Full of Faith, no room for fear. Make it a great week! - KW
“Why stop at the ceiling when God showed me the sky? Why get on the airplane if I’m too scared to fly? Why am I goin to the battle if I don’t wanna fight? I’m goin further on….got to be incredible….” — Mary Mary, ‘Something Bigger’
I tried something new with Ava’s hair recently. Usually, when she appears in a post, she either has one or two puffs of hair in the front and a row of ponytails in the back. That’s about the extent of her style evolution over the past 2 years. Prior to that, we had a hair crisis brought on by a very bad experience she had while away from me for one week (which I have since gotten over but took me a while to, admittedly) and before that, up until the age of 2, she had very manageable hair. I used to LOVE doing her hair. After the hair crisis….not so much. Just being honest. But we recovered, slooooowly but surely. So we’ve been through some phases. Well, I decided I wanted to do something different with her hair. She’s 6 years old now and I wanted to try something a little more stylish and mature. I washed her hair and had no clue what I was going to do with it - which is typically the case when I try something “new” on her hair. Let me also say this - I’ve searched some of the natural hair sites for little girls and what I found is that most of these sites cater to little girls with either long hair or a much different grade of hair than what Ava has. So I gave up on those and I tend to wing it myself. What we ended up with was a faux-hawk-afro situation that was very cute if I must say so myself.
Once we finished, amid the cheers of dad and big sis, Ava had a smile on her face but then retreated to a sort of gloomy look. I asked her if she liked it and she said “Yes, but I don’t think I want to wear it like this to school”. I wasn’t surprised by this and actually wondered when we would have this ‘come to Jesus’ conversation. I asked her why not and she said “Because other kids might stare or make fun of me”. I said well you know what, you tell them that your Mommy did your hair and that God made your hair and that most importantly, it’s BEAUTIFUL, even if it’s different from theirs and even if they’ve never seen anything like it. Okay? “Okay, Mommy”.
Fast forward 10 minutes, and she comes back into the room and says “YOU KNOW WHAT MOMMY???? I LOVE MY HAIR JUST THE WAY IT IS!”
I could have cried but I try to keep my level of sap (which is already on 10) to super monumental moments but this one was pretty big for me. As parents, our greatest responsibility is to love, protect, and teach our children. I am extremely protective, especially of their feelings. And I’m sure we all can attest to the fact that children can be cruel. Very cruel. I couldn’t stand the thought of other kids teasing or making fun of her because she looks different than what they might expect (her school also lacks on the diversity side - which definitely contributes to the concern about whether kids would stare and comment). I also understand that I can’t always shield her from ignorance or lack of understanding….all I can do is prepare her, to the best of my ability, to be able to stand firm on the foundation of love and respect that she has been raised on.
Here’s more good news: she came home from school, jumped off the bus, and said “Guess what Mommy? Everybody LOVED MY HAIR!!!”. Crisis averted.
On another note, as I write this, my heart is heavy as I think about the families in Oklahoma affected by the terrible tornado outbreak yesterday. There’s a mother out there who would love to be writing about her son or daughter, but can’t do so because they passed away. And I have not forgotten, nor will I ever forget, the families of Sandy Hook elementary and the many other families that are dealing with loss due to sickness, gun violence, and any other tragedy. There are so many bad things and so many bad people; but the balance is that there are also so many good things and so many good people. Let’s change the bad but also not forget the good.
If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy, practice compassion. ~ Dalai Lama
Bonus:
Two of these things are not like the others…….
Smile. And go be great!
- KW
I was driving on 465 in Indy this weekend and out of nowhere it started pouring. Small pour at first (left), and then bucket-like pour (right). I’m not one who minds driving in the rain but I felt especially calm during this storm that I was passing through. I looked at the sky and it was beautiful, SO beautiful….even in the rain. What was truly amazing was the fact that it was so dark above me but what I could see ahead of me was bright and promising. I knew that if I could just push past the storm, there was a sunny sky waiting for me on the other side. The peace that exists in looking on the bright side, the comfort in focusing on what’s in front of you, the joy that exists in reaching for what is promised and forgetting what you’re leaving behind….is priceless. This all resonated greatly with me as I took my little drive and I hope it does the same for you.
And as soon as I came out of my little La La Land of realization…..there I was, in the clear. Pulling my shades back out and enjoying the sunshine.
What storms will you push past today to get to your sunshine? It’s there….you just have to see it.
Make it a great week. :-)
Don’t stop. Don’t get comfortable. Remember that there is still more work to be done. Not just work, HARD work. No one owes you anything. Nothing is personal. Everything is business. As much as you enjoy the mountaintop, don’t forget what the valley feels like. You can find yourself there in the blink of an eye. There is a next level and you will get there if you don’t lose sight of your goals. Distractions will delay your destiny. God has given you everything you need to accomplish all that your purpose is calling for…but it’s up to you to actually DO IT. Stop ignoring that small voice that’s challenging you to do more. Listen to it and watch what happens.
Now go out there and be GREAT.
- KW
when a woman becomes her own best friend life is easier.
dvf.
Ever since reading a snippet of Mika Brzezinski’s book, “Knowing Your Value”, I desperately wanted to read the entire thing. I knew the preface of the book and its intent to encourage women to recognize the power they have and live a lifestyle that reflects it, especially in business….but what I didn’t know was that it would change my entire mindset and, ultimately, my life.
I can’t even put into words how great this book is. It’s an absolute MUST READ for working women. I had a particular interest in Mika’s perspective because she works in the same industry that I do, and the constant struggle of women in media is extremely underrated. The boldness and clarity with which she tackles so many topics from salary negotiations to the direct contrast in how women and men operate in the workplace is refreshing. There were so many “Aha!” moments for me. Scenarios that I’ve been in, exact thoughts and conversations that I’ve had (with myself and others), and revelations that were clear as day for me. It was so enlightening to know that other women had faced these same situations, made some of the same mistakes, but learned from them and then shared this priceless knowledge in hopes of helping other women avoid major pitfalls and emotional anquish; and, more importantly, to own the power we have as women and value the attributes that make us assets in any workplace. And ”Knowing Your Value” (the book AND the mantra) goes so far beyond money and titles; but we as women tend to undervalue ourselves when it comes to those things, and often without even realizing it.
I wish I could buy this book and pass it out to every woman I know. THAT’s how good it is. It will change your mindset, it will change the way you operate, and it will change your life. I truly believe that.
Invest in yourself, and practice “Knowing Your Value”. It’s time to get what you deserve.
Make it a great week! Start by getting this book… :-)
[video]
What if we spent as much time building each other up as we do tearing each other down?
What if we spent more time on positivity and less time on negativity?
What if we invested more in love and less in hate?
What if we practiced compassion everyday? To everyone - regardless of race, religion, class, or ability?
What if, when we had a positive thought or compliment about someone, we actually told them instead of just keeping it to ourselves?
What if we knew more about the character of our children, their likes and dislikes, their dreams and desires, than we do about our favorite athlete, singer, or real housewife of whatever?
What if we spent as much time working toward our goals and dreams as we do reading about other people’s on social media and watching them on youtube?
What if we talked less and did more?
What if, after reading this, you did something you’ve been putting off for too long now?
I don’t have a ‘like’ button for you to click, but if you like it…..do it. Actions speak louder than words. Or likes.
You only get one life. Make it the best there is. And then encourage someone else to do the same.
I’m not really sure what made me write this, but I think it’s necessary. So much negative stuff out there, it’s DRAINING. There are happy people and happy stories to tell. Shine your light today.
Go be great!
So….forgive me for the fact that I’m about 2 weeks late on this post, ok? :-/
I’ve been wanting to try the magical Shellac method for about a year now. I finally bit the bullet (and by bullet, I mean paying about twice as much as a regular manicure) and treated myself to the no-chip miracle.
First thing I loved? The fact that I avoided the almost inevitable smudge upon leaving the nail salon. It’s pretty much guaranteed that with a regular mani, I would ruin my newly polished nails while gathering my keys or even just opening my car door (I’m a clutz). Not so with the shellac mani!! You’re dry in just a few minutes. They also had more colors to choose from than I imagined, and I chose a soft pink because I love neutral tones.
Overall, pretty much everything that was promised came true. There was no chipping. The manicurist told me that the most noticeable thing would be the new nail growth at my cuticles, and that was true. There may have been one minor peeling incident, but in all honesty I am pretty rough on my nails (which is why I was more willing to invest in the shellac) so no complaints from me on that end.
Here’s a pic of day one on the left, and three weeks later on the right. Yes, I pushed past the 2 week limit and went for 3. And they still didn’t look terrible! Definitely a thumbs up from this girl.
(Please ignore the fact that I took these pics in totally different lighting, which is why my skin looks two different shades. Am I driving the struggle bus lately or what?)
Have you tried Shellac? If so, what did you think? Hit me up in the comments or on Twitter - @KylaWoodsTV.
- KW