Hello to our Beat Within readers, writers, and community members. We’re here with another stellar issue of this publication, made possible by the hard work and passion of the many writers, volunteers, and editors that we’re blessed to know and collaborate with. We’re always in awe of the depth, vitality, and authenticity we encounter each week by engaging with the work of our youth. This issue’s editorial note comes from our Program Associate, Alyssa Maanao, who has hosted workshops all over California, and currently is the lead facilitator for Sacramento County, as well as does many other things to keep The Beat Within moving forward. Alyssa is truly a gem, we could not ask for a better colleague, as we are grateful for her hard work, passion, love and all she puts forth into the program each day. Please welcome our dearest friend, Alyssa!
Greetings to our amazing Beat Within writers and readers! It’s not too often that I contribute an editorial note or our publication, yet when I do, I always come out of it with the reminder of just how important, and powerful, writing is. I have always been an advocate of writing, of any form. I learned the power of writing in my much younger years, and I have come to realize that the times that I avoid the process of writing, are usually the times when I need to the most.
I’m not going to lie, writing this editorial note is squeezed into a busy schedule – from working for The Beat (editing, responding to our amazing writers, and bringing this publication to life), to taking care of two very high-maintenance dogs, trying to plan out a busy week, and getting ready to make the one-hour drive to Sacramento’s Youth Detention Facility to run a workshop. Don’t get me wrong, I have had ample time to sit down and write this ed note, but I never put it past the universe to force me to have to sit down and take some time to express my thoughts, and essentially, take some time for myself in between the busy life I have to maintain.
This brings me to my bigger thought, the thought that we don’t take enough time to put ourselves first, before we pour into others. The fact that I wait until I have to write an ed note for our next publication in order for me to sit down and do what I love (writing/reflecting), saddens me. Far too often I wake up, already thinking about the list of the things that I have to do. On top of that list, any free time that I do have, I think about how I can use that time to accomplish all of the “extra” things that I want to get done. I essentially build my day around everything and everyone else but myself.
Over the past ten years that I have run workshops in juvenile detention facilities, I have learned that the one thing young people do best when they are incarcerated, is focus on bettering themselves. I have seen young girls and boys transform into amazing young men and women, all because they took advantage of the time they had while incarcerated. It’s ironic because when I walk into a workshop, the young people I interact with want nothing more but to be in my position, free. I get it. However, when I witness so many young people in my workshops work so hard to get their college degrees, read new books, and transform their bodies to be healthier, I cannot help but be completely inspired and annoyed that I fail to give myself just a little bit of time to work on myself.
Now the question is – how do we connect the two? How do we enjoy freedom, yet still continue to work on ourselves without getting caught up in the busy, and sometimes too fast of a life? Why is it that we wait until we are forced to sit down, to work on ourselves? My only answer I can think of is that we aren’t valuing ourselves as much as we need to.
If we were told that in order to reach our next goal, whether it be financially, emotionally, etc., we needed to do things like meditate, pray, go outside and be in nature, I think we would do it. If we were going for a promotion, and our boss told us that in order for us to get it, we would need to take all of our vacation days, plan our mental health breaks, and go have more fun, we would be in absolute shock. However, these things are vital for our growth, both personally and professionally.
To our readers who are currently reading this in a cell, if you were told that in order to reach all of your goals, you would have to maintain the healthy lifestyle that you have created while incarcerated, on the outs, would you do it? For those who have freedom waiting on you, are you willing to continue to work out, read books, and work on your education once you are released? To those who are not going to see physical freedom for a very long time, are you willing to continue your healthy habits if you knew it would keep you mentally and spiritually free for the rest of your years to come? And for those of you like me, who are free, yet fail to take full advantage of it, are you willing to set aside time out of your day to dedicate to yourself?
There are twenty-four hours in a day, yet most of us don’t even take one of those hours to do something solely just for ourselves. Now how is that living? We fill our time up with going above and beyond for our families, for our children, for our jobs, yet we second guess ourselves when we want to do something just for us. Just by sitting down for thirty to forty minutes to write this ed note, I feel the peace and calmness settle in, even while the world around me remains ongoing. I allowed myself to sit down, think, reflect, and be intentional with my thoughts and words. This act in itself is an act of self-advocacy. An act of self-love. I hope that if this ed note brings anything to you, it’s the gentle reminder to put yourself first. Until the next time!
Thank you, Alyssa, for this crucial reminder to prioritize ourselves, and make room for the things that bring us joy, especially within the chaos of our everyday lives. By prioritizing ourselves, we make room for slowness, for healing, and for experiencing the present moment. We hope that our readers and writers can take Alyssa’s experience and encouragement with you into your own lives and carve out those spaces for yourselves. We appreciate all of you, always. The Beat goes on! Now enjoy the amazing writings from our workshop participants to those we have never met, who are eager to connect and share their story.
As we always say, every body’s story matters, and if you have the courage and willingness to share a part of your journey there is a place for you to inspire, give hope, and feel empowered. Enjoy this amazing issue. We are proud of everyone who has put their hands on this issue and plays role in making this issue the one-of-a-kind issue. Reach out anytime if we can be of support, our door is always open, 26-plus years an counting…