Making Waves

I’ve written three books. A ton of blog posts. And a bunch of other writing pieces too. And while I’ve had some success here and there with writing, at the start of the year I was discouraged about not having any of my books published yet. When I originally envisioned being a “successful writer” I thought that meant I needed a published book to my name.  I reached out to a lot of different publishers, some who showed interest and others who didn’t and was having little to no movement with landing a book deal. Growing frustrated, I strongly considered self-publishing, which would allow me three things: getting published, creative control, and owning the rights to my work. And as the months into this year continued, no deal was on the table yet, so I decided to switch up my strategy and pursue writing opportunities with different online sites with content I enjoy reading.  I could write for the sites I enjoy,  I thought. E very time I read different content on th...

Last week, a group of my colleagues and I attended a diversity awareness training that was given by a young black-female professor and faculty member where we work.  I’d honestly been looking forward to the training all week, as diversity is a topic important and intriguing to me, and when it arrived, I couldn’t wait to see what was in store. We were all in for an opportunity to confront some real issues and challenges happening in different workplaces and settings outside of it. This professor possessed a wealth of knowledge, both personally and professionally, providing insight into the world of diversity and its challenges and sometimes lingering controversies.  The one thing, in particular, she addressed, that myself and a number of my colleagues became more familiarized with, was the topic of microaggressions. According to  Dictionary.com , a  microaggression  can be defined as  follows: ·        A s...

Believe it or not, there are groups of women in families, friend circles, workplaces, neighborhoods, on social media, and even in some churches, who pursue or get involved with men who are spoken for. This is not okay.  I’ve painfully had to cut ties and back away from some women I used to be cool with, some I once considered friends, who did stuff like that. The demise of some of those friendships was painful, but I couldn’t stay quiet or pretend to be cool with anyone who would get involved with someone they knew was spoken for and break up a happy couples relationship or home. Warning: if you have friends like this, you may want to think twice about those friendships and be very careful about having your significant other around people like that too. Because if those  friends  would do what they do to other women, they could do it to you too.  While I’m a forgiving and understanding person, who has almost always tried to see the good in others, ...

Female mentorship is important. Especially for today’s generation of young women. I have a handful of mentors that have helped provide guidance to me in my personal and professional life, have supported and celebrated with me in my accomplishments, and have been there to show me how to make it through challenging times. If I didn’t know any of the women who’ve mentored me and made deposits into me as a person, I’m not sure I would’ve applied to college, made it through college, been able to go on job interviews and continually go towards my dreams in the process. In different ways, they have all shown me the importance of defining what it means for  me  to be my own woman.  Mentors have likely been where you’re trying to go and can help you avoid some pitfalls and mistakes they may have made when they were your age, which can help you make different choices and better decisions. Mentors are not solely responsible for mentees, though. Mentees have a role to play too...

Awhile back, I had the chance to watch the film  Christopher Robin.  While I’d never seen it before, I was already familiar with some of the film’s background, as I grew up being a Winnie the Pooh fan as a little girl. So I thought the film would be worth checking out. About an hour into it, I wanted to cry. Not just because the film was well done but because of what I gleaned from different points throughout its story. More specifically, a reminder to not lose one’s imagination. When Christopher Robin becomes a grown man, he’s no longer preoccupied with hanging out with Winnie the Pooh and Pooh’s friends in the Hundred Acre Woods. As he shouldn’t be since he’s an adult with a career, a wife, and a child of his own. He’s officially come into #adulting. However, he later becomes reacquainted with his pals from the Hundred Acre Woods and sets off on some new adventures. At first, Christopher Robin has a hard time stepping into the childhood world he once spent his day...

We live in a very “filtered” culture.  Real  beauty has a different meaning for everyone.  If you have access to a smartphone or a computer, you can take photos of yourself and practically edit them to your liking. I find this fascinating and sometimes unsettling. Especially when I see a photo of someone that’s been edited and filtered to the point where they no longer look like their real self anymore. I see a lot of women doing this to the point where it’s become a bit excessive. And different women I’ve seen using filters, who I personally think look great without using them, keep hiding behind these tools and different features. And while using filters is an individual choice, I believe it’s a great time to redefine beauty in this filtered world we’re living in.  You don’t ever have to feel or believe you are not enough as you are. You were born with beauty, inside and out, and no filter should hide that. I’m no stranger to filters but I don’t ...

The moment I stepped into this restaurant, it felt warm and inviting. The customer service was on point, the setting was adorable, and the food surpassed my expectations. I must admit, the name of the restaurant struck my curiosity and I had to see what it was all about. Not Another Pancake House (located in Williamsburg, VA) is wonderful. I ordered the Death By Chocolate waffle and also had some of the skillet my mom ordered and completely consumed my meal guilt free. They also served fresh coffee too – which is always a nice touch for a place that does breakfast well. If you’re in the Williamsburg area or plan on visiting sometime and looking for a great place to eat, check out Not Another Pancake House.  Do something fun this weekend and enjoy yourself. TGIF!