Don't Forget To Be Thankful For Yourself

I look forward to drinking Yogi tea every morning, not necessarily for the tea itself but instead for the message attached to the teabag. Many of the notes have made their way onto my facebook status, and now I find myself turning this morning’s message into a post. It read, “Appreciate yourself and honor your soul.”

What a timely message for Thanksgiving. During this holiday, we routinely reflect upon the people and things we are thankful for: family, health, stability, love, friends, and the list goes on. But how many times have we been thankful for ourselves?

How often have we verbally given thanks for simply being us? I know it sounds like some kind of crazy Kanye exercise, but I think it’s important for us to appreciate ourselves just as we do the people and things we name in our Thanksgiving prayers. Appreciating ourselves also leads to the second part of this message, “honor your soul.” I think we are far less likely to commit treason against our spirit if we’ve truly learned how to appreciate it.

So, as you and your family go around the circle and announce what you’re thankful for, don’t forget to be thankful for yourself.

Happy Thanksgiving from Goddess Zuri.

YOU'RE AMAZING! Just The Way You Are

I don't know what to say about this song other than I love it! I think it's what every woman wants to hear her love interest sing or speak. Take a listen. Nice job Bruno Mars!

New Adia Bracelet For The Holidays!

SPECIAL HOLIDAY ITEM ~ SPECIAL HOLIDAY PRICE

The Adia ("gift") Bracelet is made with wire and brown bone beads from Ghana, and it makes a perfect holiday gift. The bone beads are separated by brown glass beads, which help give the bracelet an overall sophisticated look.

It measures 3 inches in diameter and fits most wrists. This item is only available through the end of the year or until supplies last, so don't wait!

Price: $15

Goddess Inspiration: Rollo May

One Rarely Sees

I visited my girlfriend at her part-time job the other day. She works in somewhat of an art gallery. Soon after I got there, she was ready to go on her break. So I decided to accompany her. We started chatting about her less-than-stellar experiences with the last few guys she dealt with and how those dealings made her realize that she needed to rearrange items on her proverbial list. The importance of appearance and charm were being replaced by consistency, punctuality, and compassion.

I completely understood where she was coming from.

She then started telling me about a man whom she had worked with at her primary job for years that she never noticed (like that) until recently. This guy was kind and always willing to help her around the office—carrying boxes and cleaning up after her events. He was even willing to assist her at home—helping her move and fixing appliances. I need to pause here to say that this man took a day off from work to help her move. She always regarded him as sweet, and that was about it—until she mentally reorganized the list of things she sought out in a partner. Once she did this, she really started paying attention to his words, actions and attitude…and you pretty much know how the story goes from her. She liked what she observed.

After her break was over, we returned to the store. While she was in the breakroom putting away her belongings, I took a look around the gallery. There was one piece of art I was drawn to because it looked like an eye chart. As I looked at it a bit longer, though, I could see that there was a message in the letters. It wasn’t long before I decoded it to read, “One rarely sees what is right in front of them.” *

I instantly loved it and then chuckled to myself as I thought back to the conversation with my friend. After she returned from the breakroom, I pointed to the picture and told her that she needed to get it. We both smiled and said our goodbyes.

As I walked back to my car, I thought about the lesson in all of this: we can get so bogged down in a type, a job or a way of thought that we miss out on the love, opportunity or beauty right in front of us.

So, as we look over here, there and yonder for whatever, we need to also make sure we look right in front of us because that's exactly where we may find it.


*as a complete side note, I just wanted to point out that the grammar in the art is incorrect. It should acutally read "One rarely sees what is right in front of him (or her)." If you start out with singular, you have to end with singular...one is singualr; them is plural. Anal, I know...but someone is probably making a killing off bad grammar.

I'm Sensitive

Pretty much all my life I’ve been called sensitive, and pretty much all of my life, something has bothered me about this description. For some reason the word sensitive carries a negative connotation in my mind. Maybe because I equate it with weakness. I’ve always felt like being looked upon as sensitive makes people guarded in their interactions with you because they’re always worried about hurting your feelings. In my experience, people usually refrain from joking with the sensitive person as they would their other friends or divulging their true feelings to avoid hurting those of the sensitive person’s.

So, I’ve tried to grow a tougher shell, and I have actually been successful at desensitizing myself to some things. But at the end of the day, I am a sensitive person. I’ve cried during at least one part of almost every movie I’ve ever seen. (I’m a huge sucker for stories of redemption. Those hit me the hardest). My heart smiles every single time I see an old person or baby. I’m sympathetic to people’s struggles and hardships, so I usually find myself trying to help those closest to me however I can.

You remember the old saying, “sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me?” Well, words can hurt me. I get super defensive when people talk about my family or when people speak untruths about me. So, the truth is, I’m sensitive. And I need to learn to embrace this about me. The first thing I need to do to help myself accept it is detach the connection between sensitivity and weakness.

Weak is defined as lacking strength, and sensitive is defined as highly responsive. The two words can be connected, but they can also be mutually exclusive. So, I can be sensitive and not weak or weak and not sensitive.

The big lesson here, for me and hopefully other goddesses, is that we need to embrace ourselves because we can’t escape ourselves. I’ve always been a highly responsive person, and I am easily touched. So, instead of recognizing this part of me as weak, I need to learn to accept it and understand how it helps make me into the beautiful goddess that I am.

I Just Dance

While people are talking about election results, football games and celebrities, I’m just thinking about dancing. Does that make me weird?

This is a question that I’ve found myself asking a lot lately because I just don’t seem to have the same level of interest in topics that the masses have. I could very easily spend my day reading, writing and dancing.

I’ve always been interested in dance (and pretty good at it), but my childhood activities incorporated more sports than arts. So, I grew up competing in gymnastics, soccer and track & field. It wasn’t until after college that I decide to take an adult ballet class.

I love dancing when I go out. I love dancing in front of a mirror. And I love dancing in jazz class. I find movement with flow and grace so incredibly fascinating, and I can’t seem to get enough.

Since I was 13, I’ve had a pretty well-defined track & field physique. Big quads and hamstrings. Chiseled arms. And a flat stomach. I loved my body, so I would force myself to go to the gym and lift weights to maintain my shape after college. But eventually I grew weary of the routine and canceled my membership. But some part of me felt guilty about not working out the way I used to in school because all of my old teammates continued hitting the gym hard to preserve their toned bodies. Me, I just danced.

Eventually, I got over it. And now, I dance for exercise. I dance when I feel good. I dance when I feel bad. I just dance. I’ve found that my legs are a little smaller (and so is my booty), but I still have a physique that I’m proud of.

But this post really isn’t about dancing. It’s about ignoring, to some degree, what the masses are doing and saying to follow your passions and explore your interests. It’s about releasing the compulsion to follow interests of the majority in order to get in on the watercooler conversation the next morning. (Take your own water to work). It’s about letting go of old habits and routines to make room for new ones. It’s about freeing your goddess.

I Just Think She's Fly: Melissa Polinar

My friend sent me a link to a song by Melissa Polinar the other day. Her name may not ring a bell because her music isn't widespread like Joss Stone or Lauryn Hill. In fact, most of her celebrity can be credited to Youtube.

It took me a few days to actually listen to the song my friend sent because I didn't know who she was and was slightly uninterested in her music.

But one late night, I decided to click on the link. And I was amazed! Melissa's song are mostly originals, and her melodic voice is only accompanied by her guitar.

She has true, natural talent. Her voice is so clear and beautiful without the help of a recording studio.

I'm just a few clicks away from buying her cd, which can be found here.

Take a listen to one of Melissa songs below and be sure to look her up on Youtube.

People Are Watching

A lot of parents tell their older children to be careful about what they do because their younger siblings watch them, take mental notes, and will eventually imitate their actions.

I’ve learned that this advice isn’t reserved for kids only. Adults should also be very conscious of their behaviors and lifestyles because children and other adults, alike, are paying attention. In fact, one of easiest way to help someone draw nearer to God is not necessarily through teaching the Bible, inviting him/her to church, or passing out pamphlets, but rather through your living example of goodness, morality, humbleness, thankfulness and passion.

I’ve often heard my preacher say that when you meet God in heaven, he’s not going to ask you about how much money you put in the offering plate or how many Bibles you passed out. Instead he’ll ask about how many people you led to Him. Because when people see you, God’s hope is that they see Him.

The way we live can be God’s biggest piece of evidence to non-believers that He lives (or He doesn’t). If we truly consider ourselves goddesses, we should live God-like lives--lives based in love, respect, compassion, and integrity.

So, be mindful about what you say and do. Because people are watching.