Be Bold.

In the rawest state I could finally see myself, my true self. No longer hiding behind weave extensions, braids or whatever I thought gave me beauty. I wanted to get back to the real me….the short hair me.

For as long as I known short hair has become a signature statement for me. I remember the first time the scissors hit my head at the young age of 15 in Detroit, where hair is a muse and a statement piece. I realized how much I identified with my short hair and how it gave me a boldness, sexiness and confidence to walk to the beat of my own drum.

Everytime I would try to grow my hair it really never worked out because I was always compelled to return to what really moved my soul…my short hair. I dated different guys who wanted me to grow my hair long and I attempted to do it; however, I never could fully commit to letting it grow. I found out that when you try to change the essence of who you are to please a man, society or whoever you lose your true identity.

So, again I found myself on this journey of growth, letting my hair grow back from an undercut hairstyle. This time I was seriously growing it back for myself because I wanted to have long hair. But I started to become tired of the weave extensions, weight being added to me. I did not want to hide anymore then there came an epiphany.

Guess what? Yep, I am sure you figured it out, I cut my hair again this year. I feel free, sexier, bolder and a little more confident to be me. I made a vow to myself to stop omitting pieces of myself, the things that make me who I am. I am proud to be a woman who can rock short hair. I believe short hair is beautiful and reveals the true beauty of a woman. Short hair is my natural state of being.

Recently, I read Alicia Key’s open letter on Lenny Letter  it was very inspiring as she discussed how she went through an evolution of letting go of the stereotypical ideas of beauty. She no longer wanted to hide behind all the things that made her different yet beautiful. I loved the letter because it resounded with my soul. We live in a society where being different can sometimes be looked down upon because being different is viewed as abnormal.

As I grow I have become bold in my conviction of being true to myself and not fitting into the status quo. Even, in love relationships I refuse to shrink who I am to be with a man who doesn’t love me for me. It has taken me a very long time to start loving myself and I can no longer comprise myself for the sake of others. I am aware that I matter; my happiness, peace of mind, my life and decisions matter. I can no longer settle for pieces of myself I need the whole version of me. When I show up whole then people are challenged to accept themselves too.

Tweet: Being bold is an act of bravery saying “this is who I am, take it or leave it”!

Reference: 
http://www.lennyletter.com/style/a410/alicia-keys-time-to-uncover/

Recap of May Blog Post

As May begins to disappear we are recapping the things we discussed this month. Our May series was Loss, Live & Love where we discussed how losing something or someone gives us a better perspective on gaining a valuable lesson. We also discussed how important it is to find rekindle your passion and live in your purpose.

Below are the links to recap each article:

Lose To Win!
http://www.theinspirationalcorner.net/2016/05/lose-to-win.html 

Romancing The Stone of Your Life
http://www.theinspirationalcorner.net/2016/05/romancing-stone-of-your-life.html

Lose To Win!

On April 9th, 2016 at 10:00am in the morning I was sleeping comfortably until I got a message from my family that altered my world……

On April 9th, 2016 I was confronted with reality when my oldest brother called to tell me about our dad. He spoke in a shaky tone telling me my beloved father was pronounced dead that morning at the hospital. My whole body went numb after hearing this news and I screamed throughout my house. This could not be real for me to fathom, I no longer would be able to see my dad or hear his voice. In some crazy way I thought is was surreal like a dream but, it was not a dream. It was an unexpected nightmare that now haunts me.

My mom was distraught, the man she was married to 42 years was now gone. I grieved for her and my entire family. The only question I wanted to ask myself was “how were we going to move on from this trauma ?”. My brothers and I all shared a special bond with my father; he was truly the King of his castle. He taught us how to love unconditionally, live unapologetically and most of all how to have a relationship with the Lord.

The wound is fresh, the tears are new and the pain is relevant in our lives. However, through this abrupt interruption of my dad’s departure we continue to carry on his legacy. Losing someone that you love is never easy but bittersweet. Yes, spiritually we know he is with God but we will always miss his physical absence…. his smile, laughter and joy it brought to our lives. After losing my youngest daughter nine years ago and now my dad it has taught me how precious life is now. I am no longer waiting on a special moment to do what I desire or live the life I want. Now, I have an urgency to live life to the fullest, experience every great undertaking and live it on my own terms.

The greatest things that I have won due to my loss of loved ones are courage to live my life on my own terms, do what is best for me, letting go of the need for permission and understanding I do not need validation to be who I am.

In some strange way I feel like this has helped me involve into a better version of me, living life unapologetically!

Picture Reference: Pinterest www.stevemaraboli.com 

Recap of February Blog Post

As we take a leap from February into the next month we are recapping the things we discuss this month. Our theme for February was Learn, Live & Love! We taught you seven ways to reconnect with yourself, we gave tips on how to live a beautiful life and then we discussed how you can leap into your 2016 the right way. 

Below are the links to recap each article.

7 Ways To Reconnect With Yourself:
http://www.theinspirationalcorner.net/2016/02/7-ways-to-reconnect-with-yourself.html 

5 Tips On Living A Beautiful Life!
http://www.theinspirationalcorner.net/2016/02/5-tips-on-living-beautiful-life.html 

Leap Into Your 2016!
http://www.theinspirationalcorner.net/2016/02/leap-into-your-2016.html 

7 Ways To Reconnect With Yourself

How often do you check in with yourself? It is important to ask yourself questions to make sure your mind, body, and soul are aligned. Sometimes we go through our daily routine in life forgetting to check in with our self. We rush through each day just to get to the weekend to repeat the endless cycle. However, we never realize that stress or being burnout is due to us losing the connection with ourselves. When you begin to take a daily inventory of your happiness you will bring awareness back to yourself.  Spending time reconnecting with yourself is essential to living a well-balanced life.  Below are 7 ways to help you reconnect with yourself.

1. Breathe. Yes, breathing is a sure way to reconnect you back to your body energy. If you take the time to slow down your breath & breathe slowly it will help you calm down. According to an article in Living Strong, “Deep breathing relieves stress and anxiety due to its physiological effect on the nervous system.”

2. Go outside. Nature is a great way to connect yourself back to the beauty around you. The more you are aware of all the godly beauty it will refresh your soul. 

3. Meditate. Meditation is one great way to feel at peace, to clear scattered thoughts and bring you to a place of oneness. Even if you meditate for 8 minutes a day it will change your mental state. There are many apps that you can download to start your meditation journey. You can also sit in silence without any distractions to assist you on your meditation path.

4. Pamper Yourself. When was the last time you took some time to pamper yourself? 

Indulge a little whether it is take a spa day, getting a glass of wine, exercising or eating alone at your favorite restaurant understand pampering yourself will help you re-energize.

5. Read Your Favorite Book. Spending time to read your favorite book can help you escape from the chaos. According to Reader’s Digest,”snuggling up with a good read tamps down levels of unhealthy stress hormones such as cortisol, Weight Watchers recently reported.

6. Sit by the Water. I always felt that sitting by water has a calming effect. If you spend time at a body of water it will help you reflect on positive things.

7. Unplug. Unplugging from technology and social media can help you reconnect as well. Spending time to stay present in the moment will help you appreciate the current moment.I would also suggest not posting every moment on social media. Posting everything you do on social media can take away from the authenticity of the moment.

After practicing these seven ways you will feel less stressed and more connected with your mind, body & soul!

References:

http://www.livestrong.com/article/136646-why-does-deep-breathing-calm-you-down/ 

http://www.rd.com/health/wellness/benefits-of-reading/

February Theme: Learn, Live & Love!

The month of February is finally here and so is our theme for this month. Our theme for this month is Learn, Live & Love! In this month we are going to learn some valuable lessons, live life in an extraordinary way and love every moment of it. In the month of February we celebrate Valentine’s Day, Black History Month, President’s Day and so many other special days in this month. So, get ready to enjoy each article as we discuss more subjects to help you grow into a better you!

Recap of January Blog Post!

In our January series we discussed the importance of creating a plan and putting a plan into action. Then we discussed why it is important to live your dreams no matter what comes your way. And as we say goodbye to January  below are the provided links to recap our series for January: Plan, Prepare & Present!

Recap of January Blog Post: 
Surviving To Thriving: Plan In Action! 
http://www.theinspirationalcorner.net/2016/01/surviving-to-thriving-plan-in-action.html  

Live Your Dreams!
http://www.theinspirationalcorner.net/2016/01/live-your-dreams.html

Surviving To Thriving: Plan In Action!

Tweet: My mission in life is not merely to survive, but to thrive; And to do so with some passion, some compassion, some humor and some style. ~Maya Angelou~  

If all you do is dream and never make effective steps to plan your success then your dream remains a dream. It is important to not only set goals in your life but to have a specific plan to execute your goals. In order to fully execute your goals you have to implement a strategy. At the end of 2015, I realized how much I needed to get my act together. I was tired of repeating the same endless cycles over and over again. It simply became a cycle of insanity that I needed to break. For a long time I settled for survival mode instead of thriving mode. Mediocrity began to take over my life and I embraced it wholeheartedly. However, things began to shift in my life. I was no longer okay with being apart of the mediocre life club. I became unhappy with the redundancy that crippled my life. So, I came face to face with the truth that I needed to make different life choices.

When you embrace mediocrity you are setting yourself up for failure. You cannot obtain your life goals if you never take action. The first part of efficient action is creating a plan to shift into the thriving mode. You have to reevaluate all the things you have been doing that has not worked for you. In order to dig your way out of the hole of surviving you have to be willing to use different strategies. The different strategies you can use are as follows:

• Create A Plan
• Ask For Help
• Research Resolutions
• Confront The Issue
• Create Steps To Solve The Issue
• Review Conflict Resolution Steps: Identify the conflict or problem, Look at core of issue, create effective solutions, Work the solutions

After you create a plan to get out of survival mode you can put forth strategies to look for ways to help you thrive. Here are a couple ways to shift your life & mindset into thriving.

• Debunk old mindset, renew your mind
• Reevaluate your life
• Create a vision for your life
• Write the vision down
• Make plans
• Look for effective resources to help you accomplish the plan
• Make different choices in your life
• Look for new opportunities
• Be open-minded 

After you reassess your life you can start to plan your escape from surviving to thriving in life. All you have to do is be determined to put your plan into action! 

January Theme: Plan, Prepare & Present!

Tweet: If you fail to plan, you are planning to fail. ~Benjamin Franklin~

In this month of January we usher in a new year, new mindset & a clean slate. Our theme for this month is entitled Plan, Prepare & Present. It is important we take the time to plan for the life we want, prepare for it & began to make monumental steps to present it to the world. Our articles this month will discuss planning for success in all areas of your life, preparing for the harvest of your success & being bold to present your dreams & desires to the world. Get Ready for an exciting month filled with goal setting & taking action manifest our dreams! 

What We Have In Store For 2016?

The Inspirational Corner will  bring you more informative content on multiple women topics. Next year, we will dive into topics that will empower, uplift & teach you how to channel your feminine power. We will still possess the same format by making sure every month has a theme. Each article will correlate with each monthly theme. 

Also the founder of The Inspirational Corner Ms. Bowden will be coming out with her new eBook entitled Red Lips & Stilettos: A Girl’s Guide To Self-Confidence. Red Lips & Stilettos is a social media movement she started in January 2015 to inspire women to walk in their purpose & believe in their feminine power. Here on the Inspirational Corner we will highlight her new eBook & give you coverage on what the book represent for women.

The beginning of January we will highlight her new eBook to give you insight on each chapter & where you can purchase her new eBook online. So get ready for fabulous things we have in store on The Inspirational Corner.