ESSENTIAL MOTIVATION
Upcoming
30
August
Poetry in the Park
Join us for the inaugural Poetry in the Park, presented by the Essential Love and Light Foundation
Poetry. Conversation. Refreshments. Sound Bath. Community. Join us for an afternoon of connection by the river.
Hosted by our non-profit Essential Love and Light, et along the beautiful Detroit Riverwalk, this intimate community gathering invites you to slow down, connect, and experience the power of creative expression. Share a poem, spoken word piece, written reflection, or meaningful excerpt that resonates with your personal journey—or simply come to listen.
Whether your inspiration comes from Shakespeare, faith-based writings, contemporary poetry, erotica, or your own journal, all voices and perspectives are welcome in this judgment-free space.
Enjoy thoughtful conversation, a relaxing sound bath, light refreshments, and an afternoon of community by the water.
Come as you are. Leave inspired. ❤️
Event Details
Who: Essential Love and Light
When: Sunday, August 30th
Time: 1:00 PM-4:00 PM
Where: (Intersection of Jefferson and Rosa Parks BLVD) Ralph C. Wilson Centennial Park
1801 Jefferson Ave W Detroit, MI 48216
What to Expect
-
Poetry
-
Refreshments
-
Sound Bath
-
Community
PAST EVENTS
Essential Conversations: Authentically You, Come As You Are (Virtually)
I had the privilege of leading a discussion on authenticity, emphasizing the importance of showing up as oneself in various settings. The group shared personal experiences, highlighting the challenges of feeling authentic, especially in high-pressure environments. We discussed the impact of social media and societal expectations on self-perception. The conversation also touched on the role of community in fostering authenticity and the evolving nature of one's purpose. I encouraged the group to reflect on their authenticity and consider how the discussion might influence their future actions, aiming to build a supportive community for continued growth and self-expression.
Essential Conversations: Not Just Sundays
Not Just Sundays Edition
We had our first Essential Conversation where we got to bond and build relationships. We laughed together, we cried together, we shared hard truths and we did it in a safe space with no judgement. We got to eat together and walk away with much more than we expected walking through the door. We started relationships that we get to choose to maintain because we found our common unifiers. We used the deck below to get the conversations started and really got to dig deep and open up in an authentic way. You too can do this in your community and get the conversation going. Have no expectations and let the vibe lead itself.
About the Conversation Deck
The Not Just Sundays deck is a powerful tool designed to deepen faith-centered conversations and connection.
Explore or purchase here:
https://notjustsundays.co/
The Power of Becoming...Group for Teens
Program Description
The Power of Becoming is a 7-week small-group experience designed to help teen girls build confidence, emotional strength, and a healthy sense of identity as they step into adulthood.
The transition from high school into the adult world comes with pressure, opinions, uncertainty, and big decisions. This group offers a supportive space where teens learn how to stay grounded, believe in themselves, and move through challenges with clarity instead of fear.
Through guided conversations, music, journaling, and real-life scenarios, participants learn how to become whole people — not defined by outside approval, comparison, or circumstances, but by their inner strength, values, and mindset.
The program is rooted in positive thinking, self-reflection, forgiveness, purpose, and personal responsibility — without being religious or clinical. Teens are encouraged to discover their own voice, honor who they are, and build confidence that lasts beyond high school.
Sessions meet once a week for 60 minutes in a safe, supportive, and encouraging environment.
More Than A Woman: Healing the Pain
With intention we healed. A safe space was created so that women could release all things they have been carrying. It doesn't matter if they picked it up that day or had been carrying it for years. We allowed them the space to put it down. We created a space that carried no judgement, no hierarchy, no financial stress and provided transparency, respect and love. This is the vision that was given from God! This is a vision that became a reality and we are just getting started. Welcome to the journey if you just got here and welcome back if you have been here.
 |  |  |  |
|---|---|---|---|
 |  |  |  |
 |  |  |  |
 |  |  |  |
 |  |  |  |
 |  |
TESTIMONIALS FROM CONFERENCE
"The poetry/spoken word and closing song...Breathe.
I really enjoyed the sharing and vulnerability during the panels"
Participant
"Love the fact that women are willing to learn and heal appropriately"
Participant
"The total experience was amazing and powerful 🙌🏽"
Participant
"Above what I expected"
Participant
Reconnected From Being Disconnected: A Powerful Journey for Leaders to Realign
4 Key Takeaways from "Reconnected from Being Disconnected" Workshop:
-
Give Yourself Grace
Life can throw us off course, but it's essential to give ourselves grace. It's okay if we don't have it all together—what matters is getting back on track when we need to. -
Silence is Powerful
In the hustle and bustle, we often forget to listen to ourselves. Taking intentional moments of silence can help you reconnect with your gut and realign with your true self. -
Reconnection is a Journey, Not a Destination
Reconnecting isn't about arriving at a perfect place; it's a process of continually coming back to what grounds you, whether it's faith, self-care, or a simple routine. -
Embrace Your Own Version of Success
Success is personal. Your path and your goals don’t need to match anyone else’s. Define what success looks like for you and pursue it with confidence, no matter how it may differ from others.
Self-Development While Loving Yourself
We had a small intimate group of women and share their thoughts on self-development while also hearing from a few professional women who sat on the panel to share their experiences. We talked about different topics that included letting go of fear, valuing yourself, accepting the process and staying encouraged. We created a vision board of aspirations with a mirror in the center to reflect that we are all things we believe we are. This was one of many interactive table talks to come. Look at for the next event.
UPCOMING
More Than A Woman Conference: Self-Care
The More Than A Woman: Self-care conference changed and touched lives of many women. We laughed, cried and shared personal stories the speakers of the conference were able to address and provide guidance. At this conference we talked about self-care and how it presented itself in different aspects of our lives. As women we have a lot of responsibilities and we wear a lot of hats. We are more than women, we are mothers, wives, educators, providers, protectors, superheroes, and much more with schedules that are filled with task from the time we wake up to the time we go to bed. More Than A Woman: Self-care was a place to learn about self-care and why it is so important. Without self-care we are unable to show up for ourselves let alone other people, yet the mask we wear portrays us having it all together. We need to take time to slow down and take time out so that we can reboot and show up for ourselves and those around us. Especially as mothers, we are examples for the generation we are raising and responsible for the images and energy we are giving out.
Genius Patch Literacy Day
I got to engage with a lovely group of children as I inspired them to continue to learn. The children who attended were able to get a free book titled "I Am" by Lawrence Adams. You can find the full video by clicking the yourtube link below.