Sunday Reads: Health, Wealth and Love

Photo by Henry & Co.

Hi Guys,

I hope you had a wonderful week! Here are a few interesting articles I found on the web this week. I hope you grab a cup of tea and enjoy diving into the links below this evening. And if you’re a GOT fan like me, let’s pray we don’t lose any of our favorite characters this episode… but let’s be honest, Game of Thrones has never cared about sparing our emotions lol.  

• Beauty Tricks - who knew that tequila had all of these beauty and health benefits!

• Save Our Planet - this was a really informative article about the fabrics our clothes are made out of, how they impact the earth, and what fabrics to shop for instead

• Dating in the City - I loved this article. Being single can be really rough in this day of social media. Most of my friends in NYC are in a relationship, and I’d be lying if I didn’t admit that I get jealous of them from time to time. And dating apps have personally led to a decent amount of disappointments. That” why I found these articles so helpful this week. I’m definitely adopting the mindset of “fuck yes, or no” from now on when it comes to dating.
• https://thestripe.com/reader-q-staying-positive-while-dating/
• https://thestripe.com/how-to-survive-the-grey-area-of-dating/
• https://thestripe.com/why-dating-should-be-messy/

• Mental Health Talk - This article is for all of my fellow women of color. Mental Health care is typically frowned upon in our communities. I know I was told to just “pray more” while growing up when I asked my parents if I could go to therapy… not the most helpful advice when tackling mental illnesses. Healthy mind = healthy life #blackgirlmagic

• Stay safe online: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/04/10/opinion/privacy-feminism.html

• Pay off those student loans fast!!! These are GREAT articles. I have student loans, and I am determined to be debt free before I turn 30!!!
• http://theeverygirl.com/how-i-paid-off-my-student-loans-fast/?utm_source=Website+Signup+List&utm_campaign=a3f8a5167e-Career+Edit+Vol+10&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_b0b510c806-a3f8a5167e-40636901
• https://www.xonecole.com/4-lessons-i-learned-after-climbing-out-of-35000-debt/?rebelltitem=1#rebelltitem1

• Turn that frown upside down: How to turn around a bad day and what to do when things aren't going your way!

• My favorite open, honest and relatable people on Instagram
• Hayet Rida - I've been following her for years and her entertaining, honest and uplifting content - especially her IG Stories have helped me get through a lot! I have an entire powerpoint of screenshots of the advice and quotes she shares.
• A Cup of Charisma - I was watching her IG Stories at my desk at work and started crying. Her stories happened to hit a raw nerve with me that day, but I love that Jillian always shares her highs and lows. Plus, she's a huge advocate for mental wellness, just like Hayet.

• Love this podcast episode about anxiety in the age of social media!!! Make some tea and listen to this! It’s the best 20 minutes you will have all day long

• Friendship is Magic: Maintaining friendships as you get older

• Currently Craving: seashells! I want these earrings; maybe I'll buy them next week.

• Growing Pains- Apparently our 20s are supposed to be hard.
• I loved how raw and honest these posts below were. They touche on so many points that I really relate to. So far my 20s have been freaking hard (losing my dad, graduating college without a job, my brother being diagnosed with an insane disease and constantly being rushed to the hospital, moving to NYC and dealing with mice, bedbugs and evil landlords, money and career struggles, dating all the wrong men, learning to let go of relationships that no longer serve me, adjusting to being single again, battling and getting treated for depression- therapy is the freaking best, having a quarter-life crisis…this list could go on and on lol) but these experiences are making me tough as fuck. I hope these articles I’ve linked resonate as much with you as they did with me. We are all struggling with something and learning how to grow from it.
• https://www.lifewithemilyblog.com/2019/04/turning-29-what-i-want-to-do-in-the-last-year-of-my-20s.html
• http://oliviarink.com/advice-thoughts/growing-pains/

• Wanderlust: Uh, I have a huge travel bug right now and want to check out these colorful places.

• Live well: Ayurveda health tips.

Weekly Highs and Lows

This week was transformative; that’s the most positive word I could think of. Despite being terrified of a lot of different things (some in my control and some out of my control). This week was not amazing, and I’m ok admitting that. I’m learning to accept that life is ½ negative and ½ positive. I will have hard weeks; we all will. And that’s kind of a blessing because these shitty ass times make us so much stronger. I have a lot of changes to make in my life - and I’m excited about that. I want to take actions that move me closer to my goals, and going back to therapy this week was the first step in doing so. I am so grateful that I am able to afford therapy (right now I’m using Better Help, which is quite budget friendly). I’m grateful to have the guidance of a much wiser person who can help me reflect on the errors of my past. Now, I’m able to apply those lessons and create a happier future for myself. No matter what the future entails, we are all capable of figuring it out. Wishing you a lovely Sunday and Mother’s Day - make sure to do something extra special for your mom and for yourself this evening. Even if it’s just ordering your favorite food and watching something hilarious - after all, laughter is the best medicine and my favorite coping mechanism for growing during hard times.

Thank you so much for reading this. Your love and support mean the world to me.