Speaking of terror, and thinking of Supreme Love, I was thinking about fragmented selves a lot, all week. I’m documenting the process of developing the Supreme Love methodology in a course. As I build and implement it, I’m considering so many ideas.
One salient idea I want to share with you today, as we close out the week, is this: you need to talk to You.
No typo.
you need to talk to You.
you (the fragments of Yourself) want to talk to You (your whole, true, wise, Supremely Loving Self).
you need to talk to You.
There are so many things you want to say to You.
you want to share your dreams, your fears, your questions, and your hopes with You. you want to tell your secrets out loud, you want to know what You think, what is True, how to move in the next situation being co-created with Life.
you want to be assured. you want to yell and scream and kick and bite until you’re spent. you want to argue and lose to the higher order, the trusted benevolence, the guiding grace You have access to. you want to cry with You. you want to laugh with You. you want to tell jokes with You. you want to be seen, acknowledged, appreciated, and heard by You. you want to lean on You. you want to be totally, completely, and absolutely naked with You. you want to trust You. you want to believe in You. you need You to survive.
- you need You to survive.
- you need You to survive.
- you need You to survive.
The smallest, and often most wounded parts of You may not know what to talk about. Nonetheless, you want to talk to You.
When You come to a place in Your journey where You are ready to love yourself Supremely, You will need to do deep excavations of Your soul. When You come to a place in your journey where You are ready to love Yourself Supremely, You will need to do deep excavations of Your body. When You come to a place in Your journey where You are ready to love Yourself Supremely, You will need to do high elevations as a spirit. (NOTICE MY INTENTIONAL PHRASING HERE: I said “as a spirit,” not “of your spirit.” You ARE a spirit. You HAVE a soul. You (currently) RESIDE in a body.) No typo.
The parts of You that need You live in the soul and flesh/body. You can learn more about these places in the Spectrum of Your Personhood by reading my book. Your parts are small. They may be dismembered (unfamiliar with other parts). They may be dis-eased (relationally or socially t/Terrorized). They may be dis-ordered (living in places that are not for their residence, for way too long). These parts of You have voices and they tell stories. Their voices are distinct. Their stories are filled with “meanings” and “truths” that guide emotion and behavior. They establish toxic reasoning, destabilizing patterns, painful habits, limited perspectives, survival programs, defense mechanisms, and the like. you have so much to tell You.
So many things.
you may not know where to start. you may not know what to say to You
Here is a beginning:
You start.
Not you.
You.
Let the highest order of You begin the conversation with you. Let you off the hook.
You start.
Ask your self….your fragmented self….some questions.
Ask:
1. What happened, baby? Tell me. What happened?
2. What are you afraid of, my darling? What is it? I’m here.
3. What do you need to say now, sweetheart? Share now. Say anything.
Give your self….your fragmented self….some love.
Say:
1. Thank you for speaking. I hear you, my darling. I hear you.
2. Stay with me, you angel. Stay.
3. Listen to me, precious. I will tell you what is True.
This is a beginning. Learning the full Supreme Love methodology is simple after it is explained and modeled. Until that time, this is a beginning.
When you want to talk to You, you may not know what to say. So, at first, let You do all the talking. The You that is the realest, biggest, flyest, most powerful part of Yourself is in touch with all that is Divine, Holy, Sacred, Pure, True, Wise, Faithful, Joyful, Peaceful, Powerful, Gentle, Longsuffering, Kind, Trustworthy, and Graceful. You have access to the answers for you. They were given by the Creator. you just forgot. So you need to talk to You.
Start talking.
Look in the mirror, or close your eyes and visualize your self (not selves…focus on one part of you at a time). Be the smallest, most wounded, guarded, angry, violent, anxious, terrified part of You and tell You your sad story in your own voice.
Listen to you carefully, without judgement, cruelty, expectations, condemnation, or direction. Ask the questions above to get the conversation started. Make the statements above to keep it going or close it. After You’ve talked to you, be sure to bless you in departure. Establish new order. What You find in you may surprise You. your voices may scare You. your stories may sadden You. Keep all that You find in you. you are a treasure. Then, go about your day. Do You. All day and rejoice. Amen.
Just remember.
you need to talk to You.
you need You to survive.
Don’t be afraid. you can trust You. You have what it takes to take care of you. How can I be sure?
Because You’re here.
You’re here.
You’re here.
#SupremeLoversUnite #GetSome #LetsAllGetFree #ActuallyYouCan #youNeedToTalkToYou #StartToday
Jeanine Staples is Associate Professor of Literacy and Language, African American Studies, & Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies at the Pennsylvania State University. Her book, The Revelations of Asher: Toward Supreme Love in Self, is an endarkened, feminist, new literacies event (Peter Lang, 2016). In it, she explores Black women’s t/Terror in love. She produces research-based courses and methodologies that enable marginalized girls and women to realize internal revelations that fuel external revolutions.
Dr. Staples’ next book details the evolution of her acclaimed undergraduate course, The Philadelphia Urban Seminar. In it, she explores Supreme Love in schools. She shows how she generates curriculum and methodologies that incite anti-racist, anti-sexist, anti-ableist pedagogical stances among teachers interested in urban education and equity for all people in schools and society.