The Gift of Unlearning

I didn't discover the gift of unlearning until later in my 20’s. So much of what I thought I believed had been projected onto me and was attached to people, constructs, and institutions that I wasn’t deeply invested in or connected to. I was defining success and happiness by how much money I was (or wasn’t) making, my progress in life was based on what milestones I hit by a certain age, and I wasn’t clear on my personal goals because they were, well, someone else’s goals for me. Then something shifted—I hit what I would call my rock bottom at 25. Between gigs and out of work, depressed with little to no money, rejecting corporate life for the life of the working artist, I literally had no idea what was next. It forced me to be still.

Questioning myself

I came across this book called “Conversations with God” by Neale Donald Walsh and it changed my life. I started asking myself, what thoughts are serving you Orlando? How is this helping you move to the highest version of yourself in this moment? Questions I had never really took the time to ask myself before. It prompted me to peel back my layers and challenged everything I thought I knew about my history, my culture, my spiritual beliefs, how I defined my moral code—all of it. It felt like an unearthing of so many truths, and the beginning of unlearning so many processes that were hindering me from just being.

Re-purposed power

I realize I have the power of choice, and understanding how to harness that power is crucial in my creation process. I get to choose how I define myself and what gets my energy. I get to choose worthiness instead of judgment, and love instead of fear. The gift of unlearning hasn't just been in the re-programming of my mind, but also in the re-purposing of my life. It’s an everyday, every moment type of process that allows me to experience peace, gratitude and freedom on a high level. Living in that power has changed my perspective and how I move through the world.