Category: Reflection

I try so hard to share as much as I can with you all that I find myself stressing out. Soooo, I’ve decided regardless of if it’s one thing or several I’m going to share it. Here’s what I’ve been reflecting on this week.

 

 

READ

Alright. There aren’t enough Black real estate developers. This organization is changing the landscape, Fast Company

Yes, please and thank you. Black Opry Revue Helps Reestablish the Black Community’s Connection to Country Music, Shondaland

Reading ALL of Lucille Clifton’s work. Starting with. homage to my hips, Poetry Foundation

I found this list intriguing. 9 Beauty Oldies but Goodies Black Women Swear By, Sisters From AARP

Finally! I wish this happened while I was in service. The Army is making its first uniform bra. Vets say it’s long overdue, The Washington Post

On average, you’ll menstruate for 3,000 days in your lifetime sooooo let’s revisit the basics. Menstruation 101, Thinx

And while we’re on the topic. Your Guide to Taking Care Down There, Thinx

LISTEN

As per ush, had to catch up on Jill Scott Presents: J.ill the Podcast

WRITE

Have you heard of WriterTok? No, really, have you?! I’m just hearing about this. Yes, I’m familiar with TikTok which still doesn’t exist in my world but now I’ve been introduced to WriterTok… WriterTok: What Is It?, ProWritingAid

 

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.

 

This week I read soooooo much. 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

Have you considered this invaluable resource to save money? Don’t Pay a Dime for These 15 Pricey Items. Find Them Here for Free, Sisters from AARP

Sending YOU all the LOVE Serena ❤️ Serena Williams Says Farewell to Tennis On Her Own Terms—And In Her Own Words, Vogue

There’s nothing else I need to say. Listen To Your Body: The Importance of Health Awareness in The Black Community, Essence

What she said! Don’t Let Your Doctor Dismiss You as a Number on the Scale, Sisters from AARP

I love EVERYTHING so had to add this one. Phoebe Robinson on the BIPOC-Owned Fashion Brands She Loves to Support, Byrdie

Watch

This was a MUST watch. Serena Williams Reflects on Her Life in Looks: From Nike Catsuits to Camp Gucci, Vogue

Exactly! Black founders only receive 1.4% VC funds—here’s how to change that, Fast Company

Listen

I so enjoyed this! Five Minutes That Will Make You Love Duke Ellington, The New York Times

And if you don’t have time to read the article or prefer to hear the full version of each song listed here’s the full playlist.

 

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.

 

Read

Okay, okay, we see you Jordan Casteel. Head Turners: Jordan Casteel Is an Artist for This Generation, Shondaland

The Power of Self-Actualization and How to Build It Into Your Routine, Wit & Delight

This piece is by Toni Morrison, need I say more? The Work You Do, the Person You Are, The New Yorker

Waiting for the Other Shoe to Drop? Do This Instead, Sisters from AARP

Yes, please and thank you! At the BlackStar Film Festival, a Revelatory Understanding of Cinema, The New York Times

I am a believer in routines. A Path to Well-Being: Thrive With the Power of a Routine, Shondaland

Yep, I’m here for All.Of.This! Want To Get More From Your Workouts? Cycle Syncing May Be the Answer, Camille Styles

While I’m on the topic. The Conversation We Need to Have About Periods and Productivity, Thinx

Watch

Watching all of these!!! Office Hours with Shonda Rhimes, Shondaland

Listen

I must be on a Grey’s Anatomy kick. No, wait, I’m definitely channeling powerful women. First, Shonda Rhimes and now… CC Throwback: Ellen Pompeo broke her creative rut and you can to, Creative Control (Fast Company)

 

 

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.

 

Read

Congrats Jawole!!! I attended the Urban Bush Women Summer Leadership Institute (UBWSLI) in 2017. Some say do something that scares you. UBWSLI was that thing that scared me. Such a FABULOUS experience! Jawole Willa Jo Zollar Wins Gish Prize, New York Times

What? Yassssss!!! Do it little sis! Girl, 13, is youngest black student accepted to medical school: ‘What is age?’, New York Post

Interesting read. I Couldn’t Escape My Body, So I Made It More Visible Instead, Jezebel

I come from a line of farms so NOT SURPRISING. Let’s support Black women farmers! Why some Black women are trying to defy the odds of farm ownership, NBC News

Friendships are so important. Taking this into consideration can take your friendships to a different level. The Secret to Making Beautiful New Friendships and Nourishing Older Ones, Sister From AARP

Watch

This!!! Why the First Women’s Tour de France in 33 Years Is a Bittersweet Victory, POPSUGAR

Write

I attended, Hear to Slay! Such a stellar event! No words! Here’s a glimpse.

 

 

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.

 

 

Read

Yesssss! Soooo, TRUE!!! Why Do So Many Black People Approach Hairstyling From a Place of Fear?

HELLO! A Message to the Millennials About to Turn 40, Bazaar

This was interesting. 6 Negative Truths That Are Actually Beneficial, Wit & Delight

Yes, please and thank you. Text Your Friends. It Matters More Than You Think., New York Times

I have PMDD and only discovered after meeting Hubbs. This is so REAL!!! How PMDD Made Me Closer with My Partner, Think

On the same note. Is Your PMS Really PMDD?, Thinx

Watch

Tour de France. I love Hubbs. Enough said.

Listen

How Patreon is rewriting the equation between creators and their fans, Fast Company

Write

I use Scrivener. iA Writer is a minimalist writing tool Marie Kondo would adore, Fast Company

I’ve used Apple Notes since I began writing. Yeah, the entire book is there. The secretly powerful little app that you could write an entire book in, Fast Company

I use ProWriteAid. Please note it’s not free but worth comparing to Grammarly. These 3 essential tools will help you write better—for free

 

 

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.

 

Read

It’s Time to Eliminate Shame From the Wellness Conversation, BYRDIE

TRYING TO DO TOO MUCH? DON’T., CrimeReads

The FDA Just Approved a New Treatment for Hair Loss From Severe Alopecia Areata, Sisters From AARP

Brittney Griner’s plight deserves more attention, Roxane Gay argues., New York Times

Here’s Why My Skincare Routine Has Been Doing More Harm Than Good, BYRDIE

 

Watch

ALRIGHT! Watched this a few times (ha, ha, ha)! Christopher Meloni Went Nude For a Peloton Ad, and Ryan Reynolds Has Thoughts, POPSUGAR


Listen

Jill Scott Presents: J.ill the Pocast

 

 

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.

 

Read

No Estrogen, No Problem: Sex and Menopause, Dame

Did you know: July 3 is Black Hair Independence Day. Here’s why it matters, Fast Company

Black women will get no-strings-attached monthly checks in this new guaranteed income experiment, Fast Company

How Generations of Black Americans Lost Their Land to Tax Liens, Bloomberg

Financial Wellness Is the Latest Self-Care Trend—Here’s What You Should Know, The Everygirl

The ‘Sexy’ Side of Self-Care You Might Be Neglecting, Sisters from AARP

Watch

How to Get into a Creative “Flow State”: A Short Masterclass, Open Culture

Listen

Black and Published

Write

Why Does It Take So Long to Publish a Book?, Literary Hub

 

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.

 

Read

The 4 Stages of a Relationship, According to Experts, POPSUGAR

My Marriage is Stronger Than Ever Thanks to This Sunday Night Routine, Camille Styles

Two Years After Summer 2020, Black Americans Are Still Fighting for the Right to Live, The Everygirl

40 Foods Every Black Woman Over 40 Should Consider Eating, Sisters From AARP

Inside Slack’s bold bet on training formerly incarcerated people to be tech workers, Fast Company

Why Black Doulas Mean Better Births for Black People, Good HouseKeeping

 

Watch

In Our Mothers’ Gardens, Netflix

 

Listen

J.ill the Podcast 

Disco Diva Sylvester Moved With an Audaciousness That Resonates Today

 

 

What I Do: I don’t have a subscription to the New York Times. So, I check with my public library and learned I can access the New York Times free with my library card.

 

“The older I get, the more I realize how much agency I have over my own time.”

These are questions I ask myself at the end or beginning of each monthly. I have also begun asking myself these questions, daily, weekly and mid year. As a way to hold space for myself, check in with myself and just reflect. Try them out and see if they work for you. Take what you need. Leave what you don’t.

 

1. AM I SPENDING MY TIME THE WAY I WANT TO?

My mind is always flooded with all of those things I must do. It can be overwhelming but I remind myself that I can do everything at my leisure. I do spend a majority of my time doing what I want and ALL OF MY TIME doing things the way I want.

2. HAVE I SET BOUNDARIES TO PROTECT THE MOST IMPORTANT PARTS OF MY LIFE?

I continuously revisit the boundaries I set because there are moments they become blurred and I have to step back, reflect, and remind myself of the importance of my boundaries. This may require me to adjust, create and even remove boundaries to better fit what’s going on in my life.

3. ARE MY HABITS AND ROUTINES IN LINE WITH MY PRIORITIES?

My rituals, habits and routines are my top priority. Self care: reflection, self growth (reading and writing), meditation, exercising and writing.

4. HAVE I COMMUNICATED MY PRIORITIES TO THE PEOPLE CLOSEST TO ME?

I keep those important to me informed of my priorities, but I am protective in how much I share so not to break my focus but also to limit overwhelming them with my thoughts and creative processes.

5. DO I HAVE A SYSTEM TO IDENTIFY AND PREVENT BURNOUT?

As soon as I read this question, I cringed. This used to be difficult for me. In the past, I wasn’t completely in tune or aware of when I was burning out. I would find myself angry at the world and exhausted. Now, I’m intentional about incorporating those things that serve me and removing those that don’t. One example, is when I take the beginning of every month (an entire week) to reflect on the previous month and plan for the current month.