IMAGE 1 DESCRIPTION: On a white background, a Black man (who is shirtless and wearing black jeans) is kneeling with his head back facing upwards and his hands behind his neck, shouting and looking trapped.
IMAGE 2 DESCRIPTION: On a white background, a Black man in a white t-shirt, grey jeans, black baseball cap, and black sneakers has his arms open and he is free-falling face-first into an unknown infinite space.
From 21 May 2020.
It’s #MentalHealthAwarenessWeek here in the UK! So, we wanted to reach out to all those struggling visibly and invisibly, and say we love you. In particular, we want to send this message out to #disabled people (including those with #InvisibleDisabilities and #ChronicIllness) everywhere, especially black, indigenous, and people of colour (#BIPOC) disabled people.
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Our Founder & Chief Purpose Officer, Sulaiman, would like to add to you: “Keep going. You’re okay, and you’re doing great! You’re loved, appreciated, valued, capable, and needed. ‘Do not feel lonely, the entire universe is inside you.’– Rumi. So, you got this and our disabled AF selves are worthy of everything we wish (and desire). If it helps, I choose to work towards aligning (resting, recharging, reflecting, recovering, restoring, and replenishing) over constant hustling. I’m not fully there yet myself, but for me, the older (and wiser and handsome) I get it’s about progress over perfection. And I’m always here for you too. X”
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In these precarious times, like the first photo, we also know you may feel trapped and want to shout about the *valid feelings you have. Still, like the second photo you sometimes have just to let go of everything and just breathe (and trust yourself, #BeKind to yourself, and love yourself wholeheartedly). You are always enough as you are, where you are, and in whatever capacity.
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Also, please don’t ever feel any shame or guilt for looking after your #MentalHealth (and YOU) and asking for help or to stop judging yourself. You are perfectly imperfect. As human beings, we are all connected, and it’s okay to ask for help because no one should ever feel alone nor suffer in silence, especially the disabled community across the world as Sulaiman believes interdependence > (is greater than) independence, which we all should aim for daily.
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We are Queens & Kings in a world amongst fools. Our holistic wellbeing must always come first and deserves our full respect and attention by continuously listening to our feelings and intuition. So, with Radical Self-Love, Radical #Kindness and Radical #Acceptance, it’s alright to: protect your holistic being, ask for help, set boundaries, rest, not justify yourself to anyone, go at your pace, cut out the noise (people and environments), and live your life as you wish amongst other self-preservation techniques to thrive not merely survive.
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And just a reminder: Please be kinder and more empathetic to your disabled friend/family/colleague/neighbour/boss/partner/lover/other/et cetera in these tough times with COVID-19 but particularly in times of calm every single day. Address your ableism. Reach out and check-in. We need more authentic allies to listen to us, believe us, support us, invest in us, and champion us.
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Our message in short: We hear you, we see you, we feel you, and we got you. Just take ONE BREATH AT A TIME: NORMALITY IS A CROWD-SOURCED, ABLEIST FANTASY.
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Enough said.
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Photo 1 by Mwangi Gatheca on Unsplash and Photo 2 by Joseph Gruenthal on Unsplash.
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#MentalHealthAwarenss #Priorities #PrioritiseYourself #ChooseYou#YouAreWorthy #SelfCare #RadicalKindness #RadicalAcceptance#RadicalSelfLove #ThisAbility #creativity #equity #Disability#WorkHardAndBeNiceToPeople #BeBraveAndDrivenByPurpose#DontBeADick #BeBoldBeWildBeFearless #CripTheVote#DisabledLivesMatter #iWeigh
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