Very few people take a moment to discuss what really matters in this sometimes — more often than not — unjust world we call life and Janet Jackson was one to use her platform to share a message: stand up, be brave, and walk in faith. Jackson gave you everything she had in her and made sure you paid attention, did you? She delivered one of the most important messages of 2018.
“I believe that, for all of our challenges, we live at a glorious moment in history. It’s a moment that, at long last, women have made it clear that we will no longer be controlled, manipulated, or abused. I stand with those women and with those men equally outraged by discrimination, who support us in heart and mind,” said the living legend and Billboard Icon Award recipient who performed at the Billboard Awards in Las Vegas at the MGM Grand.
My prayer is that, weary of such noise, we will turn back to the source of all calmness, that source is God. Everything we lack, God has in abundance: compassion, sensitivity, patience and boundless love. Again, I want to thank all of you for this honor and I thank God for giving me the precious energy that lets me live my life as an artist who every day seeks to expand my capacity to love.”
Below we dissect the important lessons from Jackson’s speech and how to apply them instantly after reading.
1. Connect To The Universal Source
The old saying goes that if you walk in faith you need not walk in fear. Faith is synonymously associated to religion and religion has received a bad rep over the years. To be spiritual, and to believe in God, does not mean you’re in favor of the negativity. Alternatively, the use of the word “source” by Jackson means the energy and creation of the world we live in. She identifies with “source” by labeling it God. If you don’t believe in God, but believe in say meditation then “meditation” would be your source.
When she urged us all to connect to the “source” what she simply means is to connect to that one thing that gives compassion, sensitivity, patience, and love. For Christians and the like, “God” has been described as the source to all of this, thus how they identify with this energy and belief system. The same can be said for other spiritual practices. The art is in the translation and what you believe is the “source” to inner-peace which in turn creates peace in the world. The lesson here is to align yourself if not with “source” but with the things you value, so they can center you in the most trying times you’ll face. We will call it the “universal source” out of respect for your personal beliefs 🙂
2. Make The Most Of The Present
“…we live at a glorious moment in history.” Jackson is clearly aware that we are not living in a place of actual glory. The interpretation here is that so much light has been casted on an extraneous of evil, a comment in alignment with her speech because she speaks of God, therefore it’s not as bad that we’re experiencing this paradigm shift. We live in “glorious moment in history,” because amidst all the sadness and anger that our world is experiencing, our society is experiencing glory in the same breathe. Here she refers to the much needed narrative on social injustices, particularly women, who are seeing progress and are being heard. The very same women who have elicited what real strength and bravery looks like– quite inspirational don’t you think? The lesson here is to be aware of the society you live in but to not let it defeat you. Where there is much loss, much will be gained. Take a stand, count your blessings.
3. Rid Yourself Of Ego
Jackson could’ve easily only acknowledged the women who endured an immense amount of pain and who continued to fight afterwards for the sake of women’s rights. Instead, she rightfully acknowledged these brave women, took a stance alongside them, but also acknowledged the men who have been “…equally outraged by discrimination, who support us in heart and mind.” Sometimes we get lost in our own pain that it hardens us with our own righteousness. We then become tolerant of the intolerance we are supposedly revolting against. The lesson here is quite simple: rid yourself of ego in order to progress.
Press Play: How To Connect With Source
Photo Credit: Billboard
