I Was Crippled For 5 Days

For the past five days, I have been without a computer. Do you know how much that turned my life upside down?!

My PC caught a virus which I though could be cleared up rather easily by an IT person. When I found out that it would take longer than expected and I would have to go days without my computer, I felt naked and lost. I went to the library one day to use the Internet, but it just wasn’t the same. And I didn’t get much work done. (Besides, the library wasn’t open everyday because of county budget cuts.) So, I was relegated to using my iPhone as my computer, and I think my eyesight has diminished more in the last five days than it has over the last 29 years of my life.

Not having a computer gave me a lot of time to think about the progression of technology and our dependency on it. My parents would probably feel lost without a landline telephone. I think it’s safe to assume that my generation would feel lost without a computer or cell phone. So I wonder what people in the next generation would feel lost without—maybe an iPad or an e-reader or maybe their favorite social networking site. I don’t know. What I do know, however, is that a large part of my day is spent and most of my work is completed on the computer. Not being able to quickly type emails, open big files (or access my files altogether), post on my blog, and fill Goddess Zuri orders left me a bit paralyzed.

So, the one thing I am committed to doing before the end of the first quarter is buying a Mac. My dependency on a computer has become quite crippling, and my days feel a bit awkward when I don’t have access to one. This experience has made me liken my reliance on a computer to the reliance of a child on parents. Absolutely crucial.

Goddess Inspiration: James Allen

Featured Shirt: Big Ones

Get Goddess Zuri's "Big Ones" tank for $12 this week only! That's a 45% savings!! Sale ends Friday, January 21st at midnight.

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Goddess of the Week: Ava D.

Name: Ava. D.

City: Columbia, SC

Hobbies: My first love is singing. I also like to plant perennials and watch them come back to life each spring. Traveling, too, has become one of the things I enjoy.

What makes you a fly goddess?: I consider myself a fly goddess for the simple fact that I know who I am, whose I am, and from whence I came. I love life and feel that I am fulfilling my purpose and using my talents to help adolescents.

What advice do you have for women who are trying to free their goddess?: Be empowered to be your best self and don't be afraid to go the extra mile. Challenge yourself. Don't settle for mere mediocrity. Stand back and take an inventory of yourself. If you find anything that is not for your good, discard it.

What My Third-Eye Chakra Showed Me

When I peeked into an ordinary day in my future, the image I saw with my third-eye chakra was so clear. I saw my children, a boy and a girl, laying on a brown, leather couch in their pajamas watching cartoons while their dad made breakfast. My little girl’s hair was long, medium-brown and all over the place! She was trying to focus on the TV show but her brother kept pestering her. So, when the kids got a little rowdy, my husband told them to chill out and get cleaned up for breakfast. The house we lived in was nice, spacious and open with a connected kitchen and living room. Just before breakfast was ready, I walked down the stairs in a blue bathrobe. (My husband let me sleep in after a tiring day). I made my way over to the stove where he was standing and gave him a kiss.

This is the vision I got two months ago when a yoga instructor told me to focus on my third-eye chakra and imagine my future.

According to www.wllspringreiki.com, the third-eye chakra is “the source of our intuition and clairvoyance (vision beyond ordinary sight) as well as our ability to visualize and manifest.”

I don’t know much about chakras, but since that yoga class, the vision has persisted and led me to two conclusions.
1. Yoga can provide clarity.
2. I like what I see in my future.

So, what’s your vision? If you're not exactly sure, try out a local yoga class to help you see clearer.

Goddess Art: Senior Xhosa Woman

This picture makes my heart smile. It's the image of a senior Xhosa woman smoking a tradition pipe in Eastern Cape, South African.

I'm smiling because when I look at her I see sweetness, don't give a damnness, peacefulness, leave-me-aloneness and wish-a-sucka-wouldness --everything I hope to exude when I'm her age.

Does He Know What It Looks Like At Night?

Your man digs your style and loves your hair, but does he know what it looks like at night? This is a question my girlfriends and I asked ourselves a few nights ago.

Many people hold the erroneous belief that natural hair is easier to manage than relaxed hair. Little do these people know, women with natural hair can deal with more challenging, more disobedient, and more reckless hair than that of their relaxed counterparts.

In order to tame our hair and prepare it for the style we plan to rock the next day, we can spend hours in front of the mirror twisting or braiding it. And after we’ve finished, we can look like Medusa.

I have a friend who is in a new relationship. Every time her beau sees her, her hair is fly, so she has anxiety about what his response will be when he sees it for the first time in its prep style. How do you introduce your man to bedtime hair? Do you just do what you do and act like it’s no big deal? Do you give him a warning before you start? Or do you forgo the prep style whenever he’s around?

It’s an interesting conversation, and the simple answer is, find a man who loves you and doesn’t care what your hair looks like. But, let’s face it, men are visual creatures. I’m not a man, but I think it’s safe to assume that plaits all over his woman’s head are less than sexy to him. So do we balance the twists with boyshorts and a tshirt? Or better yet, our birthday suit?

I don’t have the answer, but I’m guessing men who are married to or dating natural women do….I think I need to interview a few of them!

The Goddess Code: “G” Explained

Over the past two years, I’ve been blogging about how freeing our inner goddess allows us to get the best out of life and, in turn, allows life to benefit from the best in us.

I thought it would be fun and challenging to try to explain what a goddess is using the letters that make up the word. So, over the course of the year, I will make seven posts to explicate what I think composes a goddess.

G is for Graceful. Displaying ease and suppleness of movement in form or action. A goddess is graceful, not only as she moves through a room, but also as she moves through life. The gracefulness that allows her to be heard without speaking, felt without touching and seen without trying, is the same gracefulness that allows her to bend without breaking, help without hindering, and take control without controlling.

Her grace prevents difficult life experiences from knocking her down and permits her to press on with fluidity.

Have you ever met a woman who you know is experiencing an obstacle but she operates with such certainty and smoothness that you often forget about her situation? She puts the G in goddess. We all can put the G in goddess once we eliminate the rigidity we impose upon ourselves and simply let our gracefulness take over.

Gracefulness is about flow, and goddesses don’t let anything or anyone interrupt their flow. As we choose and assess friendships, relationships and even careers this year, we should evaluate how they positively or negatively affect our flow. Being graceful is natural and should not require much effort. In fact, we negate gracefulness when we desire or over-think it. It’s already there. So, relax, and let it surface. When we do, we will be freeing our goddess.

In a nutshell, a goddess is graceful, and she:

Gracefully
Operates (in the world),
Demonstrating
Dignity
Everyday
She
Stands

Beautiful Flower

It was unseasonably warm a few days ago, so I decided to take a walk in my neighborhood. I plugged my headphones into my iPhone and turned on Pandora to Lauryn Hill's station. I had been walking for about 10 minutes or so at a pretty nice pace, taking in nature and thinking about my day. But as soon as this song came on, I nearly stopped in my tracks.

In a word: beautiful!

As soon as I got home from walking, I looked up the song and discovered that it had been out for about three years. I got slightly upset at myself for not discovering it sooner. Since hearing it, though, I've played it about 100 times. If every person had a theme-song, this one would probably be mine.

Take a listen and share it. It was made for goddesses.

Goddess Inspiration: Yogi Teabag

New Spirituali-Tees!

Goddess Zuri has a new line of shirts called "Spirituali-Tees." The first two shirts in the line are:

Abraham's Heiress: The story of Abraham is one of faith, obedience, promise and prosperity and serves as an inspiration for this shirt.

Praying hands: Quite simply, there is power in prayer. Prayer changes things. This 100% cotton, slim fitting tee is an outward reflection of that truth.

These two shirts will be on sale at a special introductory price of $5.00 Tuesday, Jan 4th-Thursday, January 6th.

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Meaning of Eleven

I was looking around on Facebook last night, and I saw a status update from my friend on the meaning of number 11.

Her post read, "...11 is called a Master or Power number, and is believed to possess more potential than others. Eleven, which represents idealism, revelation, artistic and inventive genius, illumination, charisma and leadership, is considered to be the most intuitive of all numbers."

After reading this and talking to a friend recently about this very topic, I was anxious to dig a little deeper into the meaning behind the number. I visited a few web sites, all of which stated nearly the same thing, but a quote from www.cultofeleven.tribe.net put it nicely.

"The number 11 is thought of as a "master" number in numerology because it is a double digit of the same number. When this occurs - the vibrational frequency of the prime number doubles in power. Meaning, the attributes of the Number One are doubled. So, the very basic & primary understanding of the Number One is that of new beginnings & purity. When we see this digit doubled as with the 11 - then these attributes double in strength.

In numerology the number 11 represents higher ideals, invention, refinement, congruency, balance, fulfillment, vision.

The 11 carries a vibrational frequency of balance. It represents male & female equality. It contains sun and moon both - while holding them both separate. Perfect balance.
Consequently, constant reoccurances of Elevens often signal us to be aware of our balance. Balance emotion, thought, spirit - balance of masculine, feminine, - work, play - joy, sorrow - - - Elevens are magical messages asking us if we are centered or out-of-whack."

New Beginnings and Balance. Nice themes for 2011.

Keeping the Momentum

Yay 2011!!! We dressed up, danced, cheered and laughed to ring in the new year.

Now, it’s time to get to work.

If you’re like me, you’ve reflected on what you would like to accomplish over the next twelve months, and you’ve already started working towards whatever it is you’ve mentally outlined.

Right now, the goals are fresh, the momentum is high and the creative juices are abundant. What will the story be in three months, though?

More than likely, if we don’t make extra efforts to keep our objectives top of mind, we will allow life to push them to into background. Relationship drama. Job drama. Family drama. Financial drama. These situations have the ability to distract us from our pursuits. So, as life happens, here are a few tips to help you keep things moving.

Keep a Journal. Translate your daily accomplishments, thoughts and moods to paper. You can use your journal to, both, chart your progression and reflect upon your success as the year advances.

Join a 30 Day Do It Group. Goddesses who need a little more than self motivation to get things going may be interested in joining a goal-setting group. A 30 Day Do It group encourages participants to break down yearly goals into more manageable monthly ones and adds a layer of accountability in the process.

Review Your Goals Regularly. Often times, we (mentally) write down goals at the beginning of the year and file them away a short time later. Try posting your goals in a place you visit regularly. Your office. Your bathroom. Your car. This will help you keep them in the forefront of your thoughts.

Make a List. Write down actions (daily or weekly) that will help you achieve your goal. Once you complete the items on your list, check them off. Then make a new list. Repeat the process, and see what happens!

Wake Up Early. Go To Bed Late. You’re an executive, a student, a mom, a wife or an entrepreneur. So, you’re already busy! Try waking up early or going to bed late at least twice a week to work on your goal. Greatness requires time, so in 2011, commit to making time for your dreams.

The key to accomplishing our goals is keeping the momentum going all year long. Let's make it happen!