Gratitude Amidst Tragedy

unlearn as we get older. From our k through twelve in doctrinization, is wasn't a celebration of a coming together of two cultures. In fact, it was quite the opposite. It was the decimation of Indigenous people. It was a decimation of their good will and hopefulness to be in community with these newcomers to what they the indigenous population Native Americans believed was shared land and a shared experience.

And instead, as we all know, that the Europeans that would make their way to the United States would claim it as their own, would destroy the land, which would commit genocide over countless generations. And I believe that currently we are living the results of that trauma. Particularly in this country, and just the assumption that it was just the times, it's just the way that things are. We accept the fact that hundreds and thousands of people in

this country enslaved other human beings. We just accept that. We accept that policies were created in order to have a permanent underclass in this country. We just accept that. We accept genocide and rape and brutalization and violence and horror as just a part of what it means to live in America. And they say consistently that those that do not understand their history will be condemned to repeat it. And not only do we repeat our history in this country,

it seems to get worse as passing generations happen. And what do I mean by worse? The desire to cover up reality, the desire to deny the wrongdoing as a way to absolve those of us living now from the responsibility that we have in order to continue to educate people, educate young people, educate elders so that we can come to a more acceptable common ground, a more create, more of a community that is steeped with the same shared values right of humanity and love and peace and goodwill.

And you know, as I reflect, and I promise this will get more uplifting. But as I always reflect this time of year, as we close out the year on all that's transpired, I find myself really overwhelmed this week. And I said this to you all yesterday that I hadn't really allowed myself to process the shooting that just took place in Colorado Springs until I was in the middle of my interview with Jonathan. And it took a lot for me to kind of choke back tears because

I hadn't allowed myself to feel paying. And I think that Jonathan, you know, provided earlier in the week his medical perspective as to why we do that this disassociation as a way to have self preservation. But the reason why I do it, I think why I was trying not to feel is because I'm genuinely really tired of

being sad. And you know, we get these couple of bumps, you know, like with the midterm elections and the fact that more young people Generation Z turned out in higher numbers than was to be expected, and that we're going to have our first Gen Z member of Congress enter into Congress from Florida's tenthsion congressional District, Maxwell Frost, and we have more women that are serving, we have more people of color that are serving, And so I really tried and try to hold on to those good things,

because without those good grains, right, we just exist in a land of despair. And I know and you know that that is the goal, right of the Republican parties, to create a country that is rocked by despair and grief and trauma and violence so that they can shape themselves as the party to fix the things that they

have caused. So I try not to despair, and I try not to put myself in the shoes of those who have lost family members to gun violence, whether it be mass shootings, which are just commonplace a part of what it means to be an American, whether it be you know, domestic violence, whether it be gang violence, whether

it be anything. The fact is is that there are too many fucking guns on the streets, and we have politicians that stoke fear, Republican politicians that stoke fear and add to the climate that is already heightened and as breaching a breaking point. It's hard. It's hard to look at young queer kids in Colorado who had this one place for their safe haven shattered right then it hearkens back to Pulse. It hearkens to Buffalo and families on

a Saturday morning going grocery shopping. It's hard to think about what to be thankful for and have gratitude for in the midst of so much angst and tragedy and anxiety and anger and rage and sadness. So I don't want to go over what happened in Colorado as if it's some type of speed bump and we're just moving

on to the next thing. What I want to say is that I know for many of you, like myself, that it is hard to sit around a table with chosen family, blood family, a mix of friends and family and not just want to collapse into despair, collective despair. So what I want to offer today is that we can hold multiple things at one time. We can hold grief in our hearts for the unrelenting gun violence and mass shootings that have become the norm in our society

over close to thirty years. We can hold hope for the next generations to solve the previous generations problems as we celebrate the fact that there was no red wave that more people showed up to vote in this midterm election than I've ever voted before, and we can feel proud about that. So we can hold pride in our

hearts alongside grief. We can hold hopefulness for more people becoming conscious to their power right, because that's what the midterms showed me and why I was and continue to be happy about how folks turned out at the beginning of this month, because I tell you all the time, sometimes I turn on this microphone and I feel like I am speaking out into a void, and I feel like there's only a hand full of people that are listening and who are nodding along with me, but that

there is no real impact that is happening, because the

tragedies just keep happening. And then I get wonderful, amazing emails and dms and messages and tweets that are not just about boosting my own ego but really reminding me that this work matters and that you all matter, and that I am really grateful for the opportunity to do what I love and do what I feel like I have been called to do for the past several years on wok F. It is really a privilege and an honor to speak to each and every one of you on a daily basis, And I can't thank you enough

for the words of encouragement that I receive that really do keep me going, And even if I don't respond immediately, know that, like, there are days when my heart feels really closed, when I feel really tired and just kind of done with this country and it's madness, and as trying not to cry on this episode, and your shared messages and encouragement and just ability to kind of pull me out of the darkness, I'm just so appreciative of because there isn't a probably a week that goes by

that some family member or a friend of mine doesn't tell me to find a new job. And it's not because they don't think that I am good at it, or because they don't have any impact, but because they're consistently worried about the toll that it takes on my emotional and mental well being. And that's okay because we have gotten back on the path to physical and mental wellness.

You guys know that I meditate multiple times a day, and every once in a while I have these fits where I will get into physical activity again and then I'll get pulled away and it'll be weeks that I haven't worked out, and so I am holding myself accountable as I am slowly but surely getting back into that physical activity as well and not You know, it's funny.

I think that what happens to with age is that initially you kind of want to work out, then diet because you want to fit into an outfit, or you have a special occasion coming up, or you want to make somebody jealous, or you want to make yourself feel good.

And I think that what happens with age, and I was having this conversation with my mother is you know, for those of you who have listened to the show for many years, you know that my mother, at the beginning of twenty twenty, right when the pandemic was happening, was diagnosed with a brain tumor, and thankfully it was benign,

and thankfully she recovered. And we were talking about her recovery because the only reason she was able to bounce back is because my mother is so physically fit, is because she not only owns a yoga studio, but she works out every single day. And you know, whether it

is walking or yoga or Pola bodies. Her physical and emotional and mental well being has always been a priority in her life, and I realize now that the reason why she's been able to bounce back from ailments that would take anyone down her age or older, sometimes even younger,

is because they don't have a good foundation. So as we continue to deal with the stress, the stressors and the trauma and all of the things that do bring us down, both emotionally and physically, it is just really important that if you are, if you do have the ability to be mobile, that you are, whether it is ten minutes a day, fifteen minutes a day or more, to give that gift to yourself to wake up with

gratitude for an able body. And if you don't have an able body, if in some way you in fact are disabled, there are so many ways in which to

exercise in a way that you can, right. So I say that to folks, because you know, I do find myself the last couple of weeks being really grateful for the ability to go walking, for the ability to you know, take classes, and the ability to work from home, particularly at times after these shootings when I feel really unsafe, right, and I have a lot of privilege because I'm able to record these shows from the safety of my home. But we know that there are people that are shot

and killed inside of their homes as well. But I don't want us to give up all the things that make us whole, happy human beings, which is the ability to take care of ourselves and then take care of the ones that we love. So I just want to give gratitude for all of you and for all that we have built together and all that we hopefully will continue to build together for years to come. Woke F

wouldn't exist without the woke F community. I wouldn't exist in the work that I do if I didn't have people that were willing to listen to me on a regular basis and take in what I say and create your own mustard seeds of hope. But yeah, this has been a tough week, and I think that it's okay to both hold the joy of being able to take.

Hopefully everyone is able to take a day or two to gather with those that you love, and whether that it is that happens in person or remotely, take the opportunity if you haven't talked to somebody in a while, if you haven't text with them, and now it feels

awkward and weird to reach out. Just reach out. Let the people know who you love that you love them often, right, Take an opportunity to go around your table, if that is where you will be this week, to really think about what you are grateful for, and not just in the moment that the question is asked, but really think about it every single day. Not everyone has the ability is given the gift of waking up every day. Not everybody that leaves their home return safely at the end

of each day. And I think that we take these little baby miracles for granted because we're always hoping and wishing and trying to manifest the next great thing. Opening our eyes is a great thing, the honor of being able to be present each and every day. As my mother says all the time, and as many Yogis say, they call it the present because it's a gift right. The future is not has not happened, and the past

is done right. So I just want each and every one of us, whether around the table with our family and friends, are over zooms or text messages, to create space for those that we love, and to fill that space with a love and empathy and compassion and grace for ourselves and for everyone around us. We are all dealing with more than we are sharing, and let us not walk through life making assumptions about other people's pain. Some are visible and some are not. Some will be

shared and some won't. But I think that that is the point of grace, and that is the point of empathy and compassion and love. Right So, my hope for all of you, and this is a genuine hope, is that with each and every day that you're granted, that you find something to be grateful for, even if that day that you can only say it is just the error that I'm taking in my lungs, and that each and every one of us live in a way that if we were taken tomorrow, it would still be a

life well lived. I am so very grateful to each and every single one of you that listens to the show, that shares, the show that holds me in your hearts and your minds. I am just genuinely appreciative, and I wish for you all as we enter into multiple different types of holiday seasons, that we find a way to hold all of our emotions, but most importantly, peace and joy and gratitude in our hearts. That is it for

me today. Dear friends, on this Thanksgiving episode of Will Gay f If you feel so inclined in the comment section, let me know what you are giving gratitude for today. Every day see her and know that if no one has told you you are appreciated, I appreciate each and every one of you as always. Power to the people and to all the people. Power, Get woke and stay woke as fuck.