That Spirit Work is Necessary...
Ok guys, this write up is based on an article from XO Necole. (Love them! Please do visit their site!) I’m basically going to take the mantras from their article and break them down.
1. STOP WORRYING ABOUT WHAT YOU’RE SUPPOSED TO BE
There were a lot of rules set in place for us to follow. “They” tell us we’re supposed to be a lot of things. I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again, a lot of the rules set forth for us need a little rewriting and maybe even breaking. What we are “supposed to be” will have no weight on your life if you make your own rules and just live. The standards set forth are not the end all be all. Be yourself and flourish. Do what makes you happy!
2. HAVE AN UNCONDITIONAL RELATIONSHIP WITH YOURSELF AS YOU ARE RIGHT NOW
The power of the mind is magnificent. You can’t go higher if you can’t love yourself and your situation, right now, at this very moment. Except yourself. Appreciate yourself. Yes, there are thing that we all would like to change about ourselves, but we should definitely learn to love that very stage before we make up our mind to change it. You’ll definitely appreciate the journey more after that.
3. CELEBRATE THE #BLACKGIRLMAGIC WITHIN YOURSELF AND OTHERS
I am totally here for #BlackGirlMagic all of the time. Black girls and black woman are amazing. We all have something uniquely awesome about us. We all slay daily, in our work and in our play. It does not take anything away from me to salute my fellow black girl and to show her love. If we don’t celebrate ourselves, who will. We have to stand together as a unit! I know I scroll my timelines all the time and admire the#BlackGirlMagic popping all up and down my TL. Show love and get love back! And know that we can do ANYTHING that we put our minds to. Black women break barriers daily and set trends and go above and beyond, dissipating glass ceilings one level at a time. We are a force!
4. FIND YOUR TRUTH BY SURROUNDING YOURSELF WITH LIKE-MINDED FRIENDS
I don’t know how much I can reinforce the fact that it is imperative to surround yourself with like-minded individuals. Build your tribe selectively. Choose genuine people who will do well by you. People that encourage you and stand by you. People who push you to go higher and higher. Having a support system of individuals who know the struggles of your current chapter is both comforting and enlightening. Choose your friends wisely.
5. LISTEN TO FEAR AND LEARN FROM IT
Because we are human and things scare us sometimes. It is nothing to be afraid of. We must learn to operate through it.
6. EMBRACE YOUR GOD-GIVEN BEAUTY
You are beautiful… no matter what they say. You were created in the image of a super- intelligent God! Your hair, your eyes, your nose, that mole, the birthmark on your cheek, your full lips….. all of that! Embrace it. Do not try to alter your beauty constantly trying to fit into the cookie cutter standards of beauty set forth by society. We are all beautiful human beings.
7. PRACTICE SELF-ACCEPTANCE
I think Tracee said it best with this one! “I feel strongest when I’m practicing self-acceptance. Allowing myself to be myself makes me feel really powerful…I think it requires a sense of community. You have to unplug from what our culture and our world tells us is strong, is pretty, is better. It opens up the door for some fun, because otherwise it all becomes so serious. Strong can be serious, but there’s also some play in just allowing.”
8. EAT JOYFULLY
Eat things that look good and feel good in your body. Make healthy choices but don’t torture yourself. When we eat good food, we feel better!
These are definitely some great mantras to live by. Add them to your artillery and slay on!