Freedom of Expression

When I first laid eyes on this lady at the natural hair show in Atlanta this past weekend, I wanted to chuckle. As a matter of fact, I did chuckle because she was wearing every single color in the crayon box. Different, uncoordinated colors appeared around her neck, in her hair, on her wrists, everywhere. But she didn’t think she looked odd…..actually, she knew she was fly. So, her self-assurance got me thinking….what if every goddess knew she was on point?

There were a few women with permed hair that visited my booth, and they mentioned how they wanted to go natural but they were worried about how people in Corporate America would respond. Their concerns sounded all too familiar as my mind drifted back to the time I initially contemplated cutting off my long, permed hair. Many people told me not to do it because of the same fear (so glad I didn’t listen).

A few moments later my mind came back, and I thought about the lady wearing all of the colors. Confidence. That’s really all the ladies who were afraid to go natural needed. (That’s mostly what all of us need). When we make decisions about ourselves based primarily on other folks’ perceptions, we prevent our inner goddess from shining and inhibit our ability to express ourselves freely.

I’ve learned that people will adapt their responses to you based on your response to yourself. When you walk, talk and live with confidence (not arrogance), people's doubts and concerns begin to subside and are eventually replaced with confidence in you.

So, if I ever find myself uncertain about something because I’m heavily considering other people’s sensitivities, I hope I think back to this woman.