Superwomen & Goddesses: Workin’ Your Power & Magic, Book One

By Leandra Williams

We often go in search of what it is we need.  But sometimes what we need finds us in unexpected ways. This was the case with me not too long ago when I came across an article featuring Akua Auset discussing her book SUPERWOMEN & GODDESSES: Workin’ Your Power & Magic, Book One. As soon as I finished the article, I began sleuthing: who is she, where is she, how do I get this book?

I discovered she was based in Chicago and, since I was heading that way, considered buying the book directly from her. She was extremely gracious and willing to meet me for an exchange. Her aura was bright and her energy calm and inviting. As I walked back to my friend’s apartment after our meeting, I read the inscription, “To Leandra: Remember, God is where you stand so create paradise where you are.” The words delighted me, bringing a smile to my face. My desire to read the book instantly become a need, so right then and there, I poured into the book–as I walked.

Framed in Ancient African wisdom, the most important message in SUPERWOMEN & GODDESSES is that we have value, and that we can and should find it.  This Eurocentric capitalist patriarchal society manipulates us all into believing we are less than we are to coerce our participation.  In this system women are the biggest losers, but women of African descent, especially, are denied a full understanding of our identity and value.  

SUPERWOMEN & GODDESSES initiates a reflection on your own life and your personal assessment of your value.  When asked “who are you?” and told the answer wasn’t in names, cultures, character traits or roles, I wondered what the trick was.  There was no trick; the answer highlighted how out of touch we are with our true nature.  I asked myself, “do you truly believe yourself to be a superwoman and a goddess?”  It’s easy to say ‘yes’, but in the quiet of your heart lies the truth.  For me, I knew I had some work to do.

To echo Akua’s message, I simply say, “you have value.”  You are important and necessary in ways you don’t even know.  Be courageous, explore your heart and self-assess: what is your value and where does it come from?  The battle with self-esteem is usually fought alone, silently, so we marvel when someone in which we see greatness doesn’t see it in themselves; we fail to remember that we all wear the mask.  Keeping that guard up all the time becomes so habitual that many times we lose sight of the truth, yet can’t disconnect from its discomfort.  Don’t be fooled: inner peace cannot be denied acknowledgement.

Should you already be walking in your divine queendom, fully aware of your superwoman and goddess power, consider this a reminder to do your part to educate another woman of her power.

I highly reccommend reading SUPERWOMEN & GODDESSES.  It was like having a conversation with a loving older sister.  I could be honest in the trust that my heart would be seen.  We all want love, care, and attention; that desire can motivate some unusual behavior.  Love, understanding and forgiveness start from within, with the self, and are key to transformation.  Anything is possible and we have the power to inspire life in everything we touch.  By the definitions Akua shares, SistaGirlz we are superwomen and goddesses.  The question is do you know?

 

“From my understanding people get better when they start to understand that they’re valuable. And they not valuable because they got a whole lot of money or ’cause somebody, think they sexy but they valuable cause they been created by God and God makes you valuable. And whether or not you, recognize that value is one thing.”
- Mos Def, “Fear Not of Men”

Happy Mother’s Day to All the Moms!

Shouts to my mother “Mrs D.” for taking care of me and my sister and bringing us up to be strong, God-fearing women! Loves Ya!

Our First Lady, Michelle Obama hosted a Mother’s Day Tea at the White House yesterday where she paid respect to her mother, Marian Robinson.

Michelle Obama and her mother Marian Robinson have bonded even more, since they once again share the same home. Mrs. Robinson moved into the White House after the inauguration.

Fantasia and her adorable daughter, Zion. Look out for Fanny’s new album later this summer! Her new single “Bittersweet” will be hitting the airwaves this week! Oh, and yes, she’ll be back with her reality show in the fall! Will her brother Teeny have his own show soon? Hmmm.

New Age Mother & Daughter…Evelyn Lozada of the show “Basketball Wives” is hangin’ out with her daughter Shaniece.  That’s her daughter?! Oh and did I mention she’s only 17? Girl please!

I don’t think I was lookin’ that grown at 17, but hey, whatevva! I love Evelyn’s shoe store, Dulce! Remind me to stop  in there when I hit MIA again!

Now that Halle Berry has her beautiful daughter Nahla, she could gracefully kick Gabriel Aubry to the curb! LOL! No, seriously, she and Gabe are no longer a couple. They allegedly broke up several months ago, but it’s just coming to light. I don’t know who dissed whom, but it could get ugly. Word on the streets is that he might sue for custody! Ooh! I’ll keep you posted!

Christina Milian was spotted out and about with her new baby Violet. Her hubby The Dream was home I guess. But let me ask you this, what mom is out pushing the stroller with six-inch heels? I’m just asking! Hmmmph! LOL

I see I’m gonna have to step my heel game up if I wanna have some kids in this era! Forget about “mom jeans” you better be rockin’ “Mom Stilettos” !

Lovely  Phlicia Rashad! I saw her at the Just Wright movie premiere earlier this week and she looked fab! This picture is from that event. Loves it! She is photo’d with her daughter Condola.  Jenny Craig might be that thing, right? !

Look at Jennifer Hudson and her little bundle of Joy! Jenny Craig worked for her, too! Sounds like a diet revolution, SistaGirlz!

From Precious to Diva? Gabourey’s Actin’ Out!

I’m hearing some not so nice things about Precious star, Gabourey Sidibe! They’re saying the sweet unknown Oscar nominee is now turing into a full-fledged DIVA! What?! Say it ain’t soooooo! Okay, here’s the scoop: One reporter tried to go over to her table to tell her how much he loved her work. Mind you, Gabby was already in a conversation. He interrupted her, but she told him to come back in 5 minutes. He pretended to walk away, then laughingly came back, but she “deaded” him with the look in her eyes. He slunk back to his table.  He shared his story with his friend and she had this to say about Gabby:

Oh! She’s horrible,” Armao said in her wonderfully blunt way. She told me that she saw Sidibe at the pre-cocktails and told her that she’d seen “Precious” three times and that she thought Sidibe’s performance was “incandescent.” What was Sidibe’s response? “I guess I should say, ‘Thank you.’”

More Drama:

When a fan asked for a picture, she barely cracked a smile!  The fan said jokingly, “that’s all you’re going to give me,” to the pouty Precious. Gabby responded, “you’ll get what I give you.” (Trife!)

Later in the evening FishbowlDC overheard a Politico reporter asking Gabby for a quick interview. Gabby replied, “one question“ and then proceeded to give the reporter a one-word answer. When asked a follow up Q, not-so-Precious said, “sounds like three questions, good night.”

More stories like this are coming to surface, regarding her dissing fans! OMG! Girl, she’d better get it together! Hollywood can be very fickle!

Source

SistaGirlz! Best Industries for Women!

( if you’re looking into the pharmaceutical industry, get ready for job stability and a nice bank account! Women in this field bring home approximately $1647 per week!)

If you’re thinking of going back to school or maybe you’re already in the field but want to expand, there are several industries where women can excel and get some serious paper! Check out the list below, and get your resume ready!

Women in Construction earn just as much and sometimes MORE than men in the same industry!

Teachers (in the right area of the country) can earn $1056 per week.  Just be sure that the teacher’s union is strong in the area you plan to teach. They will help fight for your job in the event of budget cuts.

Other industries that pay at least $1000 per week are:

Marketing and Sales Managers

Occupational Therapists

Architect and Engineering Occupations

Promotions & Advertising Mangers

…and more!

Now if you’re trying to branch out on your own, be sure to attend  the “Be About Your Business” workshop on June 19th in New York City. Purchase your tickets at the SistaGirlz.com Store!

Source

Nappily in Bloom by Trisha R. Thomas

Trisha R.Thomsas is back in the Nappily Series! On this journey, you’ll follow Airic (love the spelling of that name), and his wife, Televangelist Trevelle Doval into the drama that begins with a DOMESTIC VIOLENCE claim! Venus and Jake try to suspend visitation rights of Airic, and it’s a battle! The book keeps you on the edge of your seat with the twists and turns and BLACKMAIL! Whhhoo!

This is the 5th Book in the Nappily Series! Hurry up and read it, because author Trisha R.Thomas has been busy! The sixth book, UnNappily in Love hits book stores May 25th. I’m just trying to get you ready.

By the way, I wonder what ever happened to Halle Berry bringing the first book in the series “Nappily Ever After”, to the big screen.  She bought the rights to the book a few years ago, but I haven’t heard anything about it since. Hmmm. Maybe now that she’s single again, Halle will find the time to show a great love story on the screen.  *Fingers Crossed*

Don’t forget, UnNappily in Love will be at your local bookseller May 25,2010!

What Mother Never Told Me by Donna Hill

One of my favorite writers of all time is Donna Hill. I have had the pleasure of meeting an interviewing her, and her vibe is as real and genuine as those of her characters.  Ms. Hill is back with a story of secrets, discoveries and dealing with the truth. Parris McKay is the lead character that has her world rocked  by news of her mother actually alive. All of her life Parris was told her mother was dead, but now she knows the truth.

( Author Donna Hill)

On a quest to find her mother she ends up finding true friends and valuable lessons about life.  Read it! Don’t forget to check out the author at www.donnahill.com

Don’t Sweat It!

Have you ever gotten caught having too much fun? The song was just right, you were dropping it like it was hot on the dance floor all night long! Finally, when you had to run back to the restroom to freshen up you saw them. Two wet spots marked just how much fun you were having. Not only was it wet, but the dark colored dress you wore highlighted the stain. OMG! What’s a girl to do?

SistaGirlz, as the summer approaches, we gotta be ready for the heat and the drama it brings! Arm yourselves (no pun intended) with the best solution for your body type. There are several options for women who have excessive sweat situations.  Something as simple as switching up the fabrics can help keep air flowing to your body. I love the shirts with the sweat wicking material! They even have pajamas made with it!

Another option would be to use those nifty little dress shields. If you know you’ve had issues in the past with the sweat stains, they may be a worthwhile investment. I mean, really. Their under $10 bucks. Do you want to be cute your do you want to be twitpic’d by random club-goers? LOL!

If your situation persists, you can always ask your medical provider about alternatives.  They have antiperspirants and oral meds that you can get from your doctor. Other cosmetic solutions could be Botox and or Laser treatment.  Whatever the case, ladies, never let them see you sweat!

Really…Bobby Brown?

By Miss Rikki

So, I’m getting on the Internet on my Blackberry to find out the weather for today and I come accross a news headline that reads “Bobby Brown gets engaged on stage.”  Of course, I had to click on it.  Here’s what I read:

 

For concertgoers at Metro Park in Jacksonville, Fla., on Friday, the hottest ticket at the annual Funk Fest wasn’t the performance by ’90s girl group SWV or the line for fruity refreshments as temperatures climbed into the 90s. It was watching singer Bobby Brown propose to his girlfriend of nearly three years, manager Alicia Etheridge. Holding their 11-month-old son Cassius, Etheridge joined Brown on stage as he got down on one knee and presented her with a ring. The crowd roared its approval as a beaming Etheridge kissed Brown, who remained kneeling.Brown, who had a troubled 15-year marriage to Whitney Houston and most recently appeared on Celebrity Fit Club, seemed elated to have the audience in his corner.

Shock followed by amazement and then disgust with a hint of “What in the LL Cool J” (as Deja would say) hit me.  Why in the world would anyone, I repeat, ANYONE ever in their right mind even date Bobby Brown!  Let alone agree to marry him!  And they have a kid together!!!!!! OMG!  I’m almost speechless about this.  I can’t figure it out.  Why would she subject herself to the madness?

Then it came to me.  I could almost hear the old wise soul speaking directly into my ear…”You can’t help who you fall in love with, so you have to be careful who you allow yourself to be around.”

Okay so there was no random voice from the heavens, but it is a great piece of advice that came from a good friend of mine’s dad (shouts out to Mr. Davie).

SistaGirlz, take head to these words because they ring very true.  I’m sure we can all find a love situation to which this applies. Don’t let this precious gem fall on deaf ears, or since you’re reading this - blind eyes…or something like that.  You really can’t help when you fall in love.  You just do.  So, surround yourself with people who are worthy of that love.  That way if you haphazardly fall in love, it’ll be a good look. 

As for Bobby Brown and his new wife-to-be, I honestly wish them the best.  I hope it works out for all involved.  No seriously, I do.  SMH

Be About Your Business Workshop!

Have you been thinking about starting your own business? There’s no better time than the present! SistaGirlz.com & Divas in the City want you take that talent and turn it into profit! Hear from small business owners, and fabulous speakers including Melinda Emerson, “the small biz lady”.  Don’t miss this opportunity! Buy you tickets NOW! Click Here

Color Your Spring and Summer

By Miss Rikki

SistaGirlz, it’s getting warm out there.  The sun is shining, flowers are blooming, and fashion of course is taking notice.  If your toes are still wiggling and squiggling in those closed toe shoes, get down to the nail shop and get those feet some love; then slide your smooth heels and freshly polished toes into one of these colorful numbers!

1. Milisent in Light Pink by Aldo $155  2. Rosenberger Gladiator Sandal in Light Blue by Aldo $55   3. Nazirra in Blue Multi by Guess $89   4.  Avo in Off White by Vince Camuto $120  5. Escape in Blue by Fergie $109   6. Prestige in Pink by Carlos by Carlos Santana $79   7. Vida in Teal by Jessica Simpson $39.99   8. Inked in Yellow by Not Rated $60   9. Rhea in Purple by Gianni Bini $89.99   10. Xcite in Rose Gold Metallic by Enzo Angiolini $89   11. Juniper in Multi by Report $230   12. Many Moons in Bright Fabric by Luichiny $89.95   13. Zigi Soho Dance Heel in Royal by Shi by Journeys $49.99   14. Fountain in Lilac by Steve Madden $79   15. Lenor in KeyLime/Black by Kensie Girl $48.95

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