I hope 2023 is off to a good start for you, and your family. I’m wishing you good health, love and abundance.
And clarity and wisdom too:)
I don’t know what your goals are for the new year, but I strongly believe emotional health and self-care should be at the top of the list.
Emotional health is the foundation — don’t be afraid to ask for help for yourself or loved ones when you need it.
Be consistent with exercise and a daily spiritual practice as well.
Also, decide what you want in 2023.
If you’re not sure what you want, start by getting clear about what you don’t want. Sometimes we’re doing too much — chasing way too many goals.
The more focused you are, the easier it will be to achieve your goals. What are you most passionate about? Where are you wasting time? What can you say NO to in order to focus on what you really want?
This year, my son, Malcolm, and I are focusing on getting our brand of organic honey in more stores nationwide.
Our brand is called Sweet Simone — Malcolm named the brand after his oldest daughter. It’s already in one store in the San Francisco Bay Area. It’s a fun project. It all started when I decided to get bees for our garden in 2021.
To learn more about our journey in the honey business, or to order a jar for yourself, visit, Sweet Simone Organic Honey. Sweet Simone Organic Honey
Anyway, enough about me. Let’s talk about you. What’s going on in your life? Would love to hear about it. I’m here to support you.
I had a great talk with my friend, Iya Omitosin recently.
She’s a healer, an accomplished businesswoman, and a leading Iyanifa, or high priestess in the Yoruba spiritual tradition.
I love her because she’s down to earth, and loves helping people. One of the nuggets she shares in our talk is the importance of saying no.
Iya Omitosin is sharing this wisdom because she used to be a people pleaser. She was so determined to make others happy, that she ended up making herself sick. She developed fibroids.
Don’t let this happen to you! Learn to say no!
Learning to say no isn’t the only thing we discussed. We also shared tips for connecting to nature and our ancestors.
I’m proud of Iya Omitosin’s journey. We first met around 2015. In addition to offering spiritual readings and reiki sessions, she’s one of the founders of Gathering Roots, a 78-acre retreat and wellness center in Auburn, Washington that promotes wellness, traditional healing, spirituality, sustainable land stewardship and food sovereignty.”
Special thanks to Iya Omitosin for sharing her love and wisdom with us.
Blessings
James Weeks
Meditations Across The King’s River: African-inspired Wisdom For Life’s Journey
I had a great conversation with my friend, Maya recently.
About two years ago, she trusted signs she had been receiving and moved to Ghana.
It wasn’t an easy decision or journey, but so far it has been working out. She now has a thriving business in real estate in Ghana.
Maya first visit to Ghana happened during a challenging time in her life. “I went through a heartbreak that made me look for God differently,” she said.
“I started to question everything that I had learned. Spiritually and emotionally, I was becoming more introspective.”
While in Ghana, Maya distinctly heard God’s voice.
“I have a plan for you. Things didn’t go your way, and that’s because they are going my way. Pay attention to the people I bring into your life because I’m bringing them into your life for a reason.”
One of the signs that she was meant to be in Ghana happened when she met a man who had the name Maya tattooed on his back. Not only did he have her name on his back, but his dog was also named Maya and so was his child.
“When I told him my name, he gave me a hug and said, ‘welcome home’,” says Maya.
I hope you check out our conversation when you have a moment, venus wright. I think it can help you.
Here’s the thing, venus wright, Maya isn’t the only one receiving messages or seeing signs. I believe we all are receiving signs.
We just need the faith and courage to act on those signs like Maya did.
You can pray for divine guidance all you want, but if you’re too afraid to take action, then all the divine guidance in the world won’t help you.
Maya also shares how having a daily spiritual practice helps her to navigate life’s ups and downs.
Make sure you develop a consistent spiritual practice, venus wright.
And pay attention to the people who come into your life. Some of these people have important messages for you.
This is all for now. What signs have you been receiving? I would love to hear about your signs.
Look forward to hearing from you, and I am grateful for your presence in my life.
“Life is happening right now — in real time” says coach, Jewel Love. Take advantage of what today has to offer. Don’t waste this moment — make it happen.
I spoke to Jewel recently on FB Live.
We discussed many things: healing, the importance of maintaining a daily spiritual practice, and not being afraid to ask for help when you really need it.
And travel — which is so important to the soul, says Jewel.
You don’t have to travel internationally, he points out. Even travelling locally can help keep your mind and spirit fresh, says Jewel. Try visiting a new museum, take a different route on your way home; the opportunities to experience something new are endless.
I especially loved what Jewel says about living life now.
“It’s lifestyle and a choice,” says Jewel. “And it’s possible for all of us.”
Of course, mystics and philosophers have been talking about living life today for centuries.
But what makes Jewel’s message so compelling is the fact that he actually tries to live this way. Because he’s self-employed and can work remotely, he’s been traveling and living in different Latin American countries for the past two years.
Jewel wasn’t always traveling the world on the scale he is now.
I remember sitting in his tiny apartment in Oakland several years ago, sharing a meal and our visions for the future.
At the time, Jewel was still training as a therapist, and I was working on my book, Meditations Across the King’s River: African-inspired Wisdom for Life’s Journey. We’ve both come a long way since those days.
You can go far too. Don’t give up on your visions for the future.
As you reflect on living your best life, think about what this means for you. What do you need to start doing? What do you need to stop doing? What support you need to maximize 2023?
This is all for now.
I would love to hear your thoughts. I will respond once I hear from you. Here’s the link to my talk with Jewel once again, Live Your Best Life. Check it out!
“Stay focused and find ways to follow your passion. Eventually it will all make sense.”
This is what Yoruba language expert, Oloye Aikula Iwindara, was saying in a recent FB live talk we had last month.
If you missed our chat, you can check it out here:
Oloye Aikula, was sharing tips for learning the ancient Yoruba language — which is spoken in Southwest Nigeria as well as Benin and other countries.
He amazes me because he’s one of the few people in my spiritual tradition that speaks Yoruba fluently. It’s quite an accomplishment. Oloye Aikula is also an Ifa priest, or babalawo. Some of the wisdom he shared is universal and can be applied to anything you wish to accomplish.
“You must follow what adds fire to your flames,” Oloye says.
I was blessed to meet Oloye in person late last year when I had an opportunity to travel to Florida. Because I also speak Yoruba, it was special to be able to converse with someone who is fluent in one of the languages of our ancestors. Oloye
I’ll never forget that moment — It was spiritually uplifting and rewarding.
Over the years, I’ve discovered that language is more than stringing words and sentences together — it’s also about cultural and spiritual identity. And it’s also about personal growth.
Oloye’s journey to learning Yoruba hasn’t been easy. He’s spent years studying Yoruba in the U.S. as well as in Nigeria. “Language acquisition takes years,” he says.
“Don’t be afraid of making mistakes when learning a language,” he adds. “Be open to criticism. Put your ego aside. Revert back to childhood. Stick with it — even if it’s tedious.”
Don’t quench the fire…
I’ve made a commitment to go deeper into language studies. But even if you’re not interested in languages, you can definitely apply some of the nuggets we shared to your life and other things you wish to explore and eventually master.
So much is possible for you. Another world awaits you.
Here’s the thing, most people give up too soon and way too easily.
At the first sign of adversity, many people quit.
Don’t be the person that quits Be the person that keeps going. Be the person who leaves a legacy others aspire to follow. Your blessing is right around the corner.
This is all for now. Respond to this email and I will write you back asap. Would love to hear your thoughts.
I welcome your comments. Wishing you a great day and week.
Until we speak again, all my love.
James Weeks
P.S. Also, please subscribe to my new You Tube Channel. I will be interviewing healers, spiritual coaches, authors and finance professionals, and I don’t want you to miss out. Here’s the link: James Weeks You Tube Channel.
P.S.S. Still available for spiritual readings: here’s the link: Spiritual Readings. My book, Meditations Across the King’s River is available at this link. Order Book Here.
