“Tomorrow is the first blank page of a 365-page book. Write a good one.”
-Brad Paisley
Author: yvettesojourner
Here’s what I’ve been reflecting on this week. As Haruki Murakam once said, “If you only read the books that everyone else is reading, you can only think what everyone else is thinking.” I believe this is applicable to everything we read.
READ
A MUST READ! 40 Money Habits Every Black Woman Over 40 Needs, Sisters From AARP
I’m adding this article seeing after reading the one above I ended up reading this one as well. Thank you Sisters From AARP! I’m creating my WILL ASAP, Make These 10-Minute Moves if You Haven’t Written a Will, Sisters From AARP
YASSSSSS 👏🏾 For the Last Time: Body Types Are Not Trends, Self
Interesting approach. An Actually Fun Way to Do New Year’s Resolutions, Cup Of Jo
Indeed it is. The “Social Battery” Is Real — Here’s How to Know If It’s Low and How to Recharge, PopSugar
My Spiritual Mother Dr. JB says, “People are in our lives for a reason, season or lifetime.” I agree. Losing touch happens because life happens. Lost Touch With a Friend? Reaching Out Might Help You Both Feel Healthier, Sisters From AARP
Knowing I have PMDD has changed my life and my relationship with myself and Hubbs. How PMDD Made Me Closer with My Partner, Thinx
FYI, How to Create a Healthy Relationship With Social Media, Shondaland
Interesting read. The psychological traps of online shopping, explained, Vox
listen
Came across this and have been listening to Roberta Flack ever since. “The Song Found Me.” An Oral History of Roberta Flack’s “Killing Me Softly”, LitHub
WRITE
My boyfriend, a writer, broke up with me because I’m a writer, The Guardian
What I Do: I don’t have access or a subscription to various newspapers or magazines i.e. the New York Times. So, I checked with my local library. I’ve learned I have access to the New York Times free with my library card. Always check with your local library to see what offerings are available to you.
Isn’t it ironic
Recently I signed up for several SELF newsletters. I am always on the lookout for new articles to share with all of you. SELF checked many boxes when it came to what I enjoy reading and sharing. When I came across the above article I had to read and post it! But when I noticed the advertisement below I was shocked! The article mentions the Kardashians at great lengths and how they, “played a major role in normalizing and popularizing Blackfishing: the cultural appropriation when people alter their appearance with makeup, cosmetic surgery, filters, and digital editing to appear Black.” And how, “With this change in culture, the Black woman goes back to being objectified, hypersexualized, and having to deal with a disdain for their bodies that they have faced for centuries.” This article is EXCELLENT! I mean a must read. The issue I have is the SKIMS advertisement immediately below the article. WHY?! SERIOUSLY?! For me it counters the entire premise of the article and begs to question SELF’s motives.
“The Kardashians are the most notable example of the aforementioned phenomenon, having been known for their curvy frames and aesthetics pulled straight from Black culture, only to exchange them for smaller and whiter models when it’s convenient or lucrative.”
Yvette Sojourner
President
“Knowing oneself comes from attending with compassionate curiosity to what is happening within.”
-Gabor Maté
I’ve came across tons of shopping guides and other seasonal articles that I could share but I’ve decided to focus on my specialty SELF CARE and SELF LOVE. Seeing, this is when we become so busy we may forget 💋💋💋 Here’s what I’ve been reflecting on this week. As Haruki Murakam once said, “If you only read the books that everyone else is reading, you can only think what everyone else is thinking.” I believe this is applicable to everything we read.
READ
As a formerly incarcerated person this article HERE! From Behind Bars, Inmates Award France’s Latest Book Prize, The New York Times
Interesting! Let’s Talk About Periods and ADHD, Thinx
Self care is always a must especially during the holiday season. Self-Care Strategies for the Holidays, Shutterbean
While we’re on the subject. How to Manage Your Anxiety During the Holidays, lifehacker
Another good article. 10 Things To Remember if You’re Chronically Overwhelmed, Therapy For Black Girls
No words needed. 6 Lies Anxiety Tells You, Sisters From AARP
I’m all about my rituals. 5 Sunday Rituals That Start Each Week on the Best Note, Wit & Delight
listen
What a story! After reading this I had to listen to Bootsy Collins. Faking the Funk: How Bootsy Collins Impostors Pulled Off the Ultimate Music Biz Scam, RollingStone
WRITE
How FABULOUS! The Last Word | Generative Workshop, This creative class will liven your writing practice by providing a framework and community in which you will write consistently. In our meetings, we’ll write to a series of prompts and share, discuss writing processes, and reflect on our weekly readings — from writers including Audre Lorde, Alice Walker, and Toni Morrison — relevant to our goals, Well-Read Black Girl
Travel
How WONDERFUL! The Orient Express Unveils Luxurious Presidential Suite Paying Homage to Art Deco Design, My Modern Met
What I Do: I don’t have access or a subscription to various newspapers or magazines i.e. the New York Times. So, I checked with my local library. I’ve learned I have access to the New York Times free with my library card. Always check with your local library to see what offerings are available to you.
“There is no passion to be found playing small – in settling for a life that is less than the one you are capable of living.”
-Nelson Mandela
Here’s what I’ve been reflecting on this week. As Haruki Murakam once said, “If you only read the books that everyone else is reading, you can only think what everyone else is thinking.” I believe this is applicable to everything we read.
READ
Ha! Which are you? I’m several on this list ☺️#SquadGoals: The 8 Girlfriends Every Sister Can Count On to Hold Her Down, Sisters From AARP
It’s atrocious how Megan Thee Stallion is being treated! Megan Thee Stallion: ‘I Wish He Would’ve Just Shot and Killed Me If I Knew I’d Have To Go Through This, Jezebel
With that being said. A Letter to Meg Thee Stallion, and All the Other Black Women, Therapy For Black Girls
What a story! Lloyd Newman, Teenage Chronicler of ‘Ghetto Life,’ Dies at 43, The New York Times
The title says it all. A Path to Well-Being: Create Boundaries to Beat the Holiday Blues, Shondaland
While we’re on the subject. 6 Mindful Tips for a Stress-Free Holiday, Camille Styles
This here! Cardi B Opens Up About Having Her Butt Injections Removed, PopSugar
Before I met my husband I spent many of holidays alone. At times it was easy, other time it was just hard. I’m just going to put this right here for those who may needed it. 8 Ways to Get Through the Holidays Alone, The Everygirl
Yaaaassssss!!! LOVE. THIS! This Latina Launched Her Wellness Brand, Abatey, After 40 — Proving It’s Never Too Late to Follow Your Dreams, PopSugar
FYI. The Holiday Tasks That Are Secretly Depleting You, HuffPost
listen
5 Minutes That Will Make You Love Jazz Vocals, The New York Times
WRITE
The Risks, Realities, and Rewards of Writing About Social Issues, Catapult
What I Do: I don’t have access or a subscription to various newspapers or magazines i.e. the New York Times. So, I checked with my local library. I’ve learned I have access to the New York Times free with my library card. Always check with your local library to see what offerings are available to you.
“There are years that ask questions, and years that answer.”
–Zora Neale Hurston
“Success is liking yourself, liking what you do, and liking how you do it.”
-Maya Angelou
Here’s what I’ve been reflecting on this week. As Haruki Murakam once said, “If you only read the books that everyone else is reading, you can only think what everyone else is thinking.” I believe this is applicable to everything we read.
READ
This here! Tired of Living Paycheck to Paycheck? Learn These Wealth-Building Strategies, Sisters From AARP
Lots of Octavia Butler articles lately. I’m just going to put this right here. The Visions of Octavia Butler, The New York Times
And while we’re ponder Octavia Butler’s vision. How to Survive in Broken Worlds: Jesmyn Ward on Octavia Butler’s Empathy and Optimism, LitHub
Yes, please and thank you. What To Do If You Feel Guilty After Setting Boundaries, HuffPost
Just in case you’re looking. 8 Festive December Activities to Try This Weekend That Cost Less Than $5, The Everygirl
While we’re on the topic. Festive Holiday Freebies, Sisters From AARP
Oldie but goodie. I’m a big advocate for morning pages. If you haven’t read The Artist’s Way: A Spiritual Path to Higher Creativity, by Julia Cameron please do. Decluttering the Mind: An Ode to Morning Pages, Wit & Delight
RESEARCHING
I came across an announcement of the death of Joyce Bryant a legendary singer, dancer and civil rights activist. Listen, if you haven’t read about this phenomenal woman GET ON IT!
WRITE
How Virginia Woolf Shunned—and Then Embraced—T.S. Eliot, LitHub
What I Do: I don’t have access or a subscription to various newspapers or magazines i.e. the New York Times. So, I checked with my local library. I’ve learned I have access to the New York Times free with my library card. Always check with your local library to see what offerings are available to you.