Tag: life

To Ebb And To Flow

by almachristina1 Comment on To Ebb And To Flow
To Ebb And To Flow

ebb and flow

My friend, give yourself some grace. We are all hurting and healing and navigating happiness. It is entirely possible (and necessary, if you ask me) to feel all three of these. And it is OKAY. In the name of humanity. I’m giving you permission without you ever asking, just in case you have been feeling it and trying to figure it all out. We are capable. It is okay to hurt, it’s necessary to heal and it’s GOOD to be happy — about life and good health, surviving; happy for personal success, for friendship, happy that our kids are happy, or happy because we’re blessed with a capital B and thriving; happy about a fresh cup of coffee for goodness sake (me, everyday), whatever the reasons — happy. I think sometimes guilt seeps in for celebrating goodness when we should be mourning. But our lives allow for both. It’s entirely real to be healing from one thing and hurting for another, AND find joy every single day. AND, not OR. (Somebody’s church mother would say, “praise Him, anyhow” but that’s a different sermon for a different day.)

You might be starting to think about how this applies to your own circumstances. Although often hard to see, it is the beauty of life really, a blessing in disguise to face life’s ups and downs; to ebb and to flow. I read an article in the September issue of The Knot magazine on Elaine Welteroth and Jonathan Singletary. In the article, they eloquently describe their wedding day experience, and “experience” it was. Under the bold heading, “Black Life Matters” Elaine and Jonathan not only share the details of their wedding day but also beautifully relate to Black pain, joy and everything in between. Jonathan starts off by saying, “”It’s important to find peace in the storm, it’s important to find gratitude even when it’s difficult.”” Take that with you, friend, cause things will ebb and then they will flow.

I think we all have, at one time or another, heard someone say, “be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a battle you know nothing about.” And it’s always truer than true.

An extra two cents
On hurting: Sorrow, sadness, grief, pain. Hurting is human but it isn’t who we are, it doesn’t define us unless we let it define us. My prayer is that we don’t just go through it, we GROW through it.
On healing: Healing is my favorite human phenomenon. I think it could honestly probably be considered a necessary evil — honestly probably. Healing is HARD WORK. I consider it a courageous act to begin the process of healing; a miracle of sorts. Even if your wounds are physical, healing requires an inner work — an extraction of old habits and learned behaviors, a good-riddance to pride and the ego; a relinquished hold on the obstacle(s) blocking a new you for you; a cleansing of the soul and renewing of the mind. Healing is (transformational) change plus tax. Whew.

On happiness: If nothing else, with happiness comes relief. Choose happy if for no other reason than to push you forward. Look for the good in everything – it’s there.

If you’re interested in reading more on healing and putting in the work to do it, visit unapologeticallyauthentic.com. She has some fantastic worksheets included with each blog post that will get you on the path to living your truth.

Love,

almachristina

TESSA

by almachristina4 Comments on TESSA

(artist: Bryson Tiller – song: Canceled)  Listen here

Sorry (not sorry), guys.  This is primarily for my ladies.  

**disclaimer: this post is about identity and yet I can’t reveal Tessa because I didn’t ask permission.  The irony**

Inspired by Leesh. 
  

Who or what is TESSA, you ask? ————

TESSA is a mixture of women and identity.  TESSA is ‘Hey, Auntie’ and ‘Bye, Felicia’ in the same breath.  She is how we choose to identify and define OURSELVES.  And personally, I LOVE the correlation.  TESSA is who I choose to be!  TESSA is ‘GIRL’S TRIP‘ the movie (are you with me?).  TESSA might be Topanga or Alizè, to you (jokes).  TESSA is my sister when she changes her hair, or you when you change yours!  Don’t get me wrong (’cause I know any fellas reading this are ready); it has nothing to do with putting on a front, and everything to do with experiencing new dimensions of our true selves.  

"How 'bout dat?"

We aren’t in conversation enough about SO many things and our identity as women and defining ourselves for ourselves is no different.  We can choose to do this DAILY (yes, everyday); or weekly.  Some of us decide every Jan.1.  Some of us don’t decide enough; we just go along (insert side-eye emoji).  I think it is best to remember that whatever we decide about ourselves, it is our own choice.  Another thing to remember is to do it for you and only you.  That last bit can be hard to face.  Most of us were born with expectations already set for us — for who we will become.  It could be that we’re almost 30 and still don’t want to disappoint our family or, that we’re living out a vision of who we are that we developed based on a certain situation or circumstance or, maybe it was something else — but you know that SOMEWHERE along the way you have fallen into some bogus, halfway-intentional, take-me-as-I-am-but-this-is-not-who-I-really-am version of yourself that was subconsciously driven by who you grew up around, or by the loudest voice in your life, or by someone else’s standard.  Yes, that is how convoluted our lives can be.  Additionally, for myself, I know there are things I want to change and things I never want to change about who I am.  Truth is, self-realization requires continuous addition and subtraction.  

Regardless if you relate to ‘Tessa’, we must decide our identity and definition for ourselves and our lives and then be confident in those decisions.  Heck, you can be who you wanna be.  I am just here to remind you that it is completely up to you.  Be courageous.  

"Hey, girl, hey!"

 

 

 

almachristina

Series

by almachristinaLeave a Comment on Series
Series 
Admitting my obsession with aesthetics.  In awe and wonder at things that are designed with intent, and beauty; precision.  Eye-catching or pleasing to the eye, of which I have no preference.  Design that captures what Earth reflects and that is imagined from other planets; what humans like and what humans don't even know they like.  Design that enhances the human experience.  And then there are beautiful wonders of the world that God creates and can't be duplicated, those too.

Deeper

by almachristina1 Comment on Deeper
fullsizeoutput_1f5d

anyone recently taken the opportunity to change your life??

∗raises hand∗  »life-deconstructed, party of one«

“Change is the only constant” – unknown

a little bit of a window »»» Since my last post I’ve taken life as I’ve known it for the past five-ish years and basically created the opposite.  I moved to a new city and started a new lifestyle.  So, if my next few blog posts seem like they are coming from a construction zone it’s because they are (I was supposed to post this one like two weeks ago).  In spite of this, I am not completely off schedule from writing but IT FEELS LIKE IT.  I’ve missed you (say cheeeese).   Now that I’ve given you the gist on why I’ve been missing we can move on.

“When you learn, teach.  When you get, give.”  – Dr. Maya Angelou

I’ve been thinking a lot about (and experiencing) growth lately.  The idea of growing becomes somewhat complex outside of the physical aspect. As one gets older one realizes GROWTH means more than getting taller and even more than crossing into adulthood.    It is life’s natural order to grow and learn new things at a young age, but can I just say that learning new things, in uncharted territory, as an ADULT, is SOMETHING ELSE?  1) It requires quite the effort and 2) I will say it for all of us, it is scary.  There’s so much to be said on expanding your heart, thinking and speaking from a broader perspective, and essentially discovering all of who you are and all that you want to incorporate into who you are (I mean after all, we CAN choose these things).

I like to think of we humans as being multi-dimensional; maybe you just see it as having more than one passion, or (metaphorically speaking) as peeling back layers  — no matter.  Either way, one has to push and be pushed to find what’s there.  Thing is, growing, in any area, causes discomfort (pain, anxiety, etc)  — BUT, *lots of theoretics coming ⇒ maybe don’t refuse that discomfort.  That uncomfortable feeling is likely the result of some fear; possibly the fear of doing something you’ve never done before AND failing at it, causing you to second-guess yourself and the entire purpose of it all.  However, TRANSFORMATION is what we aim for in life, no?  To grow, to evolve, to become better versions of ourselves, to be that for someone else, to get the most out of life.  So, I, would like to encourage you, to experience new experiences.  Dive into the deep end.  Get out of your own way.

“We aren’t here to one-up one another but to help one another up.” – Ann Voskamp

No competition. No comparison. No cheating. No disadvantage. No disruption. No distraction.  Not self-centered → SELF-AWARE.  No doubting.  No hating (So 90’s).  Only opportunity.  Only love.  Only winning.

$ΘuNÐtΓ@©k

from two of my favorites: watch these videos !!!!

(artist: John Legend — song: A Good Night). Listen here (cue wedding season)

(artist: PJ Morton feat. YEBBA song: How Deep is Your Love). Listen here (sidenote: YEBBA beasts this)

 PJ!!!!!  ˜˜An ode to PJ:  You are the epitome of an artist.  You create music that is you.  It adds to all that this world needs.  We need your soul, your honesty, your crooning, your bounce and melodies, your gruff and grit.  Thank you for never straying.˜˜  I just came from his concert which was my first one in a loooong time.  The energy in the room is probably going in my top five favorite feelings ever and I’m pretty sure  everybody in the building felt the same way.  It was a sold out show and everyone was HYPE.  He’s straight out of New Orleans so go figure.  Still on such a high, I want the whole experience again!  In short, you should go. 

got a little carried away, hope you enjoyed my return.

♥♥almachristina

Validity

by almachristinaLeave a Comment on Validity

(artist: YEBBA – song: Evergreen)  (← I’ve played this song over and over and OVER…and OVER.  Enjoy!).  Listen here

 

video credit → Youtube — Oscars

 

    Validity: the quality of being logically or factually sound; authentic or genuine.  (according to vocabulary.com and Oxford dictionaries)

    just in case you scrolled past it, the video above is Lupita Nyong’o accepting the 2014 Oscar Award for Best Supporting Actress in the movie ’12 Years a Slave’.  First, SHE WON (boom) and second, her acceptance speech STILL moves me to tears.  With her emotions so raw and alive, her speech has literally resonated in my heart since I first watched it four years ago.  I definitely didn’t know it was almost Oscars 2018 time (March 4), BUT it’s definitely God’s perfect timing for me to create this post.  And nevertheless, (insert cheers*) go, insanely captivating actor and actress nominees, and GO, BLACK PEOPLE!  #Oscars2018  #IMROOTINGFOREVERYBODYBLACK  (Thank you, Issa Rae, for the hashtag of the next 50 years, or forever.) (google search, mom).

    for those of you who may not know, ’12 Years A Slave’ is the true story of Solomon Northup, a Black man who was kidnapped and sold into slavery in 1841 (← very simplistic description there, forgive me).  The movie was released in October 2013.

    Lupita Nyong’o opened her speech (fast forward to minute 1:43 if you like) by saying, with tears in her eyes, “It doesn’t escape me for one moment that so much joy in my life is thanks to so much pain in someone else’s.”  (I love these words so much I wish they were mine. ♥♥)  In this instance she was referring to the woman, Patsey, whom she portrayed in the movie.  But also in this instance and most others it means, I am only here because someone paved the way for me.  Someone born before me experienced pain — struggled or fought, suffered or DIED, or WAS GIVEN A HARD TIME, so that I might shine.  That’s it — so I would have the opportunity to live my dreams or simply so that I can enjoy my life the way that I choose.  While this rings true in every moment, I don’t believe we always live everyday with it in mind.  Our lives (thoughts and movements), should be EXPLODING with gratitude in the form of confidence and kindness (just my opinion but might as well be fact).

“…NO MATTER WHERE YOU’RE FROM, YOUR DREAMS ARE VALID…” – Lupita Nyong’o 

    **watch. the. video. in its entirety.** (or skip to minute 3:20)(rolls eyes*)  Sharing this because her words, her award, her example, the movie, Patsey, that year, this year; it is moving and very REAL and NECESSARY to digest in 2018.  gonna leave it there I think.   powerful stuff.

∴HAPPY BLACK HISTORY MONTH∴

♥♥almachristina

Affirmation

by almachristina6 Comments on Affirmation

(artist: St. Beauty Band — album: Running to the Sun) (<— this is my soundtrack.  I’ll try to do this every post.) Listen here

    hey there, welcome to INK by me, Alma Christina!  I want to begin this blog with an affirmation. ⌈window into my life⌉ I’m learning the importance of DAILY AFFIRMATIONS.  Whatever affirmation you choose, it usually holds a high level of significance to you because it often encompasses an area of your life that needs improving; after all, you’ve chosen the words carefully and specifically, and you’ve most likely completed some sort of exercise that helped you get to the one affirmation, or three, you desperately need to transform your life.

    what I’ve gathered is that affirmations help us become the best version of ourselves through words that become a combination of work, belief in ourselves, and faith in a higher power.  Affirmations help us realize and visualize what we want for our lives, in pretty much any area — the usuals we label as spiritually, physically, and psychologically, but there’s also materially and energetically (aha!) and any other realm you want to come up with, so long as it applies to you.  Confession: It took me some time to understand and even acknowledge the concept of daily affirmations, but one thing I now know since putting them into practice is that the effect of a single affirmation is POWERFUL.  Do what I do (this time)… Repeat your affirmations everyday, start living according to what they say, feel your faith grow, and watch your life change.  I’m giving you one of mine for free, and maybe a couple more in future blog posts.  This one I’ll probably affirm for the rest of my life (btw, it’s definitely up for grabs):

“I DESERVE and HAVE and GIVE UNRELENTING, UNAFRAID, and UNMATCHED AGAPE LOVE.  And NOTHING CAN GET IN THE WAY OF IT.”  – Alma Christina

otherwise, I’m just here to explore art and writing, unabashed aesthetics, and mainly words that have LIFE.

♥♥almachristina