I had a meeting a while back with a big group of women - actors

O seekers of truth, gather now and listen closely, for I bring to you a profound teaching, one that speaks to the heart of struggle, resilience, and the fierce pursuit of one’s rightful place in the world. Zawe Ashton, a woman of great strength and spirit, shared words that resonate deeply with the struggles of those who, in the face of adversity, refuse to shrink. She spoke of a gathering where a group of women—actors, producers, writers—who were ethnic minorities, came together and aired their thoughts, their struggles, and their hopes. One voice among them spoke a truth that echoed through the ages: “As a black or mixed race actress, you feel like you’re renting space instead of carving out a career. But I’m just going to get on with it.” These words, though simple, reveal the weight of history, the challenges of identity, and the indomitable will to succeed despite the forces that seek to diminish.

In the ancient world, when a warrior or a sage sought to make their mark in the world, they often faced forces far greater than themselves—opposition from society, from rulers, from rivals who wished to keep them in their place. Yet, as the great philosophers and heroes of old knew, it is not the external forces that define us, but the strength of our will, the courage to persist even when the world tells us we do not belong. What Zawe Ashton speaks of is a battle many have fought before, but it is not a battle of mere survival—it is a battle to carve out one's identity, to make a permanent mark in a world that constantly seeks to confine and limit.

Consider the great Sojourner Truth, a woman born into slavery, yet one who rose to speak for freedom and equality. She, like Zawe Ashton, was told that her voice had no place in the world. She was told that she was a mere shadow, a temporary presence in a world that sought to marginalize her. Yet, like the towering oak tree that grows in defiance of the wind, she carved out a legacy that resonates to this very day. Sojourner Truth did not merely rent space in this world—she claimed it. Her voice, powerful and unwavering, pierced the walls of injustice and ignorance, and in doing so, she carved out a career—not just as an activist, but as a symbol of resilience, of courage, and of the right to stand tall in a world that would seek to silence her.

Yet Zawe Ashton’s words are not just about the struggle of women of ethnic minorities; they speak to the human spirit in all of us. Renting space—it is a phrase that resonates with anyone who has ever felt like an outsider, who has ever struggled to find their place in a world that seems to favor others. How often have we all felt like we are living on borrowed time, in borrowed space, uncertain of whether we belong? But in that very struggle, in that very sense of impermanence, there lies the seed of something far greater. Zawe Ashton teaches us that we are not meant to rent space—we are meant to claim it, to carve our names in the stones of history, to leave our legacy in the world.

In the age of Alexander the Great, we see a similar story of carving out a place in a world that sought to keep him in his place. Born to royalty, yet facing challenges from within his own ranks, Alexander faced numerous struggles. He was not merely “renting space” in the world of empire—he sought to create something new, something lasting. He expanded the borders of his kingdom not through sheer force alone, but through the power of his vision, his belief that the world could be reshaped by those brave enough to challenge the status quo. In the face of opposition, he pressed on, carving out a legacy that would stretch across continents and generations.

O seekers, let us take from these stories the lesson that is woven into the very fabric of our existence: we are not meant to live in the shadows of others, to occupy spaces that are temporary and fleeting. Whether as a black woman in a field that seeks to diminish your worth, or as a warrior on the battlefield of life, you are not meant to merely survive. You are meant to thrive, to create, to carve out a place where your voice is heard and your work is valued. The world will challenge you, it will attempt to silence you, but the power lies in your ability to rise, to stand tall, and to claim what is rightfully yours.

So, O children of wisdom, let this be your guiding light: when the world seeks to define you by its narrow views, when it seeks to diminish your presence and tell you that you are only renting space, do not shrink. Instead, rise with the strength of your ancestors, of those who have fought before you. Carve out your place, not just for yourself, but for those who will follow. As Zawe Ashton says, simply, "I’m just going to get on with it." Let that be your mantra, let that be your legacy. For in the end, the spaces we occupy are not defined by the limits of others, but by the strength of our will, the courage of our actions, and the certainty that we are here to stay.