Conscious Comments

The September Issue of Conscious Comments has been published! Check it out..

http://consciouscomments.weebly.com/

Conscious Comments

The January issue of Conscious Comments magazine is out! Click the link below to check it out. Please feel free to share and come back here to comment. If you are interested in writing for the publication please contact me at impressashaki@gmail.com

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2012 Review

It's that time again, time to reflect on the year and survey where I've been, see how far I've come, and map out where I'd like to go. I have to say it's been a fantastic year. Despite being unemployed for ten out of the twelve months, I've accomplished, experienced, and enjoyed quite a bit. Much of what I've experienced and many whom I have met have served as building blocks for the road ahead.

The year began with great music, not only from my favorite group Groundation, but also from two of my new favorite artists Junior Toots and Rocker-T. This is significant not just because music plays such a vital role in my existence, but also because all of these brilliant musicians have become dear treasured loved ones in my life. I usually try to keep ones anonymous, but these gentlemen and women have had key roles in the development of this year for me. 

Junior Toots invited me to be in his video for his song "A Little Bit of Love" from his wonderful album of the same title. At the shoot, he introduced me to some lovely people whom I am pleased to call friends now. The lovely Sol Atash, who sings with him, has become a dear friend as well. It was at Junior Toots' cd release party on my birthday where I met the magnanimous Rocker-T. I fell in love with his music that night, and maybe him a little bit too. Both he and his music are deeply moving, inspiring, and engaging. I have since had the privilege and honor to intern for him; an experience which enables me to learn and grow musically, spiritually, and mentally. I am proud to promote such a conscious, kind, and loving artist. His new EP "From Brooklyn to Oakland" is available now on iTunes download it here and his phenomenal album will be released in 2013. (Oh yeah, I'm good at what I do)


The accomplishment I'm most proud of this year is starting my new online magazine "Conscious Comments" check it out here which is a free magazine devoted to sharing ways people can and are living  more conscious and thoughtful lives. It is dear to me because my desire is to have a positive effect on the world and this gives me the opportunity to do it. I have been blessed to have some wonderful, thoughtful, knowledgeable and conscious beings contribute to it including the great Rocker-T who does the editorial every month, guest posts by Harrison Stafford, lead singer of Groundation and dear friend, Kelsey Howard, great trombone player from Groundation, Rusty Zinn, an awesome reggae artist and friend, Francesco Thomas (who did Rocker-T's 99.9 Percent video seen above) as well as contributions from dear friends Elizabeth Renter, Lance Malveaux, Angelica Erskine, Davina Estrella Oji, and beautiful photos by my dear brother and friend Hossein Attar. I am eternally grateful and in awe of these magnificent individuals.

I've connected with dear ones, experienced a great deal of awesome music, made amends, come to grips, and began coming into my crown. I feel so much optimism and enthusiasm for the future and so much more love in the present. I give thanks and praises to my Father The Mighty King Haile Selassie I for all my many blessings and lessons from the past years and those to come. I am coming out of the shadows in 2013...look for the queen in the whirlwind! Blessed New Year! More Love.

Find Junior Toots' music here on facebook here Twitter @juniortoots
Find Rocker-T's music here and on iTunes here on facebook here and here Twitter @theRealRockerT
Find Groundation's music here on facebook here Twitter @Groundation707
Find Reggae Professor here on facebook here Twitter @reggaeprofessor
Find Rusty Zinn's music here on facebook here Twitter @rustyzinn1
Find Sol Atash on facebook here on Twitter @solatash
Find Hossein Attar's photos on instagram younglion13
Find Francesco Thomas I.Livity Productions here

Which Way is the Wind Blowing?

On the heels of the re-election of the first African American president in the United States, many people of color are feeling empowered and swept up by what they believe are the winds of change. What they fail to realize in all of their excitement, is that the winds of change are blowing in the wrong direction.

Yesterday, I found this on the hood of my car:












This symbol, the "swastika," has positive origins and meanings particularly in Indian religions like Buddhism, Hinduism, and Jainism and in many cultures is seen as a symbol of good fortune and a meaning of "higher self." In Nazi Germany, the symbol was adopted by the Aryan race and has stigmatized the symbol with negative connotations.

It is quite possible that misguided youth did this to my car as blocks and blocks of cars and houses were marked with this paint...though I was the only one who received this symbol. I highly doubt it was a band of Buddhist or Hindu youth celebrating my goodness and wishing me good fortune. So I am apt to believe they are aware of the negative connotations the swastika has been given by the Aryan race. If misguided youth did this, was there malicious intent? I don't know. What I do know is that they learned of this ignorance from somewhere.  

I started an online magazine last month called "Conscious Comments"* for the very purpose of awakening the collective consciousness in order to create enough higher energy to combat lower energies such as this. In other words, it is my intention to draw out the good to overcome the evil.  The  more of us who are aware of the level of negativity and hate swelling in these "winds of change," the more of us there will be to change their direction. This incident tells me I'm on the right path.

My family told me I should take the Lion of Judah symbol off of my rear view mirror so that I would no longer be a "target." They tell me to get a stun gun or pepper spray. What they don't realize is that Lion of Judah necklace is my shield, and love is my weapon. I can't find it in me to fear ignorance. Too many before me have shown me that there is no reason to do so.

My grandmother marched with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., as did countless others of our ancestors, black and white. A great deal of change resulted. Do not, however, mistake a change in law (or president) for a change in heart. Hatred may have been silenced a bit, but was not eradicated. It was passed down like a family heirloom. I say this to say that the work Dr. King, my grandmother, and your grandmother began is not finished. The work of Gandhi, Mother Theresa, Nelson Mandela, and many others is not done. 

Marching may not be the answer for this type of incident, but education and a saturation of love is certainly in order.  Do not get swept up in the wind until you are aware of which direction it is blowing. Meanwhile, I will take the original meaning of the swastika and live from my higher self.  Love, light, and consciousness.

*Conscious Comments

My Gift

Your live is the Most High's gift to you. What you choose to do with it is your gift to the Most High

It's been a while since I've posted here and that's because I've been busy with a project that is very close to my heart. I have created an online magazine called "Conscious Comments."   A while back, I spoke of wanting to do something great for the world. I wasn't really sure what that would be. I don't have obvious talents like singing, Nobel prize genius, or even Solomonic wisdom. Then one day I thought to myself 'I know a lot of people who would live a more conscious life if they knew how simple it can be, and how little sacrifice it would take'

Many of you may have heard of the concept of "Meatless Mondays" or recycling, or "upcycling" and meditation and all of these wonderfully conscious acts. But what does it all mean, really? What if you had a place you could go to in one click to find a simple, tasty meatless recipe?  Maybe you've always wanted to meditate but didn't know how? Perhaps, you simply want to see how people around the world do these things.

I've called upon some of my most conscious brothers and sisters to bring some of these ideas and much more together in one place. Well, I'm not a musician, I haven't created an innovative life saving or energy saving device, and I may not even be able to impart any sage advice. But what I am good at, is recognizing these things in others, or finding those who have these talents and persuading them to share their gifts and knowledge.

I've gathered some wonderful souls together to share with you what they know. Reggae artist Rocker-T, a very talented, spiritually and socially conscious being is writing enlightened Guest Editorials. My brothers and sisters are all knowledgeable in the areas of healthy living, the environment, music, and the joy of life(Joie de Vivre) which are all  categories included in the magazine. My talent? To point out the light of the suns around me. I'm just one of the moons reflecting their brilliance. Please check out Conscious Comments below. Love, light, and Consciousness

Save this link----> http://www.joomag.com/magazine/conscious-comments/M0109693001347912898 for future issues