Showing posts with label black girl magic. Show all posts
Showing posts with label black girl magic. Show all posts

August 31, 2017

25.



Quarter of a century and counting! I am so grateful to have made it around the sun, my ruling planet, 25 times. 25 years of beautiful brown skin, in possession of my grandfather’s eyes, my grandmother’s smile and loving spirit, and all of my hopes and dreams. I’m so happy to still be here. I’m still here…still breathing, still learning, still loving, still smiling—sometimes too much but that’s okay—still crying, like all the time and that’s okay too. These eyes and smile that I love so much are not just for show. They often tell my secrets and display my emotions. I’m happy to still be here and able to learn, everyday, more about my emotions and to listen to what my emotions are telling me. So emotions and all, I’m welcoming this new year and am prepared for the blessings and lessons that are in store for me.

I acknowledge and celebrate the accomplishments I’ve made over the past year, like earning my Masters and recommitting to while also being consistent with how I love and take care of myself. The past year also taught me a lot and lessons, some painful and some funny, have been useful. I learned more over the past year about loss, letting go, healing and recovery. In this new year I’m continuing to welcome lessons, continued growth, and unapologetic self-love.

I’m on a mission to become more in harmony with my spirit. For me, this looks like learning more about my emotions and paying attention to them. Becoming more in harmony with my spirit has been calling for me to be more mindful and pay attention to what’s coming up in my life. I’m focusing more on connecting with the universe and with my higher self. I am paying attention. I’m listening. I’m listening to the universe, to my body, and to my mind. I feel like this new year calls for being mindful, living in the moment, and being grateful. I’m getting better at the way I practice gratitude. I need to be more consistent in my practice of gratitude. When I do practice gratitude, I tend to feel more at peace and I honestly feel softer and more open. I’d like to feel that more often.

This year I am nicer to myself. I believe in myself. I love myself and others. I am open and listening. I welcome new challenges. My heart is filled with love and understanding. I am deserving. I am soft. I am strong. I am loving. I am grateful. I am complicated and complex. I am enough and I deserve to be here.



“A woman in harmony with her spirit is like a river flowing. She goes where she will without pretense and arrives at her destination to be prepared to be herself and only herself.”
-Maya Angelou

June 28, 2017

Sunflowers and affirmations



I recently got two tattoos, both of which I've been trying to get since late last year. I love that we have the ability and option to add art to our bodies like this. These are my 3rd and 4th tattoos and I love that I've been able to put empowering words and pictures on my body that mean something special to me. I've been so eager to get these two because they represent the affirmations I made for 24th year and my commitment to loving myself fully and unapologetically. I definitely wanted to get them done before my25th birthday, which I feel is quickly approaching. I also really wanted these reminders with me at all times. It feels right as I continue to find more and more harmony with my spirit.

Under my left wrist is the word deserving. My tagline/affirmation for this year of my life. "I am deserving." I deserving of unconditional love and self-love. I am deserving of healing energies. I am deserving of forgiveness. I deserve to be here. I am deserving.

On my right wrist is one of my forever and ever life mantras, "still I rise," words from the late and phenomenal Maya Angelou. Both Maya Angelou and her words have meant so much to me. Through the years her words have empowered me and saved me. I love being able to look at them every day under this beautiful sunflower. Sunflowers are one of my favorite flowers and I don't think that this is the last sunflower that I will have tattooed on my body. Unlike me, they are tall but they rise so high and I love the way that they stand tall in the sun. They are golden and brown, like me and I feel like they symbolize happiness and wholeness and joy and I call for as much of those qualities into my life as I can.

It's been such a blessing, and sometimes a distraction, seeing these affirmations--these incredible words--on my skin every day.

See my first tattoo here: my bumble-bee and my second tattoo here: i am mine 


December 31, 2016

The Sisters are Alright



I started my year of reading The Sisters Are Alright by Tamara Winfrey Harris and I’m so glad that I did! Reading The Sisters Are Alright so wonderfully reminded me of the black girl magic within me. It truly is a wonderful read. It’s fun and east to read and it covers so many different important aspects of black womanhood. What’s wrong with black women? Not a damned thing! It’s so empowering to feel the love for black women flow through the pages. Black womanhood is complex and special. It would be impossible to fit all of that magic into one book but this is a great place to start.

            “I love black women, and I want the world to love black women too.”


 On of my favorite components of the book are the "moments in alright" that highlight some of the amazing work that black women are doing in this world. Here's a really important one that actually helped me find a great resource for a paper and a group therapy that I designed. This moment also further affirms me on a path of becoming a black therapist.

 Moments in Alright:
"Believing that sexuality educators, therapists, counselors, and doctors must have more representation by women of color, the Women of Color Sexual Health Network is devoted to empowering and including more women of color, including black women, in he field of sexuality, sexology, and sexual health."


This book wonderfully covers so many important topics including the stereotypes we face as black women, the strong woman narrative, motherhood, respect, relationships, health, and so much more. It leaves you with a desire to continue to learn more about black women. This book was the beginning of a year of reading amazing works by and about black women. I made a short list of nonfiction and fiction works that would be great to read after reading this wonderful book that gives you so much to think about.

Further and Recommended Reading:
  • Sister Citizen by Melissa Harris-Perry
  • For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When the Rainbow is Enuf
  • Fast Tailed Girls
  • Beloved by Toni Morrison
  • Jessica Valenti – Full Frontal Feminism
  • Ain’t I a Mommy
  • Mammy, Jezebel, Sapphire, and their Homegirls
  • Soft Magic by Upile Chisala
  • Salt by Nayyirah Waheed
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  • Pushout: The Criminalization of Black Girls in School by Monique M. Morris.
  • We Should All Be Feminists by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
  • Assata: An Autobiography
  • The Color Purple by Alice Walker
  •   Bad Feminist by Roxane Gay



  •  ---
    A Few More Quotes I Loved:

    "Why am I going to fight what I am? I am made to be a beautiful woman on my own terms, why not just embrace that and be that? Am I going to hate myself forever...or am I going to be free?"

    "I do have a right to be treated with respect--to demand respect. I wasn't wrong for doing that. We are never wrong for doing that."

     "What's wrong with black women?
    Simple answer: Not a damned thing."


    Happy Reading!!

    August 31, 2016

    24.


    It's the last night of my birthday month so I wanted to make sure I've given myself some time to reflect on growing another year older and record my thoughts. I am 24 years old. (Mid-Twenties? At the foot of mid-twenties??) I feel like the years are going by faster. Fast or slow, I'm so thankful to be here. So grateful to be here--still breathing, smiling, crying, and the whole lot. So welcoming of this new year and everything it will bring.

    I'm claiming this year as a year of continued growth and self-love. If I could give this year a tagline it would be, "I am deserving." That's a truth that I've been reminding myself of daily lately. I'm deserving of love and self-love and I'm committing to loving myself completely and without apology this upcoming year because I am deserving.

    I'm working on forgiving myself for pain that I've caused myself. For the years I didn't love myself. For the time I spent and still spend comparing myself to others and discrediting my own successes and achievements. Forgiving myself for being annoyed with myself when being trapped in the unpopular emotions like anger, sadness, embarrassment, etc. All emotions are important and serve a function. I'm working on forgiving myself for neglecting to validate my feelings because I am deserving.

    I'm working on maintaining healthy self-care practices. With 4 more months left of Grad School I'm committing to taking more breaks and remembering to practice self-care even when I have so much work to finish. I learned in this past stressful summer semester that neglecting self-care is not going to reduce stress or anxiety, it's not going to make me work faster, and it's not going to help me get a 4.0. In my experience it makes me sad and stressed--not a great feeling. I've been working on releasing feelings of guilt that make me feel like a slacker when I take a break or a day off from doing my work. I'm working on healing from shame and guilt because I am deserving.

     I'm working on healing. I'm working on celebrating myself and loving myself for who I am. I'm working on surrounding myself with clean healing energy. I'm working on leaving toxic spaces and "leaving the table when love is no longer being served." I'm working on loving myself unconditionally and learning as much about myself as this year has to offer because I am deserving.

    I'm still full of dreams. I'm complex. I'm strong and soft at the same time. I am deserving. 


    Happy Birthday to Meeee!!!

    September 22, 2015

    Black Girl Magic: Emmys Edition


    I've always loves award shows because I think it's so inspiring to see people being awarded for their work. I love seeing people so proud of themselves and their peers. It's even more special when there a beautiful women who look like me. Beautiful shades of gorgeous brown skin, amazing women making history. So many women supporting each other. Looking beautiful on the red carpet and basking in excellence! May all the Black Girl Magic from that night continue to inspire us.

    ---
    The hugs felt around the world

     Viola Davis and her incredible acceptance speech



    “'In my mind, I see a line. And over that line, I see green fields and lovely flowers and beautiful white women with their arms stretched out to me, over that line. But I can’t see to get there no how. I can’t seem to get over that line.’
    That was Harriet Tubman in the 1800s. And let me tell you something: The only thing that separates women of color from anyone else is opportunity. You cannot win an Emmy for roles that are simply not there. So here’s to all the writers, the awesome people that are Ben Sherwood, Paul Lee, Peter Nowalk, Shonda Rhimes, people who have redefined what it means to be beautiful, to be sexy, to be a leading woman, to be black. And to the Taraji P. Hensons, the Kerry Washingtons, the Halle Berrys, the Nicole Beharies, the Meagan Goods, to Gabrielle Union: Thank you for taking us over that line. Thank you to the Television Academy. Thank you.”






    Regina King's win and speech



    Uzo Aduba's win and speech




    And of course, the red carpet





     I hope that we continue to see more and more black girl magic. At award shows, in television and movies, in books, and anywhere and everywhere else!

    ---
     
    "The only thing that separates women of color from anyone else is opportunity.
    -Viola Davis



    Quote of the day: