April Warren Grice

I would say first and foremost, Spirit, Divine, God, however folks want to describe it. My family and those relationships have been fundamental to my success. I've had mentors and coaches that are always giving me the game, so I don't have to start from scratch. My upbringing also played a huge role. I was a caretaker for my grandmother as a young one, and then as an adult, I was a caretaker for my mom. I learned so many lessons throughout those experiences that have shaped who I am and have driven me to achieve some of my greatness. That has allowed me to be empathetic in addition to being strategic, balancing the masculine energy and the feminine energy. I've just been really blessed to have great teachers, mentors, coaches, and family members, and I've been able to just learn from the best.

If you don't have time to meditate for 20 minutes, you need to meditate for an hour. This is what my meditation teacher tells me, and it has been a game changer for managing balance when I have a lot going on. I also practice the ancient Kemetic principle of Ma'at, M-A-A-T, which means balance, justice, and righteousness. The entire Kemetic life system revolved around Ma'at. When I have a lot going on, I literally ask myself, okay, am I practicing my Ma'at? And then I literally sit down and do something else. That has been a literal game changer. That has changed my life, so practicing my Ma'at and keeping that at the forefront has been essential.

I would encourage her to practice listening to herself. Getting still. Sitting with herself so she can know what she wants versus what she has been conditioned or seduced to want. As opposed to listening to the voice of her parents, her peers, what everyone else is telling her, get still and listen to your inner voice. It's about finding out what you truly want, not what everybody else told you to be, but who you really want to be in your mind.

Ma'at is at the top of my list. That principle of balance, harmony, and justice is fundamental to everything I do. I also value seeing diverse communities as resourceful and brilliant. I believe everyone is a genius and that we all have something of value to offer. I have a passion for helping marginalized communities. Even in the classes I teach, we have framing questions, and one of my framing questions is whose voice is not being heard? I also value daily growth. If you're not growing, you're doing the opposite. I believe that we can learn something from anything and anybody at all times. Wellness is another core value for me. I always ask the question, how much more powerful could we be if we were really well? And the only way to be really well is by getting rest, because rest literally fuels everything that we want to do. I believe in collaboration. If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together. And lastly, relationships for service. I believe in quality relationships, and it's through our relationships that we become great, because what is good for me is also good for the community, and vice versa.