Venus’s Top Se7en: Self-Care Patterns
Photo by Madison Inouye from Pexels
1. Prayer & Meditation
Photo by Clement Eastwood from Pexels
I begin my day with the acknowledgment of God because, in the beginning, there was only God, and I, you, and everything that was, is or will be, come from Him. As I grew, I understood that prayer is conversational, whether one is on their knees, seated upright, or standing.
There are general things I give thanks about daily, such as life in general, family, health, wellness, and friendships. However, not every prayer begins and ends the same way, as it shouldn't because feelings change but coming to God as I am in the moment is how I approach prayer.
If I rise in a good place and space, I say it, and if I do not, I say it; it's essential to be honest, period, and knowing that you cannot deceive yourself or the Creator, why lie or deny thought or feeling? I find that realness is realignment.
I express gratitude and praise to the Most High God throughout my day because He deserves that and more! Nothing I ever do will be enough, but I am grateful that He accepts my efforts.
I look at meditating as a way of listening for the voice of God; I usually bask in silence or ambient sounds after prayer because, following a period of speaking to the Creator, I must be still long enough for Him to talk to me. Again, prayer is conversational! And it is impossible to listen if one is speaking.
I had to practice this because I used to finish praying, move on with the day, and wonder why I didn't hear from Him. Of course, our solutions don't always come when we want them, but in His time, whether we're praying, meditating, or not. So, no matter where I begin and end my prayer, I don't occupy myself with anything in the minutes that come for that reason.
I also enjoy meditation because the presence of God is the only perfect setting; there is no feeling like being there! The reconnecting to His spirit truly is the fullness of joy and peace and love, all of which come from Him.
2. Creating
Photo by Suzy Hazelwood from Pexels
My opuses involve writing, video production, and performing arts, specifically mime. I don't think a day goes by without my doing at least one of these things; I'm always writing something, be it a poem, blog post, an outline for a video, a script, or ideas for all of the above!
I've learned there's often a blurred line regarding passion and purpose; some things we are passionate about may not be a part of our purposes. And that our purposes are the things that don't allow us to function without them; that's what writing, mime, and filmmaking are to me!
I learn a lot about myself in developing my craft in each area, and I love discovering what I wasn't aware existed previously. I consider myself a writer and mime that uses filmmaking as a vehicle to get my voice in other places. I love filmmaking from a visual and storytelling perspective; writing, too, is visible and tells a story, of course, and so can mime. Some of my videos are toward the bottom of the homepage of this site. Check it out, if you haven’t already. More is coming!
3. Reading
Although a writer, I can't say that I ever considered myself a bookworm until 2020. If my laptop's monitor were a skillet, my eyes would be eggs, sunny side up. Other than give my peepers a break from the strain, I took it upon myself to make reading a lifestyle because I felt something missing that I hoped to find, maybe not directly within the pages of a book, but within myself just by making that adjustment.
The more I read, the better I would feel from a cognitive standpoint; the more I read, the more challenging it became to close a book. I'd tell myself, 'one more chapter,' and three or four chapters later, I was still reading. I made a habit of highlighting words with which I was unfamiliar and learning their definitions after I finished the book.
Doing that instilled a desire to learn at least a word a day; on the days I'd procrastinate, I'd teach myself an additional term to make up for the days I missed. While I do not know every benefit of reading daily, I feel the difference when I do and don't. I know other writers that do not like to read and do not often; while I understand some of their reasons, it’s been beneficial for me.
4. Singing
Photo by freestocks.org from Pexels
I started singing as a preteen in the shower, like most people. But in doing it, I felt better. I have been singing ever since; these days, I’ve been challenging myself to sing some of my favorite songs differently than they were recorded. As mentioned in my second blog post, The Leonine Lyricist, I am experimenting with music and my poetry, so one day, I’ll sing either an original song for you or my interpretation of a favorite. I encourage everyone that’s inclined to sing. It mitigates stress, enhances mental health and communication, and just feels good, so as Karen Carpenter said, ‘don’t worry that it’s not good enough for anyone else to hear, just sing a song!’
5. Dancing
Photo by Wendy Wei
I’ve got rhythm, I’ve got music, but I’m no Lola Falana! That doesn’t stop me from doing my two-step when the music’s too good to sit through. And it shouldn’t stop you, either. I have a love/hate relationship with exercise; I’ll do it consistently for weeks or months and then stop but complain when my ass-cheeks give me a round of applause every time I run up the stairs! I prefer fitness that doesn’t feel like exercise, and dance does not feel like it.
Granted, mime is movement and similar to dance, depending on the approach, but before I go to bed at night, I’ll put on some of my favorite songs and jump around my room like House of Pain meets Kriss Kross, Van Halen, and The Pointer Sisters. A half-hour is usually the time frame I give myself, and sometimes, I’ll dance longer and not even realize how much time went by. It’s just another way of integrating movement in my daily life. My butt and I are happier now.
6. Driving
Photo by Taras Makarenko
Despite getting a citation and into a few collisions within my first two years of licensed driving, I still love being behind the wheel. Don’t worry! The collisions I speak of were minor, and only one of them involved another car; every other time, it was me and nature nearly becoming one. ‘But GOD,’ as my church folks say, covered me, and I drove away without harming myself or anything else.
I could drive forever and wherever! I’m quick to catch some vitamin D via caplet, then sunlight in the mornings, and cruise the streets in the evenings. One of my favorite nights spent on the road was after the rain, listening to Miles Davis’s Portia, seeing signs and traffic lights of all colors reflecting in puddles and wet pavement. The breeze was cooler than Thalmus Rasulala, or better yet, Bernie Casey; driving is therapeutic and introspective!
Se7en. Chillaxin’
I’ve had to tell myself not to confuse rest and procrastination; I used to delay projects quite a bit for reasons of fear, rejection, or laziness. Since I snapped out of stagnation and pedaled the metal regarding soul-based projects, I used to feel guilty whenever I grew tired from completing tasks, even if I spent the entire day on them.
It took me a while to stop pushing through exhaustion and irritating myself in the process; I identified when I had the most energy in the day and scheduled my tasks accordingly. Sometimes, I am still productive beyond those hours, and other times, I am not.
But when I sense that butting head and brick wall feeling, I step away or stop altogether. By nightfall, when not driving around, I'll kick back in the Solar System (my room) under string lights with a meal and chill, streaming Netflix, Prime, YouTube, or Hulu. Other times, music, if not old school, genres such as lo-fi, vaporware, synth wave, or retro set the vibemosphere.
And a little Bob Ross or OG Twilight Zone episodes never fail, either. Just as I permit myself to rise and grind, and I allow myself to recline because it's required, and I earned it.
