donating funds, and much more, remember that there has never been a better time to unlearn the stiff and crippling traditions or mindsets passed to us from generations before. Remember that it is time to look into your company policies and fix all that seems unjust. It is time to be kinder with our words. It is time to apologize when we hurt people and actually take steps to do better. It is time to grow, to heal from any trauma that could potentially break generations to come.

The time to look inward is here.

If there’s any part of you that’s still kind, that’s still good, that still believes that your actions can influence generations, then this is me telling you to share that love because more than ever, the world needs to see and feel the love that you can give in your capacity. So it’s okay to feel exhausted and not have anything to give the world. But remember the importance of operating from a place of love and kindness in this season.

Remember that we could actually start the journey to healing the world by being and doing better on our level.