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Scraping the Smolder: The Kuumba Response

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  Scraping the Smolder: The Kuumba Response https://www.spreaker.com/episode/scraping-the-smolder-the-kuumba-response--72113846 When the roof is on fire and the smoke is thick, the absolute worst thing you can do is pull up a chair and start analyzing the chemical makeup of the flames. Yet, how often do we do exactly that with our lives? Today, on this double Kuumba day, we are challenging the urge to intellectualize our pain. We often sit in the ashes of our communities and our spirits, debating why we are hurting instead of moving into the rescue. Creativity isn't just about building something new; sometimes, the most profound act of Kuumba is taking a chisel to the charred wood of your life and scraping away the buildup. It is about removing the illusions and dropping the dead weight that the world has convinced you to carry. The river clears itself only when it stops trying to hold onto the mud. Reflection Questions: What obvious damage in your life are you currently over-anal...

Respect Reciprocity

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  Great Ujamaa in this week of Ujima: These are two beautiful principles especially when they come together like today. we are forced to look at them and then take a hard look at ourselves, and think about whether we are exercising them. Ujima (which is the week that we are in) speaks to us about collective work and responsibility, but also in our system it represents the powerful and necessary principle of respect. Without respect nothing moves. Respect is like oil; it allows different parts to run smoothly together, and it reduces friction. Today's Principle is Ujamaa which talks to us about cooperation and resources, but it also represents the principle of gratitude, and reciprocity in our tribe. When we take the time and put these two principles together we get an unbeatable combination. A combination sorely needed in our communities. "Ujima reminds us of collective work and responsibility; but also respect, without it nothing moves." Today, I want to take a look at t...

Collective Kujichagulia

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  Great Kujichagulia to all my Kuji born out their: "Umoja in motion (collective work and responsibility)" We are looking at Kujichagulia today through the marvelous principle of Ujima. For those new to the journey, and to remind the old heads Ujima means collective work and responsibility. We teach within Gye-Nyame that Ujima is Umoja in motion. Today let's look at the power of a collective, which is a group that pulls together to accomplish a goal. Now let's imagine that they collectively focus on defining their world, or bringing it close to home,redefining their world. What type of changes could this collective bring about? "Gye-Nyame Journey has already put this into motion , by redefining the day" Kujichagulia as we saw last week is strong on defining the world, and since we are in the week of Ujima I believe that it is appropriate for me to call on our collective to start to redefine the world that we are in. Using our collective thought power to resh...