dreams & nightmares.
thoughts on picking up the dreams you dropped + reads & vibes for your weekend
Ah yes, another Friday! We made it. Let’s not waste any time - we’re jumping right in.
thoughts at large.
How do dreams become nightmares, and what do you have to do to dream again?
Over the last few weeks, I’ve had conversations about the same thing with multiple people. Anytime that happens, I know there’s something that God wants me to pay attention to or a lesson I need to learn and apply ASAP.
It all stems from the questions above - about dreams. I don’t know about you, but I’ve deferred a few dreams I’ve had, and for various reasons. There are times that I’ve been too scared to make a move. There were things that people around me discouraged me from pursuing, and if I’m honest, there were things I discouraged myself from doing because they didn’t seem practical. Can you relate?
The thing about dreams though, is that if you don’t walk them out they will recur, and stick with you until you do something about it - which can feel like a nightmare. I know because it’s happened to me.
Earlier this week, I had the opportunity to attend Pastor Sarah Jakes Roberts’ “Hope Revival Tour” - and while it was a long night, I think I got what I was supposed to get. In keeping with the theme, there was a lot of talk about hope, and what hope does for us in the process of us going after our dreams. If I could distill the message down to just a few thoughts it would be these:
Our dreams, even the ones that we let fall by the wayside, have purpose and value beyond what they can do for us as individuals.
In order to really fulfill our dreams, we have to release the hurt, pain, and weapons we’re holding on to and trade them for vulnerability and desperation for support.
Hope is the belief that something is possible for you. Courage is the set of steps you take to make that belief a reality. Our hope is the fuel for our courage.
If I can encourage you with one thing this week, it’s this: take some time to think about what dreams you’ve laid down that you should pick back up again. It’s not always easy, but it will be worth it.
reads + vibes.
The magic and the pain behind Method Man and Mary J. Blige’s ‘All I Need’ by Justin Tinsley via Andscape (Trigger warning, this story involves SA at the hands of Russell Simmons.)
SZA is Billboard’s Woman of The Year - feature story by Heran Mamo via Billboard
Gen Z slang: Your One Stop, No Judgement Guide by Jude Cramer via Fast Company (the gag is, none of this slang was created by gen z, it’s all been co-opted from AAVE & Black queer culture…stop the erasure.)
Snowfall is back for its final season - if you watch the show, how do you think it will end? I think Franklin Saint is going to meet his end… tell me how you feel via a comment or reply. Episodes air Wednesday at 10/9C on FX, or stream the next day on HULU.
Bel Air is also back! In season 2, I’m looking forward to seeing how Will continues to adapt to life in Bel Air. The show was great last season, and I’m glad they’re back for more. New episodes drop Thursdays on Peacock.
I’ve been watching Perfect Match on Netflix, a show that invites singles from a variety of other Netflix reality shows, to come together and identify their perfect match. It seems to me that they heard the cry of the people and ensured they invited some Black girls, but it felt like they were there to meet a diversity quota. I was particularly troubled when one of the Black guys introduced a Black woman to another Black man and described her as a “strong independent Black woman” - My only question is - why do y’all do that?
You and I both need some Jesus in our lives - and The Walls Group has come to deliver with their new album “Four Walls”. I’m not going to lie, these siblings are my faves because all four of them can sing for real. The album has a feature for Stevie Wonder… what more could you ask for? Listen via Apple | Spotify
Chloë tapped Chris Brown for her latest single “How Does It Feel” - I think my favorite part of this is the Usher “Throwback” sample that Hitmaka dropped in the production.
Janelle Monae’s new single “Float” has been getting heavy rotation in my car. She recently dropped an official dance video to go along with it, and I love it. I think the dancers captured the vibe of the song perfectly:
Well, that’s a wrap for this week friends. Be safe, and dream big dreams!
Franklin won’t die. I think the family unit is going to either come back together or not - well that’s obvious lol. I also still believe Franklin’s girlfriend is setting him up. There is something about her that I just don’t trust.