Brandi Bernoskie Menu

Category: Prologue

Why I Will Not Slay 2017

I will not slay 2017.

I will not crush it.

I will not destroy this year.

This is not my language of success.

I’ve been noticing this trend for some time now on Facebook and within business: the use of the language of the military and violence to describe our endeavors and to motivate and empower. We “launch” products and podcasts and websites. We “deploy” resources. We talk about demolishing our goals and slaying meetings. We say that “we’re gonna kill it today”.

Last August, I suddenly felt the weight of this language, how misaligned it was from what I truly wanted to feel and reflect, from the world I want to live in. Why do we use language of violence when we want love?

So I’m trying something new: this year, I’m going to use language of love and magic. I will seduce my goals into being. I will nurture my business as it grows and conjure new opportunities. I will invoke my power. And every day, rather than killing it, I’m going to embrace it.

2017 will be adored.

You Are Myth

So-called facts:

Myths are lies.

Fairytales are for children.

Stories are only found in books.

Beliefs like these rob us of our greatness.

Here — in this space, in this time, in the world — new truths are beginning:

Myths are our greatest meaning.

Fairytales remind us of the magic we possess.

We are the stories.

In the beginning, there was mythology. Putting aside whether you believe your story true or not, every ancient religion begins with creation. So does your life. You may even know the story behind it: the night was dark and stormy; the day was warm. Perhaps your mother was working when her water broke, or couldn’t make it to the hospital on time. The mythology of my beginning was aligned with the winter solstice. How did the stars and planets pause for yours?

This is an exploration. You are navigator, you are creator, you are captain. I can only give you small things: a compass, a map, a nudge.

How does knowing that your life is a story change it?

Credits

Jane Reaction

(logo and original branding) is a graphic design and art director who works with with small businesses and creative entrepreneurs, creating cohesive and interesting brands and websites.

Carrie Coleman

(photography) is a wedding photographer, whose goal is to capture the visual expression of a couple's love through timeless, organic images. She is based in Charlottesville, Virginia.