Live at University of Wisconsin -Madison
A note from Chinez:
On the heals of tragic national news, the death of Kobe Bryant, his daughter Gigi, as well as, the 7 other passengers on a helicopter flight, I thought it best to encourage the students of the People Program of University of Wisconsin-Madison with a few words of wisdom on self acceptance and fortitude. For students in this program, all coming from diverse backgrounds, they are often times met with societal limitations and microaggressions, all coupled with the pressure to succeed. I spoke at length about befriending your inner voice and the importance of practicing kindness and grace when supporting yourself through life’s trials and tribulations.
At the end of my talk, I was asked by a student how “ I got to this point.” My initial thought (which I of course said aloud), was what point? She went on to ask how I have been able to reach a point of self-confidence where my inner dialogue is positive, motivating, and forgiving. What I shared with that student and later flew home reflecting on is how this process never actually ends. While we would like to believe that one day we will feel completely confident in every area of our lives, that is simply not the case for most of us.
Whether we are growing through trauma, avoiding opportunities to evolve, or somewhere in between, finding balance and comfort in the pursuit of a better relationship with ourselves is ultimately what we should strive to commit to. Otherwise, we might find ourselves on the proverbial treadmill of perfection seeking and underwhelming experiences. To commit to achieving perfection would be a commitment to madness. My hope for those students is that they invest in their relationship with growth and self-evolution; invest in the changing of minds, majors, and what they consider monumental life moments. To define what success means for them alone and self-actualize it. As for my own journey, we are most certainly still working on it…
The marathon continues. - Nipsey Hussle.
-Chinez
Happy Black History Month!
