Solar Plexus Vibes

The transition from Sacral chakra to Solar Plexus is an interesting one. We move from element water; flowing with ease, tapping into our sexuality and expression of that to putting what we desire into action; element fire. Open Solar Plexus Chakra

The Solar Plexus chakra is all about tapping into our personal power; tapping into what we want to manifest and actually doing the work to see it to fruition. At a balanced state, this chakra says “I am powerful. I make decisions with meaning. I understand my purpose. I create with intention.”

When this chakra is unbalanced, it may manifest itself through feelings of shame, unworthiness and helplessness. It may seem like everything is happening TO us and we lack ambition to get things done. We’re unable to see what our purpose is and tap into our power.

A balanced Solar Plexus chakra allows us to have control over our thoughts and emotional responses. We can clearly see our path and can make decisions that will provide foundations for harmony, tranquility and fruitfulness. By setting healthy boundaries and doing the work to believe in ourselves, we can find peace and are able to balance out this chakra.

At this point, I am tired of sharing Insight Timer (Lol!). So, I want to share a personal practice that I did today (and I do quite often) to begin my week of Solar Plexus cleansing.

I start by looking in the mirror. I tell myself the things that I need to hear. Please tailor this as you see fit!

I am worthy. I am worthy. I am worthy. I am here for a purpose. I am enough. I deserve. I am.

I repeat that to myself as many times as need be. But the key (in my opinion) is to say it to yourself in the mirror. Take note of your reaction. Take note of how many times you have to repeat it to yourself before you feel confident in the statements above. When I first started meditation practices and healing work, it took me a long time to even stand in front of the mirror much less speak kindness over myself. Some days are harder than others but here at this chakra is where we say, “Despite how hard this may be, WE ARE WORTHY, ALWAYS”.

I haven’t shared crystal healing methods yet BUT it is something that I practice nearly everyday. For Solar Plexus vibes, here are a few crystals that I turn too.

Citrine!!!! My favorite when tapping into the Solar Plexus
Golden Tigers Eye
Yellow Jade
Sunstone Amber

There are a few ways to use crystals in your healing practice. You may meditate with it, sleep with it, wear it and more. But with most things healing, the best way to use crystals is whatever way feels right to you. Just remember to make sure that you are cleansing and charging your crystals!

At this point, we know that essential oils in combination with any mediation practice helps elevate the senses. Here are some that you can use to tap into the Solar Plexus:

Clove
Cinnamon
Bergamot
Chamomile

Affirmation: I am what I choose to become. I am strong. I am powerful. I am worthy. I am confident. I believe in my worth and I manifest what my highest and truest desires are. Anything I desire is easily attainable. I love and honor myself. I deserve to be loved. I believe in myself.

Journal Prompt/s: Take these prompts with you as you work through the Solar Plexus Chakra. Answer whichever resonates with you (or all!).

Do you know or have an idea what your purpose is? Does this purpose drive the decisions you make? Why or why not?
What are some judgements that you have about yourself that are keeping you from tapping into your highest potential? What can you do to release yourself of that?
When you are feeling ‘powerless’, like you have no choice in the matter – what do you do to reclaim that power?
Was there ever a time where you could not reclaim your power? How did that make you feel? Did that feeling stay with you? If so, how did it manifest in your life?
How do you exert your power? Is it with grace and intention? Could it be better?
What does power mean to you?

Until next week, happy vining y’all!

-Sky Britnei

Sacral Chakra Vibes

The beauty of doing a cleanse is that you can/should tailor it to what you need. After a week on Root Chakra cleansing, I decided that I needed another week of it. So I did just that. More tapping into gratitude. More release of fear. More grounding. More security.

Now, we transition to the Sacral Chakra which is where our creativity, sensuality/sexuality and getting in touch with our deeper emotions reside. For the ladies, this is also the seat of womb health. This chakra is located in the lower abdominal area and ruled by the element water. Where the Root Chakra reminds us to stay grounded, the Sacral Chakra reminds us to flow with ease and grace Image result for sacral chakra

When the Sacral Chakra is blocked, guilt is typically the feeling that overcomes us. When guilt arises, we shut down and are unable to express ourselves adequately. We repress a lot of emotions, feel stuck, wallow in our feelings and we are overly anxious and/or may deal with depression. A blocked Sacral Chakra may also result in low libido, moodiness/irritability, difficulty maintaining relationships etc.

Through self-awareness and then forgiveness and we can balance our Sacral Chakra. When balanced, we feel things fully and with ease. We experience joy, abundance and we are able to release things that do not serve us -without dwelling on the negative aspects of it. We are able to understand and be comfortable with our sexual nature and even more, we are able to use that energy to create.

So, mind, body and spirit?

To ease the mind, I use these essential oils:

Rose
Jasmine
Ylang Ylang
Sandalwood

notice that these essential oils are noted for their floral notes (with the exception of sandalwood). These essential oils are known for having almost a regal essence to it.

For morning meditation, I tend to go for shorter practices.

These two are via … you guessed it, INSIGHT TIMER (lol)!

While I haven’t done these two mediations, I have done others by Sarah Jane Chapman and Amy Patee and I quite like them. So, I added this to my queue for the upcoming week and we’ll be trying them together!

For Yoga, here are two practices that I’ve tried and enjoyed.

Affirmation: I flow through life with ease and grace. I use my creativity to align with my higher self. I use my alignment to tap into my sensuality. I feel pleasure to my core and allow myself to gain vital life force from it.

Journal Prompt/s: Take these prompts with you as you work through the Sacral Chakra. Answer whichever resonates with you (or all!).

How/What can you do to tap into your creativity?
How/What can you do to tap into your sensuality/sexuality?
When you think of a healthy relationship, what words come to mind?
- Expand on that. Why do these particular words/phrases come to mind?
Do you consider yourself a creative person? A sexual person? How do the two relate (for you)?
What is your relationship to sex? How do you feel about your body? Is this relationship, a healthy one? What can you do to better the relationship?
Which is easier, giving or receiving? Why?

Happy vibing y’all, see you next week. And remember to flow with ease, always.

– Sky Britnei

Root Chakra Vibes

Before diving into a more intense meditation/journaling practice, I believe that it’s important to do a quick once over. What that looks like varies from person to person. For me that looked like spending a week quickly going over each chakra and just reconnecting to self. Here is one of the mediations that I used to do that each morning.

This quick morning meditation is perfect for people on the go and really helps to connect mind, body and spirit before the start of a long day.

This week I tapped into my Root (Muladhara) Chakra. I gave a basic overview of each chakra in my Diving Deeper post.

Located at the base of the spine, ruled by element earth, the root chakra is the foundation. When thinking of the root chakra, think grounding, foundation and security. This chakra helps us in the physical realm (as do the Sacral and Solar Plexus Chakras). When manifesting the life that we want, we also start here -at the beginning, the root.

When the root chakra is unbalanced, we feel extremely fearful and insecure and can often take on a pessimistic view of ourselves and the world around us. We become afraid of what’s next -the unknown, of abandonment, of not having/being enough etc. Simply put, if we are not confident and secure within ourselves and our ability to be then this is a sure tell sign that our root chakra is blocked.

By tapping into gratitude and reminding ourselves that we are enough, we can balance our root chakra. But it’s definitely more than that right?

I tap into a few things with each chakra. What soothes the mind? What activates the body? What transcends the spirit?

For the mind, I tap into essential oils for some aromatherapy:

Sandalwood
Patchouli
Rosemary

are some essential oils that aid in unblocking the root chakra. Notice that these essential oils have earthy notes used for the grounding and balancing nature of the root chakra.

Meditation also helps with grounding. Meditation paired with aromatherapy … even better. I know you’re probably tired of reading about Insight Timer but I promise you, this app is THE BEST! Get it and thank me later, lol.

Yoga is also a wonderful way to connect to mind, body and spirit.
For a longer practice check out one of my favs, Yoga With Adriene

For a shorter practice check out

Affirmation/s: I recite affirmations EVERY morning. My favorite way to do this, is in front of the mirror. I tell myself what I need to hear and what I want to manifest. I repeat it to myself as much times as I need to hear it. During the day, if I feel self doubt or negative self talk coming on … I’ll say it then too. Whenever I need it, I affirm it.

I am safe. I am secure. I am grounded in my truth and my purpose. My energy is transformative and healing. I believe in and am confident in the foundation that I am building for myself.

Journal Prompt/s: I like to journal soon after mediation. During this time, I believe we are more receptive and open to listen to what are physical and spiritual bodies are telling us. However, I often journal when the words come to me. All in all, these practices work best when you are true to yourself.

Take these prompts with you as you work through the root chakra. Answer whichever resonates with you (or all!).

What can you do to let go of fear? What makes you feel secure? How are the two related?
What do you do that feels nurturing to you? Write five things that you do during times of stress. How does each thing help ground you?
How do you take care of your body? What can you do to improve that?
How do you take care of your emotional needs? How often do you tap into what you need emotionally? Is that enough?
Write your own affirmations to take with you this week.

Happy vibing y’all, see you next week. And remember to work at your own pace.

– Sky Britnei

Diving Deeper …

Processed with VSCO with c1 preset As I prepare for the Super Blood Wolf Moon, I couldn’t think of a better time to release myself of things that no longer serve me.

Each day this past week, I have dedicated time to working through each of the chakras. I started on Monday with the Root Chakra and have worked my way to Crown Chakra meditation (today)! My goal was to reawaken each Chakra before diving into a more extensive practice, energy work, understanding etc.

I know there are a few people that have expressed interest in the spiritual/energy work that I do. So, I thought why not chronicle the journey. Offer a space for you all to come along for the ride. Starting tomorrow, I will be spending a week on each chakra. Meditation, yoga, reading, understanding, tuning in, looking inward and the whole nine yards.

I wanted to offer you, not only a quick insight into the meaning of each chakra but an affirmation to take with you and a journal prompt to help you dive into that energy work.

If you want to participate in the longer cleanse, I’ve listed a few resources below that have helped (and continue to help) me and that I believe will be beneficial to you. The PDF booklet (below) will serve as my blueprint.

If a shorter cleanse is what you’re looking for then please feel free to indulge and share this post. It’s a great way to start. Plus, you can start a longer cleanse WHENEVER feels right to you.

I’ll be sending weekly newsletters to update you all. If this is something that interest you, please do not hesitate to sign up for the De La Jipi Newsletter – sign up here .

chakra-chart

Root Chakra:
The root chakra when unbalanced is blocked by fear. When we’re afraid of what’s next, of abandonment, of not having/being enough etc. When we are not grounded.

By tapping into gratitude and reminding ourselves that we are enough, we can balance our root chakra.

Affirmation: I am grounded in my truth and my purpose. My energy is transformative and healing. I believe in and am confident in the foundation that I am building for myself.

Journal Prompt/s: What can you do to let go of fear? What makes you feel secure? How are the two related?

Sacral Chakra:
The sacral chakra is all about creativity, sensuality/sexuality and getting in touch with our deeper emotions.

This chakra is blocked by guilt. When guilt arises, we shut down and are unable to express ourselves adequately. We feel stuck, wallow in our feelings and we are overly anxious.

Through self-forgiveness we can balance our sacral chakra. This allows us to feel things fully and with ease. We are able to understand our deeper selves and use that energy to pour into ourselves and the things we love.

Affirmation: I flow through life with ease and grace. I use my creativity to align with my higher self. I use my alignment to tap into my sensuality.

Journal Prompt/s: How/What can you do to tap into your creativity? How/What can you do to tap into your sensuality/sexuality? How do you feel when you are tapping into the senses?

Solar Plexus Chakra:
The solar plexus chakra is all about tapping into your personal power.

When unbalanced, we feel shameful, unworthy, helpless, like everything is happening TO us and we lack ambition.

A balanced solar plexus chakra allows us to have control over our thoughts and emotional responses. By setting healthy boundaries and doing the work to believe in ourselves, we can find peace and are able to balance out this chakra.

Affirmation: I am what I choose to become. I am strong. I am powerful. I am worthy. I believe in my worth and I manifest what my highest and truest desires are.

Journal Prompt/s: What are some judgements that you have about yourself that are keeping you from tapping into your highest potential? What can you do to release yourself of that?

Heart Chakra:
The heart chakra is a bit special. It connects our physical bodies to our spiritual bodies. It’s all about love and compassion. That of self and of others. How do we receive and give love? Experiencing grief, trauma, disappointment and being unkind to yourself can block this chakra.

When our heart chakra is blocked, we become defensive, jealous, self-pitying, codependent and a slew of other self defeating emotional behaviors. Practicing radical self care, working through our grief and indulging in things that give us joy are all the right steps to take in order to get our heart chakra balanced.

Affirmation: I chose to show up and be kind to myself. I chose kindness and gratitude. I chose love and light.

Journal Prompt/s: How do you show up for yourself? Give love to yourself?

Throat Chakra:
Connected to the sacral chakra, the throat chakra is also about the expression of self through living our truth, expressing our purpose in life, expressing ourselves through creativity. The throat chakra’s emphasis is on expressing and projecting our creativity in the most authentic and unapologetic way. The throat chakra also connects us to spirit.

When our throat chakra is unbalanced we are not able to communicate nor listen to others. Our voices often become unheard and we lose understanding of what our purpose is. Additionally, we feel insecure and timid. Through journaling and acceptance of our voice and purpose as worthy, we are able to balance our throat chakra. Doing so, helps us align our vision with reality and helps us begin the process of tapping into our divine energy. Intuition begins here.

Affirmation: I express myself with clarity, calm and grace. I listen with intent to understand. Because I am able to understand the power of my voice and expression, I am able to communicate with my higher self.

Journal Prompt/s: Without judgement, who are you? What are your core truths, values and morals?

Third Eye Chakra:
The third eye chakra is all about inner vision, wisdom, intuition and tapping into your psychic power. This chakra allows us to see with our physical eyes and to look within. “Seeing, even in the physical sense, is about more than just looking. It’s about interpreting what we see, about taking the bits of data and recognizing patterns, and where they fit into the larger scheme of things.”

When this chakra is blocked, we lack clarity and the ability to interpret what we see and feel. Or our interpretation becomes skewed or distorted. Our vision becomes unclear and we are unable to manifest what we desire. Making sure our lower chakras are balanced also directly relates to our lack of clarity. If we don’t feel grounded, loved or worthy then we aren’t able to see beyond the negative.

Doing the work to balance our lower chakras, helps us unblock the third eye chakra. When this happens, we are able to breathe and be. To see and see beyond. And we are able to trust what we see and manifest our best lives and divine frequencies.

Affirmation: I am an intuitive being who is ever-evolving ; mentally, physically and spiritually.

Journal Prompt/s: How do you lean into your intuition?

Crown Chakra:
The crown chakra is where true consciousness and connection to the universe lies. Ascension and transformative from physical to divine lies here. I think of freedom when I think of the crown chakra as it is the highest meaning of “mind, body and spirit”.

When our crown chakra is blocked, we become unbelieving of the divine, closed minded or overly obsessed with transcendence (so much so that we neglect our physical selves). When we are accepting of all that is, we are able to balance this chakra. Mediation also plays a strong role. When the crown chakra is unblocked, you feeling a connection unexplainable, limitless.

Affirmation: I am connected to the divine. I am divine. I am light. I am.

Journal Prompt/s: What does spirituality mean to you? It what ways can you better align yourself with those ideologies?

As promised here are a few resources that I’ll be using to dive deeper:

Journaling Through The Chakras by Amber Lea Starfire: This ebook serves better printed out (in my opinion). It gives a thorough breakdown of each chakra. It also provides more intense meditation practices and a variety of journal prompts. It is extremely helpful and it is only $2.99 via Amazon.

Update: After speaking with the author Amber Lea, she is willing to offer the book for FREE to anyone interested in participating. All you have to do, is shoot her an email amber@writingthroughlife.com

Insight Timer App: If you follow me on social media then you know I stan for this app. This meditation app has a ton of guided meditations, binaural beats, talks with various yogis, different mediation groups AND MORE! Also .. FREE!

Yoga with Adriene: One of my favorite yoginis. Adriene’s youtube has helped me dive into a more spiritual based yoga practice. She has videos for newbies, intermediate and for those looking for a challenge.

Other steps you can take:

Head to your local book store and do some reading (maybe I’ll make a book list in the future)
Research
Use social media to your advantage. There are a lot of spiritual based pages. Ones that help with mediation practices, self care and more
Read, read, read
Find others who are ready to take this journey and invite them to do it with you

Until next time,

-Sky Britnei

One more reflection before moving on …

I’ve thought about 2018, a lot.

I guess I keep going back to it because there were so many lessons that I learned during the latter part of the year.

As I’ve written about before, one major lesson I learned is that words truly mean everything. So with that I say, 2018 was the year of hardships and understandings.

What I’ve had to learn and understand is this:

I’ve had to come to an understanding that even if we believe we have everything, at any given moment it can be taken from us. Everything we have, is a blessing. Whether we believe it to be karma, cosmic energies or God. It’s life. Fair or not. It is up to us to take what we are given and live up to our divinity.

So, for me – 2018 started off rocky. It made me realize that I had become happy with a few circumstances that was not conducive to me living up to my highest potential. Instead of trying to understand how/why this could happen or doing the work to find what my potential and purpose was … I got lost in self doubt.

EVERYTHING WAS HAPPENING TO ME.

I spiraled into depression and anxiety. Made a home of it. Got quite comfy too.

My words became venom on an already toxic situation.

Until (again) the latter part of the year.

I’m not sure why, but something about Autumn … it reveals thing. Brings about change, transformation, reflection and perception.

*As all the elements shine for a reason, I’ll always be ruled by air*

I’ve found that my time of spiritual ascension happens around my solar return; my personal new year. During this time, I looked at myself and didn’t like who looked back. I saw the harm that I inflicted on my self as opposed to the “year” that I had kept blaming.

The year is just energy. Surrounding me. But it’s what I choose to do with that energy, those messages from God .. how I tapped into that, that shaped my year. That shapes my year.

It was understanding that

EVERYTHING WAS AND IS HAPPENING FOR ME.

2018 was a year of hardships that turned into understanding.

And 2019?

2019 is the year that my understanding turns into growth.

And I feel pretty good about that.

Diving In

As 2018 came to an end, I did a lot of reflection and had many moments of solitude. Those moments brought me back to self and to center. I did a lot of journaling and honed into what my personal goals and business goals would be for the new year.

While I’ll save my personal goals for another post, I wanted to briefly touch on some of my business goals.

When I think of De La Jipi, two words have constantly come to mind; Visibility and Expansion. I want more people using and talking about De La Jipi products. I want to collaborate with more likeminded people and businesses and brands. I want to introduce (and re-introduce) new aspects and parts of my business.

I want to do these things with grace and humility.

I will do these things .. with grace and humility.

After thinking about some of my goals, I then think about how/what I can do to accomplish them.

Aside from branding, I realized that in natural skin care and even with healing jewelry many people don’t understand the products that they use and/or why it’s harmful or beneficial to them.

While branding is awesome and draws your customer in, I believe that knowledge and understanding is what will keep your customer confident and grounded in your product. And honestly, it’ll truly align you to your consumer base.

With that being said, I’ve taken far too long off from blogging. It’s no secret that my blog has been through many transitions but this will prove to be the best one yet. I’ll still post whatever I want really (lol) but with a new element.

After all, this is the Elements Of A Hippie.

-sky britnei

To Reflect On This Year

Would mean to look back at all that was … and wasn’t.

Words are so powerful and I have been speaking what I perceived as horridness this year into existence. So much so, that it has become me. It’s no doubt that this year was hard for me. But so many good things happened this year too. It’s hard but I’m learning to be intentional about being grateful.

So the good -that’s what I choose to reflect on. Because for every bad thing that happened, something good came of it. For every discouraging moment that tried to drown me, came a moment of understanding and resilience. Writing found its way back into my life as medicine, each time anxiety reared its head. And I found love of self again after months of feeling unworthy of it.

Awesome things that happened this year:

1 – I went to Jamaica, twice

2 – I did my first pop up

3 – I networked with so many amazing people

4 – My grandmother beat breast and lung cancer

5 – My grandfather celebrated his 74th birthday

6 – I decided that in 2020/1 I will be moving to *******

7 – I learned (and continue to learn) so many things about myself

8 – This year was the first year that we had a Thanksgiving dinner (since the passing of my other grandfather). It was filled with high energy and lots of love.

9 – I opened my business account

10 – Omg, I almost forgot – I got my licensessss!

11 – I had my first photoshoot for my business

We’ve still got a few weeks to go and I can honestly say for the first time ALL YEAR, I feel hopeful.

-Sky Britnei

An Ode To Sisterhood

Journeying through entrepreneurship has been the most stressful and rewarding thing that I’ve done thus far. Networking, collaborating, finally participating in pop ups -all in the name of building my business and brand. There’s really no feeling like it.

But the best part has been connecting with like minded people. This sense of solidarity and familiarity when talking to another creative, business owner and/or entrepreneur. For so long, I felt alone on this journey. Misunderstood. Extremely fearful. The connectivity across the board has significantly helped in all those realms. And for that, I am extremely grateful.

With that being said, I wanted to set aside a moment to truly thank two women who have aided in my growth and have kept me sane in the moments that the various parts of my life begun to take a toll.

Anne E., founder of Nubian Crowns Clothing Boutique

Anne has been such a pivotal part of my journey! To even begin to describe would take forever. Plus, she already knows the bulk of it. Let me just say, that her strength, resilience and transparency are inspiring. Her passion for her brand, her culture, her family and beyond literally radiant off of her. She always talks about how much I’ve helped her be the face of her business but she’s helped me own my business with this grace and confidence (which I most certainly did not have before). She’s definitely the go-getter of our crew and always pushes us to go harder and dream bigger!

Victoria C., founder of Ravished Shoes Boutique

Victoria popped up in my life at the exact moment that I needed someone like her. So big shout outs to Anne for bringing her into our sister circle. Not only does Vicky bring the fun and the wine to every situation but she brings reality. As a creative, we have a million ideas by the second. With that, we can be prone to anxiety. She brings us back to earth while still fiercely believing in every idea that we put forth! She’s definitely the realist of our trio. Her belief in us and our goals is more humbling than words can express. She holds us accountable and hold us down!

As black women, we’re often taught that we all can’t win. There’s only room for one of us. But through this sisterhood, we have created lanes not only for ourselves but one together. So, my ode to sisterhood is this:

Through you I have found me
Resilience makes homes out of strong bodies
Faith makes homes out the strong willed
Higher frequencies makes room in the divine
Luminescent is the light that surrounds us
We have found what we need
In each other
So to my sisters, I thank you. Forever.

signature

October 1st means …

It’s breast cancer awareness month!

Since I last blogged so much has happened -which I’ll probably do an extensive post about later. But for now, I have some pretty exciting news! This month, my business will be donating 40% of what we earn to the Painted Pink For Breast Cancer Org!

Yesterday, I sent out a newsletter summing up why I chose to do this and why I specifically chose this organization. I want you all to be in on the info so, I thought why not blog about it as well.

This year started off in distress as my grandmother – our family matriarch, wonder woman, majestic goddess, warrior queen (and more) was diagnosed with Stage 2 breast cancer. Later in the year, she was diagnosed with Stage 2 Lung Cancer. Watching my grandmother undergo surgeries, chemo and radiation was extremely scary and nerve wracking but also humbling. It taught me so much about appreciation and showing love to the people in our lives while they’re still here! Thus far, this journey has made our family stronger. We’ve had to pick up where she couldn’t. Wipe our tears before she could see them. And although, some times were harder than others, we got it done -for her!

But more than being strong, what I truly had the urge to do was educate myself.

Upon doing so, I learned that while Black women are diagnosed with Breast Cancer at an alarmingly higher rate than other races; there aren’t many resources dedicated to us, by us, for us. As an entrepreneur, as a black women, as someone that has now been closely affected … this struck a chord.

I knew that this year was different for me and I wanted to be of service to a black local owned non profit. One that was dedicated to spreading awareness, funding, research or anything of the sort. I reached out to a few colleagues and friends and upon talking with Jasmine Marie (founder of Creative Women Build), I stumbled upon the Painted Pink Org. Keep reading to hear more about their story.

Painted Pinks Story

While Painted Pink isn’t locally owned, after speaking with founder Ann-Marie and board member Amaris, I was sold. With a mission statement of educating the youth and a vision of self advocacy, knowledge of genetic health and support across the board, here’s what they’re all about:

1. They empower millennials to take charge of their breast health.
2. They support millennials with access to mentors, resources, and medical professionals who understand the intersection of breast health and the realities of breast cancer for this generation.
3. They are proponents of the purposely pink lifestyle – knowing your genetic history and being proactive about fitness, nutrition, and beauty practices.

They also have the following programs available to all warrior queens:

Purposely Pink Programs are events focused on fitness and health, i.e making sure we’re watching what we are putting in and on our bodies.
Baby ShowerHer Campaign are baby showers for women who are undergoing breast cancer and are pregnant.
Care Packages are put together by the Painted Pink team and is filled with hypoallergenic items, motivational items, and items to alleviate discomfort from chemo.
Collegiate Tours are when the Painted Pink team go to different universities to speak to young women about the importance of breast health.

Ann-Marie Appiah is the C.E.O and founder of Painted Pink For Breast Cancer. She formed this non profit after having two lumpectomies and having a close family member be diagnosed with Breast Cancer. She is an advocate for breast cancer awareness as well as an advocate for the awareness of genetic disposition. To date the Painted Pink org has raised over 22k and has partnered with various brands such as Jane Carter Organics and TGINatural hair companies.

I’d love for you all to be a part of something so amazing and so important to myself, Ann-Marie and millions of other women … other black women.

Head over to my site to purchase some handcrafted jewels. For this month, I have specially crafted jewels featuring breast cancer charms (and of course featuring my healing crystals). 40% of what I earn this month will be donated to the Painted Pink For Breast Cancer Org.

If this cause/non profit resonated with you and you’d like to personally donate, please reach out to Ann-Marie via Instagram.

I hope to stay connected. Peace, love + light, always ..
signature

Here’s an affirmation to take with you:
I honor my need to rest and recharge.

the passion (and purpose) behind it all

saturday, 8:24 a.m

i’m up. tea to the right of me. book to the left. pen tucked behind my ear. most importantly, phone out of sight. i’m present.

my passion and purpose in this realm is something that i had often thought about. but my fear made me halt that thought process … or rather, i let my fear halt that thought process. and i know it’s important to live in the present, but to live in the present aimlessly? i don’t know about that.

but life has a way of shaking things up when you’ve gotten too complacent -too stagnant, too comfortable. it has a way of telling you that how you are living wasn’t the way intended. but what do you then?

well, i reflected. it took a while.
but first, i kicked myself out the fearful rut that was making me a stranger to my own creativity. i guess i should start with that right?
i pushed and pushed. i did a lot of writing and meditating and pouring into self .. i didn’t realize my glass was emptyyyyy! and by doing these things, reflection came.

my reflecting first started by confronting why i was afraid, acknowledging that and holding myself accountable for how i let fear hold me down and back and then taking action on it -which i now realize will have to be another post, lol.

after that, i checked in with myself (and still am checking in with myself). i already had a list of interests, life goals, priorities, values, morals.

but were those things (listed above) in alliance with my passion?
am i still passionate about the things i was passionate about 5 years ago, 2 years ago, last year, last month?
what am i passionate about now?
does my passion align with my purpose?
what is my purpose?

& so, as i reflected and thought and discussed with close friends, these are the answers i have come up with. after reading mine (or even before), I challenge you to answer those questions as well.

some of my interests are art, self care, mental wellness, culture, black entrepreneurship, holistic (natural) living (among others).
my life goals and priorities include helping, bringing light to the usage of art in the mental health world, being wealthy, to be well versed in travel and different cultures, to live a peaceful, successful, happy and freeing life. waking up in the morning and loving what i do.
i value and moralize justice, diplomacy, equality, love, transparency, hard work, tranquility, hope, faith ….

and thinking back, the things that i was passionate about at 19/20 have transferred over to the various stages in my life. these are still the things that evoke emotion out of me now.
i am still passionate about helping others and art and helping others through art.
if i am able to change the life -truly change the life of at least one person i would be forever happy.

and so do i believe that my purpose aligns with my passion?
100%

i believe my purpose is to help others recognize and see the art within themselves and connect to themselves on different levels. and use that newfound awareness of self to spread love and light and positivity.

i believe my purpose is to use all that i have gained in this realm to help and be of service to others (thanks for those words bee lol -described that perfectly).

i believe that the most high put me here with a gift of empathy and resilience and passion. passion is a gift , ya know? lol. and i believe that these gifts were given to me, not without reason.

saturday. 9:17 a.m

signature

Share with others:

Like this:

Share with others:

Like this:

Share with others:

Like this:

Share with others:

Like this:

Share with others:

Like this:

Share with others:

Like this:

Share with others:

Like this:

Share with others:

Like this:

It’s breast cancer awareness month!

Painted Pinks Story

Share with others:

Like this:

Share with others:

Like this: