05 Feb Lean into Leadership and Open to Life’s Goodness!

Alaafia  and Blessed Black History and Heritage Month Family!

This week’s Orisa Prayer and Meditation message came from the odu Ifa Ika Ogunda and told the story of a young man named Alatatanroko who wanted to be a farmer. His father and grandfather had farmed and he already had the land and tools, so he thought it would be an easy. When he went to consult Ifa about it, he was told that farming wasn’t for him and he was also told to make a sacrifice to avoid being disgraced by women. Well… he didn’t listen. He decided to farm anyway and did not make the sacrifice and, although he initially made money farming, there was a serious price to pay which led to the exact outcome Ifa had foreseen of him losing women’s favor. We know that’s never a good thing.

As always, this story teaches us many lessons, the most important of which being that just because something is easy for us and we already have the tools to do it doesn’t mean that’s what we’re meant to do. Further, while we might meet some measure of success in doing it, there may be unintended consequences. Making money at a job that we’re proficient at but which robs of us of our joy, for example. While another path may be more challenging, we might ultimately be led to even more success and wellbeing than is possible staying on the familiar road.

As we spoke about during our Monday Motivation, this doesn’t only apply to work but to anything we’re doing in our lives–including personal relationships–that feels easy and comfortable, but isn’t necessarily leading us where we’re meant to go. Our statement for the week, “I am open to what is meant for me,” inspires us to stay open to taking an unfamiliar road and reaping blessings we didn’t even know we were missing.

Our message of the week, Leadership, from the Chalks of Kikongo oracle deck encourages us to take hold of ourselves and remember that the first place we must exhibit leadership is in our own lives and dealings with ourselves. While it can be scary to step forward and take on the challenges and responsibilities of leadership, it is absolutely necessary. Following others and doing what’s easy can only get us so far, accepting the call to go beyond our current position and vision–being willing to do things we’ve never done–is the first step to having things we’ve never had.

Green aventurine, our crystal ally of the week, encourages us to tune down our minds and tune up our hearts. We can convince ourselves of anything by intellectualizing it, but our hearts and spirits know when we’re truly feeling in alignment. Be honest with yourself about your level of satisfaction with where you are and remember that joy is your birthright! We’re not here to toil and suffer, despite what we may be conditioned to believe. Gbadun! Grab sweetness! And know, too, that green aventurine is a bringer of luck and good fortune, so expect some blessings this week!

May these messages and lessons resonate with you whenever you connect with them! Ase!

~Iya Funlayo

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