Hey Reader
I just got home from Tanzania.
10 days. Safari. Zanzibar. My 55th birthday on the continent of my ancestors.
And I'm still processing.
But there's one thing I can't stop thinking about.
Hakuna Matata. a Swahili phrase that literally translates to "there are no troubles" or "no problems,"
You probably know it as a phrase from the movie: The Lion King.
But in Tanzania, I experienced it differently.
It wasn't just a catchphrase.
It felt like a way of being.
There was an ease in how people moved through their days. A presence. A sense of accepting what is rather than constantly fighting against what isn't.
And what struck me most was the contrast.
I encountered people whose circumstances and resources were very different from what I'm accustomed to. Yet there seemed to be a contentment in simply being present with what they had.
That stayed with me.
Because how many of us are waiting to feel at peace until we have more?
More money. More success. More certainty. More time. A different house. A different relationship. A different version of our lives.
We keep telling ourselves, I'll relax when...
But what if peace isn't something we arrive at?
What if it's something we practice along the way?
Tanzania also reinforced something else I believe deeply.
I went on safari, and watching wild animals move through their natural habitat was something I'll never forget.
Unhurried. Purposeful. Exactly as they were created to be.
Everything had a role.
Everything had a rhythm.
Everything had a purpose.
And sitting there in the middle of it all, I was reminded:
So do we.
You have a purpose.
I have a purpose.
And this season you're in right now has something to teach you, too.
I didn't come home from Tanzania as a completely different woman.
I came home as the same woman, just more certain of who she is.
More open.
More curious.
More appreciative.
More expanded.
One of the things I love most about traveling is that I don't have to understand or agree with everything I encounter.
I can experience a different culture, tradition, language, or way of life and simply allow it to be different.
It doesn't diminish who I am.
It expands me.
Because there is a BIG world out here.
And I don't want to spend my life only experiencing the parts of it that are familiar.
There is still so much to see.
So much to experience.
So much to learn.
So much to become.
And I think that's one of the greatest gifts of getting older.
You realize that expansion isn't about becoming somebody else.
It's about becoming more of yourself.
Which brings me to something I've been building for a while.
The EmpowerHER Soul Retreat is officially PUBLIC.
While I was in Tanzania celebrating my 55th birthday, I kept thinking about the importance of creating spaces where women can step away from the familiar.
Spaces where we can breathe.
Explore.
Laugh.
Rest.
Have new experiences.
Connect with ourselves and with other women.
And remember that our lives are still ours to experience.
So today, I'm opening registration for:
EmpowerHER Soul Retreat Cartagena, Colombia November 3–9, 2027
Six nights. Seven days. An intimate experience for Black women ready to Rest. Reconnect. Radiate.
Early Bird pricing is now open.
And if something in you has been stirring lately...
If you've been asking yourself, What do I want now?
If you're ready for a little more life, a little more adventure, a little more space to hear yourself think...
Maybe this is your invitation.
Now that everybody's okay, it's finally your turn.
[EXPLORE THE RETREAT →]
Tanzania reminded me that the world is much bigger than the life we're used to living.
And I'm not done exploring yet.
I hope you're not either.
With love,
Ms. Echo
Your Self-Love Advocate + Empowerment Coach
Instagram | payhip.com/MsEcho
