What Happens When a Black Woman Dares to Dream?
Part Two: Protecting the Possibility
Hello Dear AFIYA Readers!
In my last column, I asked you to dare to dream.
I asked you to imagine your life with no barriers between you and the future self you deeply desire to experience.
Where would you live?
How would you spend your time?
Who would be around you?
What would your work feel like?
What would you finally have room for?
And most importantly, what would your life feel like if you allowed yourself to imagine beyond what you’ve been told is possible?
I hope you took the time to answer those questions.
Because once you know what you want, the next question becomes:
What is standing between you and that life?
In this column, I share an internal to external process that will gently guide you to your desired future self:
Eliminate. Fill. Align.
1. ELIMINATE
Begin by paying attention to what creates friction between you and the life you desire.
Think about the people in your life.
Imagine sharing with them everything you wrote down in part one of this article.
The places you want to go.
The things you want to create.
The way you want to spend your time.
The life you are imagining for yourself.
How would they respond?
What would their energy be?
Would they be excited for you?
Would they encourage you?
Your intuition can be a great guide here.
I also advise doing the same with obligations in your life.
What needs to be eliminated or modified to reduce friction between you and your desired life?
Writing this down can help you stay focused.
What would your life feel like if you allowed yourself to imagine beyond what you’ve been told is possible?
2. FILL
Second, ask yourself:
What will I fill the space I’ve just created in my life with?
The answer is: yourself.
This is where you practice being with yourself and bathing in the essence of your desired life.
To have the life you want for yourself means to actually know what it feels like to abide in yourself.
Your own company can become deeply fulfilling when you are continually nourishing yourself and intentionally creating the life that you want.
Take yourself places.
Daydream, journal and rest.
Follow your curiosity.
Spend time with your vision board and planning your desired life.
You will be amazed how the Divine will step in to co-create with you once you make space.
3. ALIGN
From there, I advise becoming much more intentional about who and what you invite into your life.
The people.
The obligations.
Are they aligned with your desired life or not?
Everything that has access to you also has access to your energy.
So ask yourself:
Is this aligned with me and what I want?
Does this relationship support who I am becoming?
Does this environment nourish me?
Does this opportunity move me toward the life I actually want?
4. CONCLUSION
Beginning today, you can actively create your desired life. Small steps, lots of gentleness, and self-compassion are a must.
I celebrate you entering into your intentionally designed life!
Until next time, be well.
Erica
Erica Noelle is a writer and creative devoted to helping women return to the wisdom of their hearts. Through her work, she explores softness, emotional truth, and the quiet power of connection with self and community. Her passion is helping women connect with the deepest, most intimate parts of themselves.
Erica is the author of I Sit at the Center of My Constellation: A Handbook for Heart-Centered Humans. She and her 7 year old daughter, Kora, are also the founders of KE WonderLab, a loving and playful space for kids to connect with their own inner authority and wisdom.
Erica is a lover of softness and beauty, and dedicates herself to curating spaces that invite people to slow down, feel deeply, and return to themselves with care.
