The need to re-align to purpose
I am ready to re-volt if needed.
Shadow work: relational values are my practice, my dojo, my playground, the place where I can observe my reactions, hold space in time and give attention to what is needed to be integrated. I’m also mastering how to respond accordingly. Nowadays, I seldom focus on the person or situation that generously showed me I had a shadow, that triggered discomfort. What I do instead is that I allow the synthesis to emerge from my new place a feeling that I have never experienced before.
Celebration #1
I am celebrating one year of this blog - slash - substack-journal - a type of newsletter, fifty-eight publications later, I have created a deep relationship with myself, and you get to have a peek at what is alive in me.
My intention was and still is to fully embrace my sovereign being and in that action, create an impact, at times initiating, at times informing, and most of the time connecting emotionally with you, communicating with curiosity, and inspiring you to be authentic.
I have a deep commitment to evolution, to self-inquiry, what I have also learned with time, is that I need to integrate my triggers, and for that, I need to relate, I would say it is easier to live like a hermit and not commit to relationships, but during these challenges, I have learned to experiment and overcome codependencies and abandonment issues, it is a win-win.
Celebration #2- Structural mentoring
The power to ask for support has been vital, I mean professional support, I love the few friends I have, but I learned a while back that no one should carry the weight of my conditioning and trauma therefore apart from educating myself in the subject, I have had a steady therapy practice in different modalities since 2004. In the last 2 years specifically through the Hakomi mindful Somatic Method, meaningful, and steady support from Kai, in which I have been able to witness an immense evolution in the areas of emotional boundaries, specifically relating to communities.
-When I am at a crossroads, I feel I have either to reject - to revolt furiously or to respond in time.
-How not to be blinded by the principles of emotional power when one feels my needs are not being met if I overextend myself?
-How to respond when the generative energy may deplete itself if the commitments are not aligned with responsibility toward the individual purpose that will affect the collective, so instead of nurturing, the resources are wasted?
These are intense questions, and I am feeling them deeply, personally, and internally, this inquiry is self-projected, thus some space and additional time are necessary to understand the aftermath.
At last, I can understand the relationship between serving as inspiration, and allowing the pace that others have when I have created an impact in their lives, or I have encouraged them to follow their journey by living their design. All I have to do is witness it, allow it to be, keep creating, keep living in joy, and keep being a role model without pushing anything away, without controlling the outcome, suddenly the rage calms down and a wave of peaceful air impregnates my being, the struggle is gone and what emerges is simply harmony.
To be fair, I needed the feistiness, I grew up with a lack of emotional connectivity, and I learned to either merge fully with the situation or to build walls of separation and at times of despair burn bridges as protection mechanisms. There was no in-between, it was either-or.
Within relationships, when my body feels the weight of burden or the extra responsibility, it is a trigger I like to observe, for it will point out where my energy is engaged and I might need to disengage redirecting the flow.
Today, there is no more need for this violent behavior, for I have worked with a sense of belonging to my needs and resonate with places and people where my safety is no longer at stake. I have also witnessed an upgrade in the manner I allow others to engage and assume their accountability. I create safe environments where I spark individual responsibility and thus as Kai pointed out in our last session, in my relationships, I create a structural mentoring, that is very nourishing and yielding and that is meant to incite sovereignty. This is a reason to celebrate!
In all kinds of relationships, I ask myself the following :
-Is there space for me to sample the energy and, find if the resistance I feel in my body is a prompt to realign?
though I must wait for a full emotional wave to sample the decision, shall I still commit myself?
Is it worthwhile?
Can I trust this process? Will it take me where I want to go?"
#𝗶𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 #𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 #𝗰𝗮𝗻𝘆𝗼𝘂𝘀𝗲𝗲
In the meantime, I have been on a daily dive doing some research for various projects and some beautiful images emerge that I can’t help but share their beauty with you…
Celebration #3: East Boston Police A7 official opening 01/31/2023.
𝙐𝙉𝙐𝙎 𝙈𝙐𝙉𝘿𝙐𝙎, 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙥𝙞𝙧𝙞𝙩 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙥𝙞𝙚𝙘𝙚 𝙞𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙥𝙤𝙩𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙞𝙖𝙡 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙙𝙞𝙖𝙡𝙤𝙜𝙪𝙚. 𝙴𝚊𝚜𝚝 𝙱𝚘𝚜𝚝𝚘𝚗 𝙿𝚘𝚕𝚒𝚌𝚎 𝙰𝟽 𝙼𝚊𝚢𝚘𝚛'𝚜 𝙾𝚏𝚏𝚒𝚌𝚎 𝚘𝚏 𝙰𝚛𝚝𝚜 + 𝙲𝚞𝚕𝚝𝚞𝚛𝚎 𝕨𝕚𝕥𝕙 #𝕔𝕠𝕦𝕣𝕒𝕘𝕖 𝕗𝕚𝕟𝕕 𝕒 #𝕧𝕠𝕔𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟 #𝕖𝕞𝕓𝕠𝕕𝕪𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕪𝕠𝕦𝕣 #𝕡𝕖𝕣𝕤𝕡𝕖𝕔𝕥𝕚𝕧𝕖 𝕥𝕠 #𝕤𝕖𝕣𝕧𝕖 𝕚𝕟 #𝕔𝕠𝕞𝕞𝕦𝕟𝕚𝕥𝕪
𝗙𝗮𝗯𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘀: @𝗺𝗮𝘆𝗲𝗿𝗼𝗳𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝗰𝗵 @𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗽𝘆𝗿𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗱 𝗔𝗿𝗰𝗵𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗰𝘁𝘀: @𝗹𝗲𝗲𝗿𝘀_𝘄𝗲𝗶𝗻𝘇𝗮𝗽𝗳𝗲𝗹 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗶𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗲𝗱 𝗯𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗖𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝗕𝗼𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗻 @𝗮𝗿𝘁𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗯𝗼𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗻 𝗜𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗿𝘀:@𝗯𝗿𝗺𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 @𝗳𝘅𝗺𝘀𝗯𝗵 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗠𝗮𝘆𝗲𝗿 𝗗𝗼𝗰𝘂𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗯𝘆 @𝗳𝘅𝗺𝘀𝗯𝗵 𝗙𝗲𝗹𝗶𝘅 𝗕𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗲𝘀𝗵 + 𝗠𝗼𝗻𝗶𝗸𝗮 𝗕𝗿𝗮𝘃𝗼
An early-2023 update on my story since the commission in mid-2020: From this ‘now’ point of view, 30 months later, my consciousness has shifted tremendously; I have been able to integrate the full meaning of what it means to be part of a “community” through the senses and experience, rather than just having knowledge of what the word means. I am a different person, after educated myself via a series of somatic trauma release practices, non-violent communication, circling - dia-logos practices, seminars, and active engagement in digital communities. This process has transformed me– I have matured through it, and I am no longer afraid of being the "weirdo". I feel welcome to express my voice wherever I stand as a sovereign individual, firm with my values and principles, yet flexible to listen to many opposing points of view, thus opening my heart to connect to others and in turn inspire authenticity.
From my experience, one cannot have a true sense of belonging if one’s individuality is not developed, sustainable, and fully appreciated. No one can have a sense of communitas if the consensus cannot celebrate our differences, for it is in our uniqueness that we can make a difference!
Living in a world that is so homogenized, where expectations kill attempts for individual experience, it is only when one has found a true vocation that one can be of service in this world, embodying diverse perspectives and thus having the courage to have a voice in the community. One starts by embracing oneself.
I am honored to have created this piece; I am grateful to everyone who participated in the process– everyone! I was so moved by the words of Mayor Wu, members of the local police station, and everyone who spoke from the heart at this moment in time when words can have no real meaning until they are fully embodied.
I am grateful to be serving as Monika in this lifetime.
Monika Bravo, East Boston February 1, 2023
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-Do you like what you read? -Do you resonate with some of it? You know, you can use parts of it, but quote me like I quote others.
Hey...been meaning to write this for a few days, but CONGRATS on hitting the ONE-YEAR mark! That's awesome!! I know how much commitment and energy it takes to create regular media, especially every week, so I applaud you for this!
It's been a blessing to witness your evolution through this blog, and our off-blog friendship, so it's fun to read this paragraph, which I think is a really important one.
You wrote:
"From my experience, one cannot have a true sense of belonging if one’s individuality is not developed, sustainable, and fully appreciated. No one can have a sense of communitas if the consensus cannot celebrate our differences, for it is in our uniqueness that we can make a difference!"
Exactly, Unity--the kind that can reflect our unique nature, which is an expression of God---is only good when it's unity through respect for the uniqueness of each person. Any other kind is a form of totalitarianism.
Last---I love this exhibit! (I think I said that before!) It's just so alive, colorful, expressive and free-spirited! And the pictures are awesome---I especially like the one-on-one with you and the police officer. Lots of warmth in that photo!