Soul Salon with Ayandastood

Congo is currently undergoing a silent genocide. We are lifting our voices for the people of DRC. This episode is my imperfect attempt to amplify the ongoing situation in Congo, and share the 5 greatest lessons I learned from a book I read in light of the moment we are in called Cobalt Red: How the Blood of the Congo Powers Our Lives by Siddharth Kara. In this episode, I also read an overview of what’s happening in the Northern Kivu regions where militia groups are massacring, exploiting, and sexually assaulting Congolese people. Free Congo, Free Sudan, Free Palestine, Free Haiti, and free all nations and peoples suffering under colonial, capitalist, supremacist, and military violence. 🎥: Watch the video of this episode on Spotify or YouTube. Sending all my love to you today, sunshine.  Key quote from episode:  “Cobalt mining is the slave farm perfected.” — Siddharth Kara, Cobalt Red Time stamps: (04:46): Situation overview (18:31): Documentary: Crisis In The Congo (22:26): Book: Cobalt Red & the 5 lessons I learned (25:35): Map of DRC conflicts (29:13): Lesson 1: Exploitative tech giants (43:30): Lesson 2: Human rights atrocities (56:33): Lesson 3: Colonial history (01:03:07): Lesson 4: Stolen future: The assassination of Patrice Lumumba (01:11:47): Lesson 5: Public Health Crisis (01:17:47): How we can help (donate, amplify, share) LEARN: Book: Cobalt Red: How the Blood of the Congo Powers Our Lives by Siddharth Kara Documentary: Crisis In The Congo: Uncovering The Truth by Friends of the Congo Talk: Cobalt Red with Siddharth Kara by Foreign Policy Association Book: King Leopold's Ghost: A Story of Greed, Terror, and Heroism in Colonial Africa by Adam Hochschild Instagram infographics: Follow @powerfulcountries [Source(s): UnitedNations, IPIS Research, International Rescue Committee, AfricanNews, Al Jazeera, Human Rights Watch, NY Times, Wikipedia, AP News, Relief Web, and The Independent] DONATE: Congolese-led organizations Friends of the Congo Panzi Foundation is renowned for its work in treating survivors of sexual violence. The foundation supports survivors of gender-based violence.  HEAL Africa Based in Goma, HEAL Africa runs a hospital and provides health care, training, and community development programs. UCOFEM (Union Congolaise des Femmes des Médias): An organization focused on women’s rights and gender equality. International organizations UNHCR International Rescue Committee Doctors without Borders

Discover the importance of prioritizing sustainability in your creative journey. Learn how small, consistent efforts can lead to personal growth while respecting your energy. Explore nature's wisdom on community and collective action. Find out how to embrace limitations and turn them into creative opportunities. Dive into nurturing goal-setting that encourages realistic promises to yourself. This conversation is a gentle reminder to pursue your dreams sustainably and connect with yourself and others meaningfully.

as a Black South African, my existence and freedom today are only possible because of the liberation efforts of anti-apartheid revolutionaries like Steve Biko, Winnie Mandela, Chris Hani, and Nelson Mandela. all of these people were labeled terrorists by the apartheid government and international community. like Israel, the USA and UK financially supported the South African apartheid government (until it was no longer popular to). after many attempts at non-violent protest, the ANC had to turn to armed struggle. they found that there was no other call for justice and freedom for Black South Africans that would be heeded. this is the case in all liberation struggles. the violence that was used to oppose the apartheid regime in South Africa can not be put on equal footing with the extreme violence of apartheid itself, and must always be viewed in its proper context: an attempt by an indigenous people to be free from the militarized and everyday terror of a white supremacist apartheid state. the same is true for Palestine, with respect to Zionism. ⁠decolonization is not a metaphor.⁠ when we see thorns of violence, and when they pierce our skin, we must look at them and consider: if i am against this thorn, i must acknowledge that this thorn has a stem, this stem has a root, and if i am not against the root of violence, suffering, and terror that gave this thorn life and made its existence not only possible but inevitable, I cannot in good conscience claim to be against violence at all.  colonialism and imperialism are the root of all structural violence; are the true terrors against humanity and this earth, so normalized and so protected that to condemn them is to be labeled with words only appropriate for the militarized forces of the world that create the most heinous, and organized forms of violence we as human beings have ever been made to experience and witness. this is an episode in solidarity with my Palestinian siblings, suffering under the weight of an oppressive regime. Free Palestine — free every colonized people from imperialism and colonialism, from bombs, raids, checkpoints, seiges, humiliation, terror, blockades, forced removals, occupations, prisons, slavery, and exploitation. re-indigenize this earth so that peace, community, and love can be returned to the center of human life on this precious planet. DONATE:  Medical Aid for Palestinians is on the ground in Gaza where they are working to stock hospitals with essential drugs,disposables and other healthcare supplies. Palestine Children’s Relief Fund is the primary humanitarian organization in Palestine. They deliver crucial, life-saving medical relief and humanitarian aid on the ground The World Food Program has been distributing fresh bread, canned food and ready-to-eat food to those who sought refuge in United Nations Relief and Works Agency shelters in Gaza Doctors Without Borders is providing support to hospitals and health facilities in Gaza UNRWA is providing medical support, trauma relief, and food assistance on the ground in Gaza LEARN:  Decolonize Palestine has an overview, myth database, and reading list. Support their Patreon here SOURCES MENTIONED: Video: Why Hamas Attacked Israel - And What's Next For Gaza by Dena Takruri for AJ+ Paper: Decolonization is not a metaphor by Eve Tuck and K. Wayne Poem: Refugee by Mahmoud Darwish Essay: My Palestinian Poem that “The New Yorker” Wouldn’t Publish by Fady Joudah Poem: Shades of Anger by Rafeef Ziadah Poem: HADEEL by Rafeef Ziadah Poem: The Shelling Ended by Najwan Darwish Poem: My Sixteen-Year-Old Mother by Ahlam Bsharat Documentary: Oceans of Injustice Essay: Poetry is Not a Luxury by Audre Lorde

welcome to ACT 2 of our convo on longing for a romantic relationship and what wisdom we can learn from this longing. In this episode, I read you a love poems, invite you to define romance for yourself, and share my pov on what romance means to me, and how it can be accessed through friendship. I am sending you love, today and always. 🤎 ADVICE COLUMN: ☎️ seeking advice and want to PHONE IN with a question? ⁠⁠⁠⁠submit a voicemail here⁠⁠⁠⁠. 📩 OR WRITE IN an advice question anonymously at the ⁠⁠ASK Ayanda form⁠ here⁠. 🎥: Watch the video of this episode on Spotify or YouTube. key quotes from episode:  “I dreamed of romantic love and I thought I knew the packaging it would arrive in. But the substance was most important — and it did not come packaged as a romantic lover, but as a best friend”  “I will love and be loved. Save and be saved a thousand times.” — Kate Baer “Value all deep bonds equally” — bell hooks “Is it really so that the one I love is everywhere?” — Rumi time stamps (01:49): welcome to Act 2!  (06:50): poem: ⁠Idea⁠⁠ by Kate Baer  (20:10): my definition of romance (28:27): conceptual barriers  (36:43): poem: ⁠Looking for love⁠⁠ by Rumi  ☎️ advice hotline: phone in with a question here sources mentioned:  Poem: Idea by Kate Baer Poem: Looking for love by Rumi Essay: The Uses of the Erotic: The Erotic as Power by Audre Lorde Book: Communion: The Female Search for Love by bell hooks join the community:  my newsletter: ayandastood.substack.com please join me here! Every Sunday: Join showing up together, a virtual working session every Sunday on Zoom from 9am-12pm EST. Follow me at @ayandastood on TikTok and @ayandastood on IG

today we are talking about longing for romantic relationship and what wisdom we can derive from this longing. how can we integrate rather than suppress our romantic longing? what else can it be channeled into? what does our longing have to say to us, and are we listening? we'll be leaning on works like bell hooks' Communion and Audre Lorde's Uses of the Erotic. This is part 1 of a 2 part series. stay tuned for next episode where we will be discussing things like: romantic friendship, the media we consume, and reimagining where we can find love and desire in our lives. sending all my love to you today, sunshine.  ADVICE COLUMN: ☎️ seeking advice and want to PHONE IN with a question? ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠submit a voicemail here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. 📩 OR WRITE IN an advice question anonymously at the ⁠⁠⁠ASK Ayanda form⁠ here⁠⁠. 🎥: Watch the video of this episode on Spotify or YouTube. key quotes from episode:  “imagine we had a society structured on the principle of love: teaching us how we can be loving and receive love; creating the conditions for all kinds of love to flourish and thrive" "longing is love. what else can we channel the love underlying our romantic longing into?" Time stamps (00:44): poll + leave me a voice note <3  (03:10): what is romantic longing?  (07:45): honor your longing (14:22): integrate your longing (23:25): self-love is the beginning (25:10): longing is love (33:00): love as a practice (36:39): how can you be more loving today? ☎️ advice hotline: voice note me here with a question or thoughts sources mentioned:  Book: Communion: The Female Search for Love by bell hooks Essay: The Uses of the Erotic: The Erotic as Power by Audre Lorde Podcast episode: Redefining the Erotic by me on Spotify, Apple, YouTube Book: Emergent Strategy: Shaping Change, Changing Worlds by adrienne maree brown Quotes: Love Quotes from the Works of A. H. Almaas Tweet by @northstardoll join the community:  my newsletter: ayandastood.substack.com please join me here! Every Sunday: Join showing up together, a virtual working session every Sunday on Zoom from 9am-12pm EST. Follow me at @ayandastood on TikTok and @ayandastood on IG

The podcast explores the paradoxes of proving ourselves and the unmet needs behind it; emphasizing pursuing things irrespective of outcome and finding love regardless of 'success'; discussing self-denial, lack of genuine support, and losing ourselves in societal expectations; revealing the importance of authenticity, self-acceptance, and creative freedom.

If you obsess over planning things instead of letting them unfold naturally, this episode is for you! Join me as we explore the notion and paradox of Becoming. Let’s release the illusion of control, and let the seed of your ideas and your relationships grow into what they wish to become. Nourishing the seed is meaningful and necessary — trying to control and define its possibilities may not be. Sending all my love to you today, sunshine.  ADVICE COLUMN: ☎️ seeking advice and want to PHONE IN with a question? ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠submit a voicemail here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. 📩 OR WRITE IN an advice question anonymously at the ⁠⁠⁠⁠ASK Ayanda form⁠ here⁠⁠⁠. 🎥: Watch the video of this episode on Spotify or YouTube. Key quotes from episode:  “Honor the magic within you by understanding that you cannot fully contain, predict, or control its expression.” Time stamps (01:39): Controlling our creativity (04:37): Optimizing in dating (07:20): Nourish the seeds  (08:29): The Wisdom of Insecurity by Alan Watts (12:16): Accessing our wisdom (16:45): Breakups, birth & death (22:14): Trust the process (23:35): Examples (play, dance, etc) (28:30): My podcast’s Becoming (29:50): The importance of space  ☎️ seeking advice and want to phone in with a question? submit a voicemail here Sources mentioned:  Book: The Wisdom of Insecurity: A Message for an Age of Anxiety by Alan Watts Join the community:  my newsletter: ayandastood.substack.com please join me here! Every Sunday: Join showing up together, a virtual working session every Sunday on Zoom from 9am-12pm EST. Follow me at @ayandastood on TikTok and @ayandastood on IG Quotes from this episode:  “When we let something new Be, we also let it Become”  “In our very Being is the state of Becoming”  “Surrender the illusion that we are in control" “Suspend judgment, initially at least, and let yourself have the first draft. If you are writing and editing at the same time, for example, you are curtailing the possibilities of your words before they have even been given a chance to be fully expressed" “On a first date, you don’t need to interview someone. You can choose to just experience them”  “We have so much love to give. We only need to stop ourselves from constantly silencing that giving. We have so much wisdom to share; sometimes what we are craving most is just the space to let that voice inside of us speak; to let it unfold — to let it become" “What will you surrender to this week? What will you allow to manifest through you? Instead of trying to exert control — pause, and tap into a wisdom, power, and intelligence that is bigger than your ability to plan for it" “Honor your inner child, and your inner manifestation of love — the part of you that craves love, and the part of you that is love — and create from that place” 

today we are digging deeper into my own creative fear — why and how I fear cancellation, my experience with it thus far, and what I tell myself in the face of this fear. ADVICE COLUMN: ☎️ seeking advice and want to PHONE IN with a question? ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠submit a voicemail here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. 📩 OR WRITE IN an advice question anonymously at the ⁠⁠⁠⁠ASK Ayanda form⁠ here⁠⁠⁠. 🎥: Watch the video of this episode on Spotify or YouTube. Key quote from episode:  "I fear the social death that comes with disposability culture, where Black creators are built up just to be teared down" "I'm not fearless, I'm terrified" "I want to love myself so much that I am never disposable; I am never worthless" Time stamps (00:24): quick affirmation for you (02:46): i'm not fearless I'm terrified (06:48): self-sabotage and fear (20:32): disposability culture and Black creators (28:49): what this fear stops me from doing (31:19): my past experiences with cancellation (42:05): what I tell myself in the face of fear Sources mentioned:  Book: Emergent Strategy: Shaping Change, Changing Worlds by adrienne maree brown Book: The Mountain is You by Brianna Wiest Essay: The Transformation of Silence into Language and Action by Audre Lorde Podcast: The Highest Self Podcast by Sahara Rose Join the community:  my newsletter: ayandastood.substack.com (www.ayandastood.substack.com) please join me here! Every Sunday: Join showing up together, a virtual working session every Sunday on Zoom from 9am-12pm EST. Follow me at @ayandastood on TikTok and @ayandastood on IG

Explore the myth of qualification and self-doubt, emphasizing the need to recognize personal worth and experiences. Learn to trust in your abilities and create a spiritual resume to chase your dreams. Challenge societal norms and embrace self-discovery for a fulfilling life and relationships.

Explore the freedom of recommitment as a vital part of the creative process. Discover how shame for avoidance can hinder your return to projects and relationships. Nature serves as a perfect metaphor for returning, reminding us that breaks can enrich our journeys. Delve into the importance of rekindling lost connections and embracing the courageous act of recommitment. This discussion encourages self-compassion, allowing us to reshape our paths and view every return as a brave and enriching act.