Beyond the Mic… and Into the Messy Middle

(A podcast. A pause. And three questions that found me right where I was.)

It’s Monday night.

And like I always do, I ended the day exactly how my spirit requires—still.

Not walking. Not problem-solving. Not micromanaging the mission.

Just me, some quiet, and the familiar comfort of tuning in to “Beyond the Mic with Dr. Elaine and Lady Dawn B.”

Tonight’s episode featured the incredible Dr. Cheryl Hardy, and the topic was spiritual and mental wellness.

But this wasn’t your typical buzzword banter or surface-level “take care of yourself” fluff.

This was deep work in real time.

The kind of conversation that doesn’t just speak to you—it calls something out of you.

And somewhere in the middle of this sacred, soul-soaked exchange, Dr. Hardy asked three questions—softly, clearly, like she wasn’t just speaking them but offering them:

Do you see me?

Do you hear me?

Do I matter?

And whew.

It was like she reached through the mic, found the place in me I’ve been quietly guarding, and tapped three times.

Not to break it open—but to remind me it’s still there.

Because those are the questions underneath everything, aren’t they?

Underneath the walking.

Underneath the service.

Underneath the purpose and the passion and yes, even the quiet moments where I’ve tried to carry too much without asking for help—there’s a voice still wondering:

Do I matter when I’m not the strong one today?

When I’m not doing the most?

When I’m not “on”?

I didn’t realize how much of my journey—across this country, across this life—has been shaped by the need to feel seen in the places no one claps for.

The emotional labor.

The in-between moments.

The holy, hidden work of healing.

And there’s something sacred about finally being asked what your soul’s been trying to whisper this whole time.

Because spiritual wellness isn’t a performance.

It’s presence.

It’s having enough stillness to feel your own pulse again.

To sit in the questions without rushing to fix them.

To hear God—not through fireworks or signs—but in the still, small voice that says:

“You’re here. You matter. Right now. As you are.”

And mental wellness? It’s not about always feeling great.

It’s about not abandoning yourself when you don’t.

It’s the little rebellions.

Resting when the world tells you to hustle.

Telling the truth even when it’s messy.

Giving yourself grace before you give it to anyone else.

So tonight, I didn’t solve anything. I didn’t plan or post or push through.

I listened.

I breathed.

I let the questions do their quiet work.

And then, another gem dropped from Dr. Hardy—so simple, so true, it nearly knocked the breath out of me:

“The past is depressing.

The future is anxiety.

The present can bring joy.”

And just like that, I was back in my body.

Because I’ve been everywhere lately—reliving things I couldn’t change, worrying about outcomes I can’t control. But this moment, this Monday night pause, was a reminder that joy doesn’t live in what’s behind or ahead—it lives in what’s here.

In the breath.

In the quiet.

In the brave act of being present—even when everything in you wants to escape it.

And in all of it—this walk, this work, this journey—I’ve been slowly learning that I don’t have to be the hero.

That’s not the goal.

The goal is to be whole.

To be honest.

To be held.

To be human.

So thank you to Dr. Elaine, Lady Dawn B, and Dr. Cheryl Hardy—for creating a space that doesn’t just speak to people like me… it sits with us.

Beyond the Mic isn’t just a podcast. It’s a place to come home to yourself.

And sometimes, on a quiet Monday night, that’s exactly what you need

https://www.youtube.com/live/IPSm3NpggPI?si=UTlCCl71Fstda-RU