The new Elevate Lounge is a spoken word forum - base on spirituality - a counseling and bereavement Group.
Elevate is about spirtual awareness and consciousness of self as women. It is to promote a positive self image of women and serves as a forum to express and share our hurts, pains, disappointments, fears as well as our joys. There is abuse counseling, rape and bereavement support. A completely Second Life project that we hope will grow and be able to thrive in Real Life
It's that time again. Time to pause and think about the contributions that African Americans/People of Color have offered to the world. Instead of going on and on (like I usually do) about the unsung heroes that "keep the dream alive" I've decided that each week I will feature a young person who is doing just that. I believe the children really are our future and the more we encourage and lift them up it will begin to act as a domino effect in our communities. I believe if we use these media platforms to give them attention and praise for the RIGHT reasons the more they will continue to do the very thing that makes us so proud. Not only that, it will also give their peers an example and an alternative to the lifestyles and reality that so many of us have to deal with every day. Yes it's hard but there is hope and sometimes hope is found in the unlikeliest of places.
In the meantime check out this poem called "A Black American" by Smokey Robinson
[update]Sorry guys. The event did not happen on the Feb. 10th due to a conflict with my real life schedule. I will be hosting one very soon. And yes I do realize I put the wrong date on the flyer. (LOL Whoops)What can I say? It was just a bad night for me. To everybody who messaged me wondering what the heck happened, I apologize.
Let's have an open discussion about dealing with deception in our lives. This includes both within relationships and the little white lies told in day to day interactions. I'm positive this topic will strike a nerve with those of us who have encountered it on a larger scale and have seen lies and betrayal destroy our lives in second life and real life as well. Also it will be interesting to talk about whether all lies (those that are said or left unsaid) are created equal.
Join us for an evening that will shed light on all the dark places most people like to keep hidden. Be sure to leave your masks and preconceived notions about social dialogues at home. Can't wait to see you there!
Let's Elevate?
"WE WEAR THE MASK" BY PAUL LAURENCE DUNBAR recited by Keith Walker
And he said unto them, Ye will surely say unto me this proverb, Physician, heal thyself: whatsoever we have heard done in Capernaum, do also here in thy country.
Luke 4:23
Every day living brings about pain - so we end up with wounds and scars. Some wounds are superficial and some run very deep and take a long time to heal. Typical daily things can cause wounds - losing a love one, losing a job, low self esteem and even loving someone can leave you with scars that need to be healed - but if left unattended can turn into a serious condition. Conditions that can lead to self destructive and self sabotage type behavior. But how do we heal up those wounds? Some turn to drugs or alcohol for a quick relief, others choose to focus on positive measures such as encouragement and strength from friends and my favorite method - PRAYER! Another way to heal a wound is a preventative measure - its hard to predict what will hurt us - but there are some measures that can be taken. Avoiding toxic people and not having unrealistic expectations of others is a way to protect ourselves. Recognizing the need for a healing is sometimes one of the hurdles we have to jump. We live busy , hectic lives that don't leave much time to focus on some matters in our lives - so we ignore the symptoms until we see the blood. We end up so battered, tattered, torn and bruised with unbearable pain. There is an answer - the one true God can heal and mend up every single wound and give you the strength to endure the pain until your healing is complete. Trust God. Give it all to Him every single pain and hurt. Let us encourage each other to seek the healing power of prayer for all our pains.
"But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed."
The new year is here and we are excited! As you know, the start of a new year is perfect for initiating projects or jump starting old ones. We have some ideas lined up for 2011 and we hope that you'll join us as we work towards materializing each and every one of them!
Elevate Poetry Lounge has always been a place that values quality over quantity in regards to the events we've held. Although we still value quality and connecting with people who encourage and inspire us we're ready to take that idea and kick it up a notch! This year is all about taking things to new heights. Get ready for more discussions, open mic nights, and maybe a conference or two. The sky is the limit and we're ready to fly.
Please check back here on the blog as we'll be keeping you updated on the weekly activities and events held in world.
Most of the shadows of this life are caused by our standing in our own sunshine.
~Ralph Waldo Emmerson
It's been a while since I've posted but I felt the beginning of the year is an excellent time to start fresh!
I sat here reflecting on the mission of Elevate! and I thought that I'd start a series of blogs over the next few weeks that focus on our tag line - Inspiration! Healing! Love! Truth!.
The new year brings about new joys, new fears, new goals and so many other things we desire for the new year, but to accomplish anything we need to be fueled by INSPIRATION! The INSPIRATION we need is all around us ... in the sheer joy of waking up in the morning ... to either a crisp blue sky or the gloomy grey goodness of God - it's all by His glory. I just want to encourage you this year to seek out your sources for inspiration - find them in the big things and the small things and then never hesitate to act upon your inspiration! Accomplish those goals - even if it's to just love yourself a tiny bit more go ahead and indulge yourself. Inspiration is its own reward... go forth and be INSPIRED!
Okay...I know it's been a minute since my last post, probably TOO long but you know how the saying goes "Life is what happens while making other plans." So rather than wasting time with excuses or various excerpts from my nonexistent social life, how about we get right into it? Sounds good to you? Okay! The topic I chose for July (and since we're at the end of this month...August as well)
Self Esteem: Loving Yourself Completely
Take a moment to let that settle in your heart and mind. How many of us are struggling with this issue on a daily basis? Do we ever reach a point where we are comfortable with who we are completely? Can we all truly look into the mirror and love the person staring back at us (inside and out) even on our worse days? What should we do when we don't feel so beautiful, secure, loved, accepted, or etc? How do you rebuild a broken person?
A simple solution for some would be... possibly getting together with a couple of friends, where you'll maybe have yourself a good cry over a cup of coffee, and then polishing off the evening with an empowering message or two from each person (round table style of course)about what makes you so incredibly awesome and finally a group hug to recharge your battery so you can face the world again. Two phone calls, a lunch date, and crises averted. Sounds easy right? Yes, it's great when you have a loving family or understanding group of friends who can pick you up when the chips are down. But some people don't have the luxury of a good support system. What should those people do when faced with a case of the "blues?"
I arrived at this topic while listening to a resounding outcry from my friends and other people I've crossed paths with this year. It's an issue that has been talked about on many levels but due to the rise in unemployment, other economic woes, and unrealistic standards that are set by media, more people are seriously starting to struggle with fostering a healthy self image.
My aim for this month, is to attempt to touch on all the topics that truly hinder us from loving ourselves no matter the situation, life path, or circumstance.
Please stay tuned... much more to come.
In the meantime, check out these poems by Dana Gilmore
