Category: Reflection

Did you know January is national self love month??!! 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

I love wearing Chanel No 5!!! Why the History of Its Fragrances Is So Important to Chanel, PopSugar

Yep! The Best Investment to Make in 2023 Is in Yourself, WSJ

Such FABULOUS suggestions! 14 Small (yet Effective) Actions For a Happier and Healthier 2023, Sisters From AARP

Now this is interesting. Two Barbers, a YouTube Channel and the Truth About Race at the Racetrack, New York Times

A must read. The luxury tax assessed on Black women, Andscape

THIS!!!! The Mindf*ck of Midlife, The Cut

A must read! Suicidal thoughts are often hidden. Here’s how to talk about it, Washington Post

Good hacks. 5 Brilliant Wardrobe Hacks for When Your Weight Is Changing, Sisters From AARP

Yes, please and thank you. 6 Ways to Practice Mindful Eating, Mindful

listen

Have you heard of Elayne Jones?! Elayne Jones, Pioneering Percussionist, New York Times

WRITE

What to Read Before and After Seeing James Baldwin Abroad, LitHub

Tressie McMillan Cottom: Why Black People Are the Most Future People She Know, 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.

 

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.

 

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

This here! Taunted for being Black, a student fought back, civil rights complaint says. The 30-second fight derailed her life, NBC News

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.

 

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.

 

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.

 

 

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

There are times when I know both of Hubb’s and I feel this way. Feel Like Your Partner Is Taking You for Granted? Sisters From AARP

This here! Is Self-Care Culture a “Third Shift” For Already Overburdened Women?, PopSugar

Tis the season. 5 Effective Ways I’m Finding Focus in a Busy Season of Life, Wit & Delight

This is going in my arsenal. How To Unblock Your Creativity: Scientists Say This Bad Habit Can Help, Inverse

Seriously? What Do Prince and Charles Dickens Have in Common?, Esquire

Yassssss. Why You Should Be Creating Holiday Traditions With Friends, Too, The Everygirl

LISTEN

Came across this and had to listen to the song. A Poetic F*ck-You: Behind the Scenes of Fleetwood Mac’s Chart-Topping “Dreams”, LitHub

WRITE

This I se to happen to me all the time when I was writing!!!! Why Do We Get Our Best Ideas In The Shower?, Discover

 

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.

 

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

Good question. Are You Actually ‘So Busy,’ or Is It ‘Toxic Productivity’?, Self

Yep. Real Talk From a Nurse About Below-the-Belt Changes That Happen As We Age, Sisters From AARP

I LOVE her and own her records. Roberta Flack Has A.L.S. and Can No Longer Sing, Her Publicist Says, The New York Times

How FABULOUS! LaTonya Yvette’s Colorful Farmhouse Was Built for Black Joy, Cup Of Joy

Alright! The Poster For the “Beauty and the Beast” TV Special Gives a First Look at H.E.R. as Belle, PopSugar

Interesting. The Mandates of Magic: On Timeka N. Tounsel’s “Branding Black Womanhood”, Los Angeles Review Of Books

Indeed. The Trauma and Violence That Black Women and Girls Endure on the Corners, Lit Hub

LISTEN

The Spectacular Life of Octavia Butler, Vulture

Relationships 2.0: The Power of Tiny Interactions, Hidden Brain

WRITE

What’s It Like to Be an Editor of a Prison Newspaper?, JSTOR Daily

Writing Into Joy With Leah Johnson, Shondaland

 

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.

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

Putting this in my toolbox. Silencing the negative thoughts, Let’s Talk Grad School

Nothing new and always worth mentioning. Widespread Racial Bias Found in Home Appraisals, The New York Times

Yes, please and thank you. How to Set Boundaries Around Holiday Togetherness, Wit & Delight

This made me think. How I turned $15,000 into $1.2m during the pandemic – then lost it all, The Guardian

Yassssssss! How to Achieve Body Acceptance and Self-Love, According to an Expert, The Everygirl

Yes, please and thank you. 3 Easy Ways to Ritualize Your Period Week, Thinx

Hubbs is a Lego enthusiast and now I am. This is AMAZING! More Than 500,000 Black LEGO Structure Ekow Nimako’s Vast Afrofuturistic Cityscapes, Colossal

Yep. A Path to Well-Being: Practice the Healing Power of Gratitude, Shondaland

watch

Uhm, I need her to elaborate!!!! Pam Grier’s Advice to Young Women: Enjoy Your Power, Jezebel

travel

Hubbs and I were last in Barcelona in 2018. I walked everywhere especially around the neighborhoods and spaces locals frequented. This is what I do wherever I go ❤️ 36 Hours In Barcelona, The New York Times

WRITE

Love this. On Atlanta’s Essential Role in the Making of American Hip-Hop, 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.

 

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

Yep. Ever Feel Like You’re Losing Yourself in a Relationship?, Sisters From AARP

This, I’m looking forward to seeing! Behind 3 Champions’ Smithsonian Portraits, The New York Times

Very good question and read. What’s Your Financial Baseline?, Shondaland

A reminder. 9 reminds me of Tina from Bob’s Burgers. 10 Easy, Powerful Ways to Practice Gratitude Every Day, Wit & Delight

All of this!!! How I Finally Achieved Radical Self-Love, and You Can Too, The Everygirl

Interesting. Study Reveals How Stress Colors Our View Of Our Partners (It’s Not Pretty), HuffPost

Putting this in my toolbox. How to kick your habit of assuming the worst, Fast Company

LISTEN

Blending Families for the Holidays, Therapy for Black Girls

WRITE

This is a real gem. It’s important to remember “…the Black experience is more than just their trauma.” Here For The Joy: 9 Black Joy Books, Book Riot

Seeing I write and workout, this one made me think. On Writing and Sweating: How a Boutique Fitness Class Fueled My Novel, 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.

 

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

Things to keep in mind over 40. 40 Little Health Habits Every Black Woman Over 40 Needs to Thrive, Sisters From AARP

This sentence here. “While a Kardashian might be able to afford surgery, meal plans, and trainers to change their body, many people, including the Black women who have repeatedly served as an inspiration for the Kardashian empire, aren’t able to so easily chase the trend of a new body.” Is My Body About to Go Out of Style?, Vogue

Such a wonderful list!!! The Everygirl’s 2022 Holiday Calendar: 61 Days of Festive Activities to Close Out the Year, The Everygirl

I came across this and had to share. This Mozart story really has me thinking. The Next Warren Buffett, Howard Lindzon

Good question. How Do I Find My Personal Style?, The New York Times

Yassssssss! Toni Morrison will finally be on a U.S. stamp in 2023, LitHub

Absolutely, it does. Can the Phases of the Menstrual Cycle Impact How You Feel? These Experts Say Yes, POPSUGAR

While we’re on the topic. I workout while on my period as long as I’m not in pain. Please, please, please first and foremost, listen to your body. The Benefits of Exercising on Your Period, Thinx

Travel

I would LOVE to see this! Chasing Spirits: Mexico City’s House Museums, New York Times

LISTEN

SPEECHLESS!!!! I own this RECORD and so many more!!! 50 Years Ago, Stevie Wonder Heard the Future, The New York Times

Healthy Friendships with Dr. Joy Harden Bradford, Dropping Gems With Devi Brown

WRITE

Harold R. Johnson on How We Tell Our Own Stories, 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.