Goddess of the Week: Lakish C.

Name: Lakish C.

City: Converse, TX

Hobbies: Shopping, researching social media and material for my blog BlaqVixen Beauty, surfing the Internet, going to the movies and reading.

What makes you a fly goddess?: I'm a Scorpio! No, but seriously I'm like a phoenix. Recently, I went through a chain of events that almost destroyed me, but I found the strength to make a comeback and find myself. I'm thankful that I have the will to persevere.

Advice do you have for women trying to free their goddess: I think one of the most important things is to get to know yourself and know what worksfor you- don't let others try to run your life for you! And if you have to reinvent yourself to move forward, do it responsibly.

Goddess Inspiration: Liz Smith

Now Is The Right Time

I frequent a little giftshop in town that sells everything from home accessories to decorative paper to books and cards. As I was looking around, I eventually stopped at a small rack to read a few quotable magnets. Never Ever Ever Give Up. Life Is Not About Finding Yourself, Life Is About Creating Yourself. Whatever You Are, Be A Good One.

I was getting inspired, and now I was determined to find the perfect magnet with the perfect message to don on my refrigerator. I looked and looked and looked, and then I found it. Now Is The Right Time.

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve blamed timing on my inability to act. Even though I badly wanted to cut my hair off and go natural, it took me two years to do so because I thought I should wait until after college and secure a job first. I was also conflicted between which ideal of beauty I should satisfy: mine or society’s. I should have started my business, Goddess Zuri, about two years earlier than I did, but I convinced myself that I wasn’t ready. I’ve been interested in interior decorating for a long time, but I persuaded myself into thinking that marketing was a better and more stable career route for me and that I should just stick with it.

There were many times in my life that I let fear get in the way and cripple my ability to take risks and move forward. But somewhere in the midst of all the fear, I finally realized that there would never be a perfectly right moment for me to cut my hair off. I would always get criticism from someone for exchanging my long brown locks for tight coils. There would never be a perfect moment for me to start a business. I would always have to look for ways to finance it, market it and grow it. There would never be a perfect time for me to go back to school, start exploring an interest, and plan for a career change. I would always have bills and be required to recondition my mind as a student.

Actually, there was a right time for all of these decisions in my life and all of the decisions you may be facing currently. And that time is now.

I picked up the magnet, made my way to the register, found my way home and place it in the middle of my refrigerator door.

Now is the time to free your goddess.

New Goddess Zuri Product: Oluchi Bracelets

Set off any Goddess Zuri tee or pair of hoops with a stack of Oluchi ("the art/work of God") Bracelets, made from Indonesia wood. Bracelets are priced at $5.00 each, so you choose how many you want in your set.

Goddess Zuri recommends wearing 3 if you're classic and 7 if you're bold.

Goddess Inspiraton: James Allen

Setting Your Self-Imposed Limitations Free

I rarely frequent clubs, but my girlfriend and I didn’t want to be in the house during Labor Day weekend, so we decided to go to a party. The party ended up being pretty lame, so my friend and I were relegated to people watching…which was hilarious. We got plenty of good laughs from watching desperate underdressed women trying to catch the eye of a few men.

As we were cracking up, I noticed him in front of me, grooving to the music. He was tall and handsome with a splash of style. (I’m a Common/Mos Def kind of girl, so paperboy hats get me every time). He turned and looked at me several times, but never said anything. So, I went back to people watching. And moments later, he was gone.

The party became a little too much for my friend and me. Too smoky. Too loud. Too crowded. So, we decided to leave. As we made our way to the exit, someone grabbed my hand. It was him.

We struck up a conversation, shared a few laughs and exchanged numbers. I was excited as I walked back to my car, but I soon checked myself. I’ve always told myself that I would never meet someone of substance in a club, so the poor guy got Strike #1 before we even had a chance to have a real conversation.

The next day, I looked him up on facebook and we became friends. After I looked at his profile, I noticed that he was 3 ½ years younger than me. Strike #2. I had always told myself that I needed to be with an established older man.

I don’t remember a Strike #3, but starting with two strikes left me uninterested. I had already disregarded him, but he didn’t know that. So, he kept texting and calling me to get together, but I always found an excuse. After several weeks, he was still there. Texting and calling. So finally I decided to go to a community fair that he invited me to. I thought that this would be my opportunity to let him know face-to-face I was uninterested.

But something happened that I never expected. After talking to him, I was completely intrigued. And suddenly, it didn’t matter where I met him or how old he was.

So, we made plans to see each other the next week. And soon after, it was a wrap. I liked him, which soon transformed into infatuation. Now we’re together.

If my boyfriend hadn’t been as persistent as he was, I would have missed out on a great guy.

The reality is that I had imposed so many limitations on this situation before letting the situation reveal opportunities or limitations on its own. Who cares where you meet someone or how old he is if you two share commonalities and a connection?

So, what are your self-imposed limitations? They may be different from mine, but the reality is, we all have them. Whatever they are, identify them then let them go. Because when you do, you’ll simultaneously free your goddess.

Goddess of the Week: Ebony T.

Name: Ebony T.
City: Newport News, VA
Hobbies: Dancing (liturgical/praise dancing), working out, shopping (isn’t this every women’s hobby?), traveling…soon to become an active traveler instead of a daydreamer.
What makes you a fly goddess?: I'm a child of God! That in itself makes me fly! I know that I’m fly regardless of what others may think. I think the key to being a goddess is having self assurance, along with humility. I’m vibrant, energetic and unselfish, sometimes finding myself catering to the needs of others above my own needs. I’m not concerned about what others think about me because I know who I am.
Advice do you have for women trying to free their goddess: Allow God to touch you and love you…with His love comes discipline, and with that discipline life becomes brand new. Seek Him and find out who you are in Him. Remember, history is nothing more than a story. Study it, learn from it, and keep it moving.

If you would like to be considered for Goddess of the Week, please send a photo along with the answers to the above questions to freethegoddess@goddesszuri.com