From Mountains to Mindset: Rediscovering Freedom
Freestyle: June’s Triple Crown | Deciding what it means to be free
Overall Synopsis:
In this edition of "Where Wellness Meets Wealth," we explore the unique significance of June through the personal reflections of Dr. Ali Reign and Dr. Zoe Hart. Dr. Ali shares his heartfelt journey of fatherhood, highlighting how his daughter’s birth on Father’s Day reshaped his life and purpose. He discusses the importance of freedom, not just as a concept, but as a daily practice in achieving one's dreams. Dr. Zoe Hart complements this narrative by recounting a memorable Juneteenth hike, drawing parallels between the physical journey on Red Top Mountain and the broader journey of finding and embracing freedom in life. Together, these columns celebrate June’s trifecta of events—Father’s Day, a birthday, and Juneteenth—emphasizing the interconnectedness of wellness, freedom, and personal growth.
Table of Contents:
It Hits Different with Dr. Ali Reign →Freestyle: June’s Triple Crown
Snatched with Dr. Zoe Hart → Deciding what it means to be free
It Hits Different w/ Dr. Ali Reign
Freestyle: June’s Triple Crown
"Every great dream begins with a dreamer. Always remember, you have within you the strength, the patience, and the passion to reach for the stars, to change the world." ― Harriet Tubman
Alright, y'all, let's talk about June – one of my favorite months. For me, it's like the Super Bowl, winning the lottery, and New Year's Eve rolled into one. Why, you ask? Because June is when my daughter was born, it's Father's Day, and let's not forget Juneteenth! That's a trifecta of soul soothing for me right there.
So, peep this: seven years ago, on Father's Day, I became a dad. Yup, the universe decided to bless me with the ultimate "Happy Father's Day" gift. That day will forever be my 'before and after' moment – like the day you discovered avocados on toast or the first time you binge-watched Netflix. Life-changing, right?
In these seven years, I've had to demolish, burn, and rebirth my mindset, direction, and purpose. Think of it as a complete mental home renovation, HGTV style. Heartbreaks, disappointments, and seemingly endless toil – all part of the package deal. But I also discovered my passion and purpose, wielding love like a master craftsman uses his favorite tool. I've grown patience and strength from within and alongside my tribe – family, friends, colleagues. Every chat, every encouraging text, every side-eye of support has been a building block.
My daughter, though, she's been my ultimate sensei and I follow her lead. Every day, she tells me to smile (this girl wrote it on the fridge, fam) and insists we end our day with gratitude. She even asks me to pray when we wake up every morning and reminds me again before bedtime – like, who raised this wise soul? Oh yeah, that’s me. These routines, along with working out, doing yoga, meditation, eating healthy, and focusing on mindset practices, have given me a freedom I didn't know was possible (or honestly have forgotten at times). Remaining faithful in overcoming personal and professional challenges? Check. Living, loving and breathing dreams daily? Double-check.
June, with my daughter's birthday, Father’s Day, and Juneteenth, is a month of remembrance and acknowledgment. It's a reminder that no one can take away your love of life and your passion to achieve your dreams unless you let them. My daughter is living proof, a daily reminder of how I want to live my life. Her dreams are big, and I'm just here to make sure she has the space to make them a reality.
"If I could have convinced more slaves that they were slaves, I could have freed thousands more." ― Harriet Tubman
So here’s to June – a month that hits different. A time for celebrating freedom, fatherhood, and the future. And remember, folks, life is a marathon, not a sprint. You’re free to live up to your dreams in this moment, even when the haters wanna tell you— slow down, be easy, not so fast… So, pace yourselves, stay hydrated, and keep your dreams focused, faithful and alive. 🫡🙏🏾🏝️
“Freedom is a state of mind, I said wondering where I'd heard it before, not a state of being. We are all slaves to gravity and morality and the vicissitudes of nature. Our genes govern us much more than we'd like to think. Our bodies can not know absolute freedom but our minds can, can at least try.”- Walter Mosley
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Section 2: Snatched with Dr. Zoe Hart
Deciding what it means to be free
The night before Juneteenth, I asked Dr. Ali if we could start the day at my favorite local hike, Red Top Mountain. Luckily, he had also been craving time outdoors and made the necessary plans to carry out my wishes. When we arrived on the mountain, I felt confident that I knew where we were going, even though it had been since our second date that I had set foot on the mountain. However, about half a mile in, the trail didn’t look familiar, and we started an hour-long bout of true exploration. It was so bad that we walked 1.37 miles before finding the start of my favorite path. At one point, we started laughing because we accidentally ended up back at our car before deciding to use the maps on AllTrails while excluding everything we had done before in our attempt to find the right place.
"Freedom is an internal achievement rather than an external adjustment." – Adam Clayton Powell Jr.
Alas, using all these tools and resources helped, and we finally found our bearings along the right path. Once we figured out where the 5.5-mile hike should start, I reflected on how much of life is this way: full of curves and turns and starting over with more knowledge than we had before. I thought about how easily we could have given up the first or second time we tried to start, or more importantly, when our vehicle gave us a quick exit or payday out of the mountains to retreat to the safety of home, where we know everything without a shadow of a doubt. I have to admit, it was Ali more than me saying, “I’m still ready to start the hike, we’ll find it.” I needed that as I had less willpower than him in the moment.
"The most common way people give up their power is by thinking they don’t have any." – Alice Walker
Fast forward to being on the beautiful trail, and surprisingly to me, there were a lot of people hiking who were doing so because of the day. Realizing this made me ponder the symbology of Juneteenth and what it feels like to be free. At the beginning, most of us think that freedom means no one telling us what to do, but in reality, almost everyone enjoys telling others what to do. Furthermore, if it’s your boss, client, stakeholder, or customer, we willingly modify our behaviors to make the sale. So freedom really is deciding how we show up, why we show up, and our boundaries for showing up.
"We must be free not because we claim freedom, but because we practice it." – William Faulkner
I hope you decide on what you need to be free. I hope you see that you always have a choice. I hope you decide to choose you.
"The secret of happiness is freedom, and the secret of freedom is courage." – Thucydides
"Freedom is not something that one people can bestow on another as a gift. They claim it as their own and none can keep it from them." – Kwame Nkrumah
