It's a new day

Hi world,

I've been so M.I.A and in fairness, I guess I just lost the urge to blog, that was till last night. I went back to Uni last September and although I'm doing loads I could blog about, I've just been lazy and distracted. 

Anyway, so what happened last night? I came across Toolz article on Bella Naija, and to be honest it's been years since anyone told me to focus on my strengths. For the past couple years I've done nothing but focus on my weaknesses and failures, over and over again, and it's no wonder I've been feeling 'stuck'. So yes, reading that article was a breath of fresh air, literally. I immediately proceeded to write a list of my strengths, and as I'm a big fan of personality typing, I also looked at the strengths of IXFP's and came up with this (non-exhaustive) list.

My Strengths

1. Highly creative, artistic- Love for writing

2. Rich in ideas

3. Spiritually aware

4. Executing social change (in response to social injustice)

5. Good listener, including love for listening to debates and hearing other peoples points of view

6. Encouraging and building others up by promoting self esteem and confidence in others.

7. Intelligent- ability to grasp difficult concepts with ease and break them down, explaining in a creative manner.

8. Good presentation skills.

9. Detail oriented

In addition, back in high school, where I seemed to be operating at my peak and noted the following to be catalysts to my growth.

1. Being challenged by a classmate; healthy competition

2. Seeing the fruits of my labour

3. Reading like there was no tomorrow

4. Receiving encouragement from parents, teachers and friends

5. Reading and being inspired by biographies and self help books

6. Praying and being accountable to God in writing.  

This is my story, and I would like to encourage you all to reflect and come up with what makes ye tick.

*  *  *

It's funny because I've had to prepare for a couple of interviews lately, and as I look at selling points, a recurring theme I encounter is a love for teaching and imparting knowledge and that is a skill I definitely would like to enhance. I am very passionate about knowledge empowerment and health related primary prevention, and so this year, I want to widen the scope of this blog.

Since the start of the year, I've decided to take my health more seriously and lose a couple of kg's. I have been learning more about dieting and have been hitting the gym more frequently. It's also been encouraging to see the changes on the scale and so I'd like to share this aspect of my life with ye also.

Before I start to blab, I'll simply summarize, the new scope of this blog.

1. Natural hair journey- I will remain true to my interest in natural hair, and share any updates with regards to regimen changes, length checks, new styles etc.

2. Motivation and inspiration- I need it just as much as ye all do.

3. Derm corner- I will update this area, focussing on hair, the primary prevention of premature aging and a holistic management of common skin disorders (including evidence based natural/nutritional remedies)

3. NEW. Health and fitness- I'll share my scientific knowledge on how our body uses up food and how we can monitor our diet and exercise to lose or maintain our weight. I'd also focus on some of the health benefits of staying fit.

Gabby Douglas

If this doesn't bring tears to your eyes then I don't know what will. I stumbled upon her olympic performance yesterday while trying to while away time and was both in shock and tears by what I saw. Hearing her story was even more awe inspiring. She is a testament that hard work pays off and dreams do come true. She is such an inspiration to the world at large.

Food for thought

22nd of April, 2012.

I've had a bit of a lazy morning browsing and watching YT videos. When you've been natural for a while you sometimes feel like you've seen it all as you've probably watched or read several versions of the same story.

This was one video I clearly hadn't watched. It really made me think long and hard about the value we place on hair.

I often say it's just hair but when I look at the effect it has on young girls and the teasing they go through in school and how it affects their self esteem; I sometimes beg to differ.

When I read about slavery and how the slaves were dehumanized and had all sorts of nasty things said to them about their appearance so much so that the first black millionaire was the lady who invented the relaxer to help straighten the kinks that made us, a color in God's artistic palate, unique, all I see is the  uncovering of the shame and low self esteem of the black women.

When I look at our society and notice how we copy anything western from our music, to the way we dress, speak and style our hair and how this reforms the standard of how we look at ourselves, so much so that we judge one another and give credit on how westernized one is, it really makes me think.

We see women bleaching their skin because they believe white is right;  we see our hair as something that needs to be fixed and so we relax it so much that its fried, dyed and laid to the side. When I see our parents, friends, co-workers and onlookers in the salon spew out very derogatory remarks about natural hair or its preconceived stereotypes as to how it will affect our professional and personal lives it makes me wonder.

And so we natural sisters go around preaching this gospel of self acceptance and trying to open peoples eyes to the lies they have been told about their kind; to reclaim our beauty that has been washed with the 'eurocentric' standard. We sometimes feel we are swimming against the tide, and in an effort to stay afloat we become defensive about our cause. 

But do we take it too far? Does it ever get to a point where we unintentionally start to look down at people who are relaxed; seeing ourselves as a wiser chosen few?

If one of ours relaxes their natural hair, do we attack them or feel sorry for them? Does it make us treat or think about them differently despite the fact that if doesn't change them from being the amazing artist, singer, writer, lawyer that they are? Isn't it just hair??

We need to find a balance; where we can be a source of encouragement and help those who are struggling with self acceptance as well as show love and acceptance to our brothers and sisters, whatever their preferences. Let me know what you think.

Peace and Love,

Miss Jay

Why I Hate Religion, But Love Jesus II Spoken Word

Wowwwwwwwwwwwww!!!!!!!! that's all I can say. Just check it out.

xoxo
Miss J

I am second

I had a lovely easter weekend and hope you did too. My sis was in town for the weekend and we had a nice time touring the city, taking loads of pics and meeting with friends. As easter Monday rolled in, I felt renewed and had this sense of 'new beginnings', which was probably coupled with the fact that I had turned a year older and the reminder that what Jesus did for us on the cross, which we celebrate during easter truly marks the start of a new life and a new relationship. I spent the most of Monday listening to stories of several men and women who had experienced this 'new beginning'. I believe now more than ever that one day in the near future, my story will be complete so that I too will be able to share it and encourage others.

The following video is the first one of the series of the 'I am second' videos that I watched that Monday morning. They are truly inspiring and life changing I must say. I kept bawling the whole time and for the first time I really felt 'changed' from the inside.  I'd like to encourage you to watch not just this one but the other videos in the series. I hope that by the end of it all you too will feel inspired and a new sense of hope, a new beginning, will be birthed from within. Stay blessed :)

# Inspiration- Life, oh life...

So I was driving home from work yesterday and felt the need to have a pep talk with myself as I felt I had reached a low and was living on autopilot once again..I don't know about you, but do you ever get one of those lows where everything you are doing is just average and you know you are not putting in your best? Well I get them...a lot.


I started by reminding myself that life is short. This is something I know but somehow seem to push into my subconscious. Sometimes I hear of people dying around me and especially when they are not close to me, I kind of distance myself from the truth of that reality, as though it would never happen to me.


The truth is we are all going to die someday. It may be today, it may be tomorrow, we don't know. I'm not trying to be morbid here, but I think it's important we have this at the back of our minds so as to spur ourselves into doing and giving the best we have to give everyday.


Life is not a training ground. There is no part 2. This is all we've got. We don't know when it's going to end. Every second of what we do here counts towards our eternity and that eternity is far REALER than anything we are experiencing here on earth.

I believe that when we die we will give an account to our creator of what we did with our lives on earth and with the talents given to us. With that I ask- what are you doing with the talent's you've got? Are you hiding them because you have low self esteem and worry of what people will think of you? (Is that what you will tell God when you stand before him?) Or on the contrary are you developing them and using them for the benefit of yourself and those around you?


Dig deep guys. Begin to explore an excavate what is within you. What makes you tick? What brings you immense joy or immense grief? What do people compliment you on? It's all in YOU.


I really want to encourage you and me to make the best of this puff called life. Do not live a second rate life...infact RUN from one. If there is anything you are doing that you regret, change course now before its too late. I watched this clip on Steve Jobs and thought his viewpoints were spot on and really inspiring. I'd implore you to check it out:

So with that guys I say, Dream dreams and pursue them with all you've got. Develop your talents. Travel, see the world. Meet new people. Care for the poor, the sick, the unloved- never look upon such things as a burden cos the truth is there is greater joy and happiness in giving- be it our time, money, love etc.

Peace and blessings (dnt mind me trying to form 'conscious'...lol)

Miss Jay :)

Inspiration- Embracing Otherness

I was just browsing through curly nikki's blog when I saw the link to this video- a TED talk by Thandie Newton. I don't think I have ever heard anyone candidly and gently describe the problems we as humans place on one another simply out of the fear and ignorance in our hearts. It is simply beautiful and echoes completely what many of us go through internally but fail to analyse or verbalize. Enjoy!!!