by Altimese Nichole | Aug 18, 2015 | Learn + Grow
In life—especially for women, it’s so easy to take care and nurture others while forgetting to nurture yourself. The older we become and the more responsibilities that we are blessed with, we place ourselves lower on the list of priorities. We begin to guilt ourselves into believing that it’s okay to not worry about our well-being. We find ourselves saying things like, “As long as they’re okay then I’m okay.”
In the midst of telling ourselves this sweet little lie, our love tank depletes more and more— with no deposits of restoration. We all have a love tank and within that love tank we have deposits and withdrawals. If we’re always taking out to give to others, how do we replenish the reservoir? I encourage you to take care of your most valuable player: you. It becomes really hard to give others what we fail to give to ourselves. Taking care of you doesn’t have to be extremely time consuming! It can be simple gestures that you do for yourself to says, “you matter.”
Here are some tips that can help inspire you of ways to show yourself daily gratitude.
Morning coffee or Tea
There is something truly miraculous about the first sip of coffee in the morning! It reminds you that you’re alive—and it’s all okay. Make it a point to get up a little earlier to sip your coffee in peace. If you’re not a coffee drinker, start your day with tea or lemon water (which has amazing health benefits, by the way).
Morning Prayer and Meditation
Mediation has become so popular in society because it calms the soul in a chaotic world. It’s a spiritual act of becoming grounded within. You don’t need a studio or a fitness center. YouTube morning yoga sessions and thousands of options will appear. While becoming spiritually grounded, add prayer to the mix and it not only grounds you but makes your heart open to today’s possibilities vs. yesterday’s disappointments.
Homemade facial
Take a little extra time in the morning or evening to pamper yourself through your everyday routine! Add essential oils like Lavender at night or Peppermint in the day to boost the experience. One of my favorite homemade facials are easy and timeless!
Take time to read a book
Many people protest their lack of time for reading but the reality is— there is always time. Become aware of the time you spend throughout the day browsing social sites or watching television. Don’t eliminate it but cut out at least one hour for dedicated reading time. If that doesn’t work- try during your morning time. You will truly be surprise the amount of time we spend… wasting time. Need recommendations? Check out the “She Reads” section of KnowYourStrong.org and be inspired!
These are just samples of the MANY things you can do to take care of you in the midst of managing all of your responsibilities. Women are amazing because of our capabilities; own your awesomeness with grace, and take care of you.
Check out the amazing health benefits of essential oils here and choose some of your favorite homemade facials here!
by Nadya Logan | Aug 18, 2015 | Lifestyle+Culture
This ensemble includes a white blazer, teal flowy tank top, ripped jeans, a red clutch, and red heels. It should be noted that this outfit can be assembled together using pieces similar to the ones pictured—and some pieces colors can be changed. For example, the white blazer can be traded for a black one and the teal top can be switched with a white one. Not a fan or ripped jeans? Wear the denim jeans with no rips or tears!
“A Splash of Red” is a reference to the clutch and heels, to items that help dress up the ripped jeans. Red is a color of power and sophistication, and the red from the clutch and heels do exactly that.
Recreate this look, and tag us @knowyourstrong or #STRONGSheRocks
by Khojdeshia Denise | Aug 18, 2015 | Learn + Grow
Mind Over Matter
Have you heard the saying, “mind over matter“? I used to wonder what d this phrase even meant. I’ve learned the mind is where everything starts and ends! As soon as an event happens, you start the process of responding in your mind. You assess the circumstances and then decide what to do from there. This can happen in a second, or over an extended amount of time, but despite how long it takes, you are left with your thoughts to make an appropriate decision on what to do next.
On a daily basis, we all experience a variety of different situations; some pleasant, others not so much! During the unfavorable times, I try to remember that if there is no benefit from what I’m considering doing or saying, then a negative response is just unnecessary and unhelpful. I remind myself that negative energy doesn’t travel far. Most times, you’re left with negativity lingering in your mind long after the situation is over. I’ve come to realize placing yourself in that mental space is NEVER worth it and creates a vicious cycle of unhappiness and negative energy!
So, what happens if you find yourself in a situation that requires your attention, but the other parties involved are being confrontational and negative? You could respond in the same manner, perpetuating the cycle of negative energy, or you can rise above the situation and decide that you won’t engage in a way that will disrupt your peace of mind. Make the decision to remain positive while addressing the issue if necessary. Your mind is so very powerful, life can be very pleasant when you use it to remain positive and preserve your peace! Remember mind over matter.
You aren’t always in a position to control what happens to you, but you are in control of what goes on in your mind! Don’t help anyone or anything hurt you! You help people hurt you by contributing to or engaging in negativity that WILL eventually affect you. YOU are comprised of energy that can neither be created nor destroyed, just transferred from one form to another. Be mindful of this when receiving and sending energy out into the Universe. While interacting with others, remember that if it hurts them, eventually it will hurt you. Regardless of the form or where it comes from, what you send out ALWAYS comes back to you!
All of this can be managed, controlled, and even avoided altogether when you use your mind to assess situations, consider your values, and use your heart to guide you to do what feels right before you engage in anything! If it doesn’t feel right to you, then it isn’t right for you to do! Consider ALL factors of what makes you who you are- your mind, body, and spirit should all agree. When you live from a place that fosters harmony and authenticity, you can feel good as a happy, healthy, and whole woman that lives your truth without negativity! It all starts with a thought and what you believe. Remember: Mind over matter, because this journey is all a mind thing!
LIGHT and LOVE,
Khojdeshia Denise
by Nadya Logan | Aug 18, 2015 | Lifestyle+Culture
The holidays are nearing soon, and if you have a big family like mine, then you probably started saving for gifts in January. For those of you have not, and are interested in doing so, here’s a way to begin budgeting your funds.
According to Mint, a financial management company powered by Intuit, the 50/20/30 rule “can help twenty-somethings sort out the complicated world of personal financeâ€. Meaning that not only can this budgeting guideline be useful during the time leading up to the holidays, but it can be used during all times of the year.
As reported by the chart, 50% of your income should go to anything you’d classify as an “absolute necessity of lifeâ€. This can include, but is not limited to: Rent, Transportation, Groceries, and Utilities. If you would be homeless if you didn’t pay for it, then more than likely, you should be investing 50% or less of your income on it.
The company also advises that you put 20% of your income into your financial priorities. For instance, if you’re 24-years old, you understand that retirement is something that you will need in about 30-40 years from today and you may have student loans to pay back—which is why putting 20% (or more) of your money into any financial obligations that you are taking care of now (and possibly in the future) would be the responsible thing to do. This way, if our economy tanks, and the government runs out of money to fund social security, you will be able to take care of yourself.
As stated on the website, 30% of your income should go to “voluntary obligations that enhance your lifestyleâ€. Things that can be considered a voluntary obligation could be eating out, a gym membership, shopping, or your cell phone/internet/cable plan. But although all of these things are considered a luxury, most people cannot function successfully in our society without having a good cell phone plan or eating out every once in a while, whether for business purposes or personal pleasure.
And as I stated in the beginning of this article, the holidays are coming up soon. So you can mark your mother’s STRONG Box yearlong subscription into your voluntary-obligation category.
If you want more information on the 50/20/30 rule, you find it at https://www.mint.com/budgeting-3/the-minimalist-guide-to-budgeting-in-your-20s
by Torrie Oglesby | Aug 18, 2015 | Learn + Grow
Dear 20 something soul,
Caution: THIS IS NOT WISDOM FROM SOMEONE WHO HAS ALREADY PASSED THEIR TWENTIES. THIS IS AN OPEN CONVERSATON WITH A PEER WHO IS LEARNING AND GROWING JUST AS YOU ARE.
I would be lying to you guys if I said I had it all figured out. I’m personally still in my early twenties and to be honest I’ve been struggling a little bit with finding peace, balance, and contentment in my roaring twenties. Between building my business, feeding the kids, reading books, writing books and making sure I eat a healthy diet there’s a lot to juggle. There’s days when it’s exhilarating and then there’s days when it’s exhausting. There’s moments of clarity and then moments of complete chaos and let’s not even bring up the battle between self-belief and self-doubt. I wanted to start this weekly list of wisdom, thoughts and lessons learned to help us get through these character building and soul maturing years together.
Something #1
ROME WASN’T BUILT IN A DAY
We are in the beginning stages of our adult life. With there being so much pressure to have a respected job, have a house, have financial success, and to look like you have it going on, we tend to forget that things take time. Say it with me, THINGS. TAKE. TIME.
Let’s strive to achieve all the goals we personally have set for ourselves but let’s have grace and remember that Rome was not built in a day. Work hard every day at adding stones to the foundation and remember these years are for sowing and building not reaping and benefiting.
Till next time,
20 something soul
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