Claim It

          The art of claiming something was lost to me for the longest. It was a term I would hear a lot about in church and from other people of various faith. To claim something meant to state ownership over a blessing that you were most certain that God and or the universe would send your way. It is more than cockiness or "swag". It's a way of putting so much energy into faith that you just know that whatever you are praying for will be delivered to you. I believed in God. I prayed and honored my ancestors. I found the good in every situation I was in however I never laid claim to anything. Day in and day out, I simply ate whatever was dished out on my plate. Systemic poverty, fleeting moments of joy, a lack of quality black men, etc. The community I was surrounded by aided me in confusing a drive for more with ingratitude. As a fatherless daughter to a Haitian immigrant mother my status in life was better off than many other people I knew and therefore I was blessed and needn't more than what life had already handed to me. My path in life could have been greatly enriched had I only made attempts to explore and desire more. You see, I was comfortable. Too comfortable. So comfortable that whenever my heart found the strength to show interest in something that would take me out of that comfort zone, my mind would find a million and one reasons why that interest was of little importance. Why comfort over growth served me more. And once again I had more than enough loved ones to assist me with this false notion. The heart, however, is a mysterious force of nature and most stubborn when denied the very things it beats for. With the birth of my son my heart grew stronger each day. Motherhood can be such an empowering journey. I mean, I became a beast. There was a quality of life that I was willing to deny myself yet when it came to my son the idea seemed ludicrous. Absolutely farcical. That little guy encouraged me more in 6 months than I have been encouraged in my entire life. Slowly these "interests" turned into productive conversations with the right people; which then led to research projects. This is where the art of claiming kicked in. Research can be overwhelming yet I can never walk into anything blindly. So I would see what I want, look at the price tag and then walk away; dejected. This was a tough habit to break. So I looked into people that inspired me. I read their stories (to this day biographies and autobiographies are my favorite genre) and studied their persona. I was always made aware of my weirdness. But I was a mother now and so my heart was so free my love was unapologetic. I read about and studied people who lit a fire in me. Harriet Tubman. Maya Angelou. Toni Morrison. Malcolm X. Frederick Douglass. Martin L. King. Jean Leopold Dominique. My mom. Kanye and his mother (the old Kanye, I swear). Tupac.  Toussaint L'ouverture. Justin Timberlake. Sister Soulja. Etc. And the one thing about my heroes that spoke to me was the ability to "claim it". To be able to approach a dream like a lion does a prey. To say that there is mine and I WILL have it. I am an obedient servant. God wouldn't place this feeling in my heart if I wasn't meant to have it. And so it is mine even though I am not in possession of it yet. And that my friend is all that I was missing to make the necessary changes that would create dramatic improvements in the lives of myself and my children. Martin L. King said it best with this quote. 

"Faith is taking the first step even when you don't see the whole staircase"

My analytical mind was working against me because I would not make a move without vision of the entire staircase. Faith and blessings are not pretty little equations that you can always make sense of. And so with my faith renewed, I spoke my blessings into existence. It's a wonder how I could feel like I was born to write yet find the power in words so late in life. There is so much power in the spoken word. I said I don't know how I'm going to do it however my son will have access to a better school system than this. He's going to have his own room. We will live in an area with less crime. Looks like we're going to be on our own so he will have a sibling (spoke that too much into existence...lol). And it didn't stop there. Even when people said that it was enough. My life was wonderful. I said I will have a job with a higher salary. Another room for my girls. A man with higher standards. Acceptance of my natural beauty. I will reject any consumption of flesh. And still I don't know much about "hows" however I claim these blessings because I believe in the law of attraction. How just saying the words will pour the energy behind my requests into the universe. So I will encourage you as well. Whatever your dreams are. Verbalize those vibrations. Let the universe hear you. Claim it!