Consciously Unlearning Messages I Unconsciously Learned That Hindered Me
Writer Spoken Word Artist Video Creator Storyteller
Writer Spoken Word Artist Video Creator Storyteller
Mitzy Sky is an award-winning poet who writes to transmute the pain to love. She’s consciously unlearning messages that hindered her from living wholeheartedly. Her focus is on letting go of internalized oppression to move forward from shame to presence, beyond labels.
Having a little fun with Damian Junior Gong Marley tune - A Me Name Junior Gong
Shame is like a veil that blocks you from the present moment to feel the joy from within to walk confidently on this Earth. Forgiveness is the key to removing the veil and taking back your dignity and confidence. Forgiving is what works for me after decades of talking about the suffering I endured because of getting violated sexually, physically, and emotionally by my parents.
After using this behavior of dropping out for many years, my recent experience buying a car during the choosing to shut down period, I found myself getting taken advantage of. I had to quickly wake up to speak up to ask for and get what I needed. I never labeled or looked at this behavior negatively. It is just what I did. I enjoyed my time with Netflix and Prime Videos, watching movies on weekends and at the end of a workday. I mainly chose action flicks and nothing mushy that would make me sad it worked for as long as it did, but now it no longer works, so it's time to let it go. When I say to myself, it is what it is. I'm not calling car dealership people evil. People are just doing what they are doing with this perspective of non. Judgment, I get to learn about myself. What lessons did the situation come to teach me? This way, I could choose to move forward, or I could repeat the behavior. Still no judgment.
For many years now, while working to live, I found slowing down and disengaging the best way to take care of myself from October to the end of December. I was holding on to the pain of abandonment and unforgiveness. I left Jamaica in the dead of winter as a child and held on to the pain of experiencing my first Christmas in America without any Christmas presents. Learning my mom's story then forgiving set me free from the pain. I was able to stop clinging to the old story that I was telling myself and gain the perspective of a mother that did her best under the circumstances that she was living.
OLD MESSAGE I WAS CLINGING ON TO - When I was in my twenties a neighborhood shopkeeper who owned a Mercedes Benz said to me, "you could never own one of these.” #soulwork #confidence #IAmNYMP #AwarenessIsNecessary #KnowYourself #PayAttention #lessonslearned #This2ShallPass Blog coming soon!
Looking back, editing and sharing the journey in a short documentary! I sat with my friend Luther A. Blackwell, Jr., for an early morning documenting session in January 2009. I share about fifteen minutes of it, plus some narration from the point of view where I am now. It is very possible to move from fear to love, shame to presence etc... It is the soul work to get to know ourselves.
I am excited about creating this project and look forward to sharing it. It is my latest update on writing I Am Not Your Mental Patient. I am taking the opportunity to look back at some of the footage I have been documenting over the last fourteen years. Editing and sharing the journey in a short documentary! Some hashtags that reminds me to keep moving forward lately are, #soulwork #consciouslyunlearning #knowyourself #awarenessiseverything #thistooshallpass
Humans are wired for connection, and it's a motivating feeling to know you are not alone! It was mad fun (slang for exciting) getting to meet so many people working and advocating in the world to drop the disorder to label human pain and suffering. I'm reminded now and then of this quote, "All truth passes through three stages. First, it is ridiculed. Second, it is violently opposed. Third, it is accepted as being self-evident." Schopenhauer
I was asked the following question during a presentation I did earlier this year. I put together this clip to share a little of how learning history, gaining awareness, letting go of the story of childhood misfortune helps me to move forward.
“I have also been called one thing and then another while no one really wished to hear what I called myself.” - Ralph Ellison The Invisible Man
“When we are no longer able to change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves.” ― Viktor E. Frankl
Getting to know myself, not words or stories that people provide to me, but learning and relearning for myself. These life lessons validates my spirit from what I experience. It is a continuous journey. I am not unique; we are all able to get to know ourselves well. There are myriads of ways to get that done. I am sharing my story because many other people shared their stories with me, and we keep on moving forward doing this life thing together. Still, we are more than what happened to us!
Gossiping to me comes more from shame and fear that caused me not to speak up which is part of internalizing the oppression.
Looking within. Learning about myself. What hindered me from staying in the present moment? Answering the tough questions.
Looking within. Learning about myself. What hindered me from staying in the present moment? Answering the tough questions. Facing and moving through the pain.
MOVEMENT IS NECESSARY
I've been constantly learning this lesson of how necessary movement is for overall health and wellbeing. I started and stopped so many times. I stayed focus even though sporadically over the years. In 2019 I feel like I found my groove with movement. I've moved into the new year with a positive attitude and energy to keep moving forward with movement.
"When you learn late pass it on to others so they could learn early, it's a step process." Russel Simmons
The NARPA conference 2019 offered a space where people in many different roles came together to share the work that they are doing for transformation in all systems of oppression for human rights and dignity for all.
learn more at www.narpa.org.
Support is one of the most important things that I’ve found to having confidence. One man is not an island. Sometimes people could feel alone in this world. I have found checking myself, my thoughts, to see what is happening within helps to notice the messages of disconnection learned. Looking back could cause such pain because I can't go back and change anything. Looking forward could cause such fear because I can't control what is not happening now. Staying in the present moment could also be hard when basic human needs are not met, and it becomes hard to figure out a way through difficult circumstances. However, I have come to find there is always away through, perhaps it is not the answer that I want but accepting the present moment and not fighting it helps me to have gratitude. Having support to know that I am not alone helps to let go some fears and experience the possibilities to move forward with hope and confidence
The Beyond the Story workshop focus is on the power of language (how words affect thoughts, thoughts affect emotions, reactions, choices & behaviors). It is a journey of continuous learning and sharing with others what I didn’t know at twenty-three years old when I was experiencing hardship and accepted mental health services. Sharing information that could bring forth awareness is the Why behind doing the work. With knowledge I get to make inform choices for my overall best human experience.
Getting the opportunity to present my workshop BEYOND THE STORY: Letting Go Judgment of Others and Getting to Know Thyself at the Alternatives 2019 Conference (#AltCon2019) Standing Together, Celebrating Our Gifts, Raising Our Voices hosted by the National Coalition for Mental Health Recovery (NCMHR) at theCatholic University of America (CUA) in Washington, DC, July 7 - 11, 2019.Thank you to everyone that made it possible because of your dedication to human rights and dignity!
Learning it's about the Presence not about the Pretty. Learning from many teachers and getting to understand stillness and being, it could be driving in the car or laying on the grass, just staying aware of what is happening inside and around me. The best thing is getting to "know thyself."
In This Moment is sharing my story in spoken word. It is about moving forward, learning about myself, family history and life sometimes very difficult circumstances. Consciously unlearning the things that I unconsciously learned that defeated me from having my best human experience what that means for me. Holding on to hope and possibilities.
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