And Then We Rise
A Guide to Loving and Taking Care of Self
byCommon
Book Edition Details
Summary
In "And Then We Rise," Common shares a transformative voyage that transcends mere celebrity success, offering a blueprint for holistic wellness. This is not just a tale of triumph; it's a heartfelt guide to nurturing body, mind, and soul. Through his personal narratives, Common invites us into his world, where the rhythm of life is harmonized by nutritious food, physical fitness, mental clarity, and spiritual depth. Each section of his book unfolds like a symphony, enriched by candid dialogues with influential mentors and original musical interludes that echo his life's soundtrack. For those ready to embark on their own journey of self-discovery and fulfillment, this book serves as both map and compass, promising a richer, more vibrant existence.
Introduction
At eight years old, standing in the overcrowded Unity church in Chicago with his mother, Common had no idea that being turned away would become one of the most pivotal moments of his spiritual journey. When they walked into Trinity United Church of Christ instead, listening to Reverend Jeremiah Wright preach with power and passion, the young boy felt something electric surge through him. It was more than just hearing about God - it was feeling the divine energy merge with Black pride, creating a foundation that would support every transformation to come. This moment captures the essence of what true wellness represents: not just the absence of illness, but the presence of something greater. It's about discovering that taking care of yourself isn't selfish - it's revolutionary. When we nurture our bodies with foods that come from the earth, honor ourselves with movement that makes us strong, create space for healing conversations, and seek connection with our higher purpose, we're not just improving our individual lives. We're preparing ourselves to show up fully for our communities, our families, and the work that matters most. The path from struggle to strength isn't always linear, and it certainly isn't easy. But when we understand that wellness begins with self-love, and self-love opens the door to everything else, we discover that transformation is not only possible - it's our birthright.
Seeds of Change: Food as First Medicine
The pork chop sat on Common's plate at that Los Angeles diner, the same breakfast he'd ordered countless times before. But when his friend No I.D. looked across the table and asked, "When are you going to start taking care of yourself?" something shifted. The nineteen-year-old rapper had been raised on soul food, Harold's Chicken, and late-night stops at what they called the Dirty Burger. Food was love, food was culture, food was what you did when you were young and invincible. Walking out of that diner into the California sunshine, Common felt like he was watching himself in a mirror. He saw his own resistance, his attachment to familiar flavors, his fear of changing something so fundamental to who he was. But he also saw a glimpse of light coming from his friends who had already made the transition. They seemed to shine with a different kind of energy, and he wanted that for himself. By the time he crossed the street, he had made his first commitment: no more pork. The changes came gradually. First pork, then beef disappeared from his plate. When he moved to Brooklyn and found himself surrounded by artists and creators who were eating plant-based foods, drinking green juices, and talking about food as medicine, he began to understand that this wasn't about deprivation. It was about discovering what his body actually wanted to feel strong, creative, and connected to his higher self. The heavy foods that had once brought comfort now left him feeling sluggish. The green juices that seemed strange at first began to taste like energy itself. What started as peer pressure became a personal revolution. Food wasn't just fuel - it was the foundation for everything else. When he ate foods that came directly from the earth, prepared with love and intention, his mind became clearer, his spirit felt lighter, and his creativity flowed more freely. The teenager who once thought health food was boring discovered that true nourishment opens pathways to joy we never knew existed.
Building Strength: Body, Mind, and Creative Spirit
When the director of "Smokin' Aces" told Common he needed to look bigger to be believable as a bodyguard, the thirty-two-year-old artist realized he had a problem. Not only did he need to bulk up, but he had to carry Alicia Keys down multiple flights of stairs - repeatedly, for as many takes as it would require to get the scene right. The last time he'd worked out systematically was in high school, fifteen years earlier. The thought of dropping one of music's biggest stars during filming was enough to send him straight to trainer Harley Pasternak. Those first workouts were humbling. Eight to ten push-ups felt like a mountain to climb. But something beautiful happened as Common committed to showing up, thirty minutes at a time, a few days each week. His body began to remember what it was capable of. More importantly, his mind began to understand the connection between physical strength and creative power. The discipline required to push through that last rep translated into the focus needed to deliver a compelling performance. By the time filming arrived, something had fundamentally shifted. It wasn't just that he could safely carry Alicia through those scenes. It was that he had discovered a source of energy he'd forgotten existed. Working out wasn't about vanity or even appearance - it was about feeling alive in his own skin. The endorphins, the sweat, the sense of accomplishment after each session became as essential to his creative process as picking up a microphone. Years later, training with Yancy Berry at Equinox, Common would understand that the gym had become his church. Listening to A Tribe Called Quest and Big Daddy Kane while moving his body, he found a space where his mind could be fully present, where past and future dissolved into the simple act of being strong. The scared kid who once sat courtside watching Michael Jordan fly through the air had learned his own version of flight. The transformation goes deeper than muscle and endurance. When we honor our bodies with consistent movement, we're practicing a form of self-love that ripples into every area of life. We learn that we can commit to difficult things and follow through. We discover that the person we become through discipline is someone worth knowing, worth believing in, worth fighting for.
Finding Peace: Therapy, Community, and Higher Purpose
The heartbreak felt like drowning. Common found himself floating through life, unable to be present because he was fighting to understand how love could shift so dramatically, how the person he thought he was meant to love had become someone he needed to release. Walking down the street with his cousin, being held by his aunt during late-night conversations, he felt surrounded by love but still desperately alone with his pain. When his acting coach suggested therapy, Common wasn't sure what to expect. Susan Shilling's office became a space where he could finally examine the underground river that carried all his earliest experiences - the childhood molestation he'd never processed, the abandonment he'd felt when his father wasn't present, the complex emotions around his mother's remarriage when he was eight. These weren't just memories; they were active patterns shaping his adult relationships, creating fears and reactions he couldn't understand. Therapy taught him that healing isn't about forgetting or "getting over" difficult experiences. It's about developing the compassion to meet your younger self with love, to understand how those experiences shaped your perceptions, and to choose responses that serve your present rather than your past. The eight-year-old boy who felt replaced when his mother remarried needed to know he was worthy of love. The teenager who was violated needed to understand that it wasn't his fault, that he deserved respect and safety. Through this inner work, Common began to understand what Pastor Touré Roberts calls soul-awareness - the ability to recognize what your deepest self actually needs to feel whole. Sometimes it's worship or prayer. Sometimes it's stillness or creative expression. Sometimes it's the courage to have difficult conversations or set boundaries that honor your growth. The practice of checking in with himself became as essential as his morning scriptures, his green juice, his time in the gym. When we dare to examine our inner landscape with professional support, we're not admitting weakness - we're claiming our power. We're saying that our mental and emotional health matter enough to invest time, energy, and resources in understanding ourselves more deeply. This kind of courage creates ripples that extend far beyond our individual healing, touching every relationship and every dream we're brave enough to pursue.
Summary
The journey from that Chicago diner to Broadway stages and Oscar ceremonies wasn't just about changing what was on the plate or how many hours were spent in the gym. It was about recognizing that self-love is the foundation for everything else we hope to build in this world. When Common chose to honor his body with foods that energized rather than depleted him, when he committed to physical practices that made him strong, when he did the emotional work to understand his patterns and heal his wounds, and when he deepened his spiritual connection through daily practice, he wasn't just improving his own life. He was preparing himself to show up fully for his daughter, his community, his art, and his purpose. The man who once snapped like a photo learned to respond with measured wisdom. The artist who performed from habit learned to create from divine inspiration. The son who carried unhealed wounds learned to break cycles and plant new seeds for future generations. The most powerful lesson here isn't about any specific diet or workout routine or therapeutic technique. It's about understanding that we are worthy of our own attention, care, and investment. Every choice to nourish rather than diminish ourselves is an act of revolution in a world that profits from our depletion. When we rise into our full power - physically vital, emotionally healthy, creatively alive, and spiritually connected - we don't rise alone. We create space and permission for others to join us, building communities of people who understand that taking care of ourselves is how we take care of each other.
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