Track 01: Jill Scott-Prepared
When I first heard Jill Scott sing Prepared, it felt like she was putting words to a prayer I didn’t even know I was whispering.
She sings “I been reading my old journals /Checking to see where my head has been”. I have always been a writer. Journaling has always been my check-in. It’s how I measure my growth and see if I’m really aligning with the life I say I want. Going back through old entries is like holding conversations with my past self . I see what I’ve healed, what I’ve outgrown and what still lingers.
Another line that stands out for me is when she says, “And I been eating more greens..Getting my body alkaline”. At this moment in my life right now this serves as a reminder that preparation is holistic. Of course we want to prepare our spirit and min but the body.. the vessel requires it as well. I start and stop things a lot but I’m consciously making choices with food, lifestyle, and even boundaries to support the woman I’m becoming.
I think what resonates with me the most is when she sings, “I’ve been enjoying people who love each other- husband and wife, sister and brother, father, and mother. I let the queen inside-I let her shine. I been listening to God more, I been doing my chores”. I feel every line deeply. I’ve been watching my friends shine in their roles as partners, parents, spouses.. and instead of envy, I feel inspired. There's something so inspiring about witnessing love in action. Seeing it nurtured and seeing it grow. It makes me excited to think about what that could look like in my own life. The declaration of letting her light shine feels like giving myself permission to step into my highest self. Even taking the time out to write this blog is me reminding myself that this is in alignment with my gifts. The lyrics that she closed with lands for me for sure. Listening to God means slowing down. It means releasing. It means limiting distractions. “Doing my chores” is the daily work that I do to stay in alignment. I show up, tend to myself, and put in the effort to live the life I say I want.
I’ve been learning that preparation isn’t just about the future. It’s about love in the present. Love for myself when I choose a softer path, when I create new habits, when I release what doesn’t serve me. It’s not always easy and sometimes it feels like two steps forward, twenty steps back but the act of preparing is still progress.
I connect so deeply to Jill’s reminder that being “prepared” isn’t about perfection. It’s about showing up with intention.
This song makes me think of how I want to truly be ready. Ready to love myself fully, ready to welcome new blessings, ready to share the best version of me with the world and, when the time comes, with the person I’ll love.
Listen to Prepared:
