James Huỳnh, PhD, MA, MPH

Every month, I have a session with my strengths coach, Marcia Lee. Marcia likes to open up our sessions by asking, “What’s important to say out loud to yourself, today?” Then she’ll ask me what I want to work on together. Recently, I felt like I was struggling with two opposing life paths. I wanted to engage in this dialectical tension for our session. Marcia told me that Grace Lee Boggs trained her to see dialectical forces as things that appear to be opposite, but can exist together. Below are the things I said aloud to myself during this April session. These are words, that when Marcia read back to me, gave me chills. So, I’m putting them here to remind myself.

I already have everything I need.  I just need to trust in that instead of yearning for something more.  Trust in myself a lot more than I doubt myself.

Laying on the ground: I’m ok. Breathing.  Calm.  Lower back hurts. Cold.

It will be what it’ll be. -the future version of-it is what it is.  Bringing mindfulness and trusting in the journey-not over thinking it. Trusting my own process.  Feeling: a little nervous, but kind of freeing in a sense.

Freeing feels like: being in tune with my body and trusting in the earth.  That it’ll take care of me. Putting trust in the people in the community. 

Wanting to achieve liberation is wanting myself and my people to live a comfortable life.  To be able to have a joyful life and that means we have the material resources to do so.

Trust shows up in my shoulders, upper arms, tingly feeling.

Trust is: Take the things one day and one step at a time.  Trusting in the process and not thinking too much about it-not overthinking every part of the process.  I know when it happens, because I’ve done it before.  Saying yes to myself and saying no to something external. 

Joy: my head buzzes. Hearing and sharing other people talk about their community-engaged projects.  Brainstorm together.  Redistribute to our community. Think together and be together in rebellious ways.  Research.  Grow how we think. 

Listening to my body.  When it’s tired, to rest.   

North star: listening to my body and what it tells me

Important: Trust in myself a lot more than i doubt myself-print it out and seeing them will be helpful

TRUST IN WHAT I HAVE AND THAT IS ENOUGH

Gratefulness practice