Two weeks ago, I had never heard of Shaun White.  I had seen a brief clip of him on telly and was awestruck.  The Olympics are bittersweet for me.  I cheer and cry at the same time.  When one works from the time they are old enough to walk, at something, and to see it come to fruition has got to be the most amazing experience.  I haven't seen anyone fly since Michael Jordan and this bloke is only 23!  He has so many years ahead of him.  I don't know him personally, and quite honestly, I don't care to.  I don't idolize people, I admire their courage.  It takes faith in yourself and courage to live your dream.  How many times do we fall down only to not get back up? This man had a nasty spill before winning and what did he do?  He got back up.  That's great mental toughness.  I think at least 90% of success starts in the mind.  But, many of us, carry the tapes of messages people told us.  "You're too dark, too fat, too short, too poor, too old, etc."  We all have people who want to steal our joy?  Why?  Because if they can't do it, you can't either!  FALSE! Over time those warnings subliminally choke us and turn into fear.  I get anxiety thinking about all the things I wish to do, so I write out what I want to do, then take each one and break it down into tiny steps, and then commit to doing one thing that is out of my comfort zone each day.  It's like eating an elephant...bite by bite.  We only have time, and whether we do "X" or not, we only have a certain amount of time on earth.  Being a spectator sucks.  There isn't one person who should hate on another person.  Why?  Because there is enough in the world for everyone, but we are our own worst enemy.  We watch other people on YouTube and wonder why we don't have "X," or we see someone selling "X" and say they aren't original, but at least they are believing in themselves enough to try.  I hate when I smile at another woman and she either pretends I don't exist or rolls her eyes and sucks her teeth at me.  Usually, she is getting ready to give me "the look."  I work for someone who makes it her point to humiliate me.  At first I started to let it get to me.  But I realized it wasn't me, it was her.  Why should I run every time someone doesn't like me?  No, I'm making my paper so I can invest in my dream.  I read about Anna Wintour when I was young.  I had all these ideas about her as I had heard the movie Devil Wears Prada.  But, now that I think about her, I admire her.  I don't get too frightened of callous or bitchy people, I've endured worse from people who said they love me.  But, if a man is strong and cut throat, he's being "professional."  Well, why is it women are supposed to be soft?  If you run your business and there are investors, subject matter experts, and other experts you work with, you have to keep that in mind.  It is admittedly hard for women to not blur the lines of business and care taker, but when your talking about multi million dollars, you have to be focused, and keep your eyes on the prize.  I'm hoping people will learn to exercise the power within themselves.  There is so much life out there and we don't know when we will be called home.  I used to think children outlived their parents.  I've seen people who are taking care of their senior parent and find out they have a terminal illness with less time than their parent.  I want to encourage all women to be the person they admire.  If it doesn't happen you know you tried, but go and get yours because we all have a skill and a purpose and it's not observing in silence whilst others live an abundant and full life.  Look around you at the successes of others, no one is better than you.  More opportunity or odds in their favor?  Maybe, but let God be your guide.

xoxo

I saw this on my Yahoo page and was feeling ambivalent.  I've grown up knowing that no matter how many, lip, ass, breast implants, the tanning, and the weaves, white will always be the "preferred" race even when it is emulating black.  Sure, we can adopt refugees from Haiti, Africa and other non Eurpean countries, but as long as your phenotype is lilly white, you will get preferential treatment in the media.  It's sad but true.  If a white woman has a fit she's "stressed" but if a black woman does the same, she's ghetto, hood, etc.  Now look at the girls VF has selected for their Hollywood 2010 feature.  The only thing dark is the hair on three of the nine actresses.  No Zoe, no Freida, no color. Black, Asian, Middle Eastern, et al; not one honorable mention.  It looks like a scene from Scarlet O'Hara but at least they had a black maid!  What's more, these ladies aren't even near the talent of Streisand, Lange, Mirren aka the real white Hollywood.  Seriously, I get that I'm just a girl who writes and my opinion doesn't matter, but I AM society!  I am the person who pays for their films, their music, they are marketing to my demographic and it's bad enough many of the adverts don't have foundations which represent women of all colors fair and dark equally, but now in 2010, I'm told that Hollywood is white, thin, rich and it doesn't matter whether you can act or sing because if you are cute we can market you and manufacture your style if necessary.  Shame on Vanity Fair and anyone who tries to tell me, "it's no big deal they have a right to put whoever they want on their magazine."  Well, guess what, I have gone to school, college, watched films, been taught etc, everything white my whole life, and until your world is where you have ALWAYS been a minority, you lose the right to tell me differently.  Especially when I see men who are livin the urban life, but would never wife a sister.  This was not something I planned to write about, but it's my job, my passion to take a stand about things that society says are wrong in an attempt to sell a facade which doesn't exist.  Women come in all sizes, shapes and colors, unlike the ads and commercial (L'Oreal) where we are all light, thin and aesthetically pleasing. 

So we've all seen the photos from last night's Grammy Awards.  To me it was a great lesson.  When you watch the
Oscar's, you see fashion, when it comes to the Grammy's it's more about style and shock.  Most people don't know the difference between fashion and style.  Often the words are used interchangeably which is really confusing.  So, here's my take.  Fashion is all about trends.  If you go to fashion week, you will see debuts for upcoming "trends."  Don't expect the looks to stay, they are fluid and ever changing.  Style is, to me, something that is individual and like a fingerprint.  Your style is something which reflects you.  How you dress, the clothes you like, and how you wear them.  You can put two people in the same outfit and it won't make it a fashion "success" often one is a hit the other a miss.  Why? Because the attitude, accessories, and manner of which the individual wears the clothes.  I digress this post is not about fashion although I wonder if those heels are from McQueen.
xoxo