Brittany Valentine
Stories (15/0)
Letter To My Past Selves
Dear Brittany, This is a letter to the past versions of you that need validation. I know you didn’t realize it, but you could have always validated yourself. There were people around you that validated you all the time, but you just refused to believe them. But it’s time to let go of that. It’s time to accept compliments from people you love and understand with your whole heart, that they are telling the truth.
By Brittany Valentine4 years ago in Motivation
"Living Your Best Life" Doesn't Have to Be In the Future
If you’ve been on Instagram or Twitter in the last few years, you’ve most likely seen the term “living your best life” thrown around quite. I actually enjoy the concept, but I do feel that it’s a bit exclusive. Who is allowed to “live their best life?” Typically, it’s people on vacation, or people who just landed their dream job, or people in a seemingly ideal romantic relationship. We flock towards all the picture-perfect snapshots of people’s lives, we say things like “Omg this is GOALS!” and quietly accept that one day, maybe we will have that same kind of happiness.
By Brittany Valentine4 years ago in Psyche
Hypnotherapy & the Subconscious Mind
If you’ve ever asked yourself “why am I like this,” and you haven’t found an answer, you’ve come to the right place. If you have a pretty good grasp on yourself but you still struggle to actually change the course of your life, you have come to the right place as well. Your holy grail lies in exploring and “reprogramming” your subconscious mind. This sounds complicated, but it is actually pretty simple, once you understand what it all means.
By Brittany Valentine4 years ago in Psyche
Maybe She's Born With It: Halsey and Her Birth Chart
Ashley Nicolette Frangipane, otherwise known as Halsey, was born on September 29th, 1994, making her a Libra Sun and a Cancer Moon. I think her birth chart correlates strongly with her undeniable star-quality and brilliant artistry.
By Brittany Valentine4 years ago in Viva
Yoga & Body Acceptance
My skin is never clear enough, my hair is never thick or long enough, my belly is never flat or muscular enough, my lips aren’t full enough, and I’m too young to have these wrinkles. I am a broken record of self-deprecation. I am learning to love myself, but I still cannot accept my appearance. I am a product of a society that creates insecurity and then profits off of it. I am plagued with thoughts that I know are no good for me, but I can’t seem to let them go.
By Brittany Valentine4 years ago in Longevity
Barriers to Mental Health Treatment for African Americans
Mental illness does not discriminate; people from all walks of life can be affected. Yet, different communities, like the African American community, have unique needs that are not always being met. One of the most relevant factors in why black adults are not seeking treatment is the presence of mental health stigma.
By Brittany Valentine4 years ago in Psyche
Cisgender Women Are Allowed to Not Want Children
As a journalist, I realize that everything has nuance. Nothing can be understood from just one single perspective. This leads me to my potentially controversial opinion that while having children is a gift, it is also a burden that many of us do not want to have. And women are tired of being shamed for knowing ourselves well enough to understand what types of lives we want to lead.
By Brittany Valentine4 years ago in Viva
Yes, Social Media Does Have Positive Aspects
In 2006, when I was posting cringe-worthy selfies on MySpace and Facebook, I never thought that social media would become such an integral part of my adult life. I currently have 13.6k followers on Instagram, and 25.8k followers on Twitter.
By Brittany Valentine4 years ago in Psyche
The Butterfly Effect: Kindness Matters
The Butterfly Effect is the scientific theory that a single occurrence, no matter how small, can change the course of the Universe forever. The term Butterfly Effect comes from the idea that if a butterfly flaps its wings on one side of the earth, it is said to cause a hurricane on the other side. The butterfly’s wings are said to create tiny changes in the atmosphere that may alter the path of a tornado, delay, accelerate or even prevent the occurrence of a tornado in a certain area. The flapping of the butterfly’s wings becomes an essential part of the initial conditions that resulted in a tornado.
By Brittany Valentine4 years ago in Humans
Mental Health Memes: Helpful or Harmful?
As a person living with bipolar disorder, social anxiety and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, life can feel a bit chaotic. My moods fluctuate abnormally, my limited attention span makes everything seem like a bigger task than it is and anxious thoughts can hold me back from doing simple tasks, like ordering food over the phone. To further explore this internet trend, I spoke to two students and one faculty member at Temple University.
By Brittany Valentine4 years ago in Psyche
Hannah Gadsby on the Intersection of Humor and Activism
When I first stumbled across this hour long comedy special on Netflix, I was expecting to laugh and to be happy that an openly gay woman comedian is getting the recognition she deserves. What I wasn’t expecting was to learn about art history, to be reminded how important self love is, and to see someone be so vulnerable, honest and angry in front of such a large audience, in the midst of her own comedy show. I loved it because it wasn’t your average stand up show. She didn’t feel obligated to provide the audience with non-stop laughs, just for the sake of it. She challenged both the viewers in the Sydney Opera House and the viewers watching at home to have a much deeper experience. Gadsby undoubtedly incited laughter, but she also held back nothing when tackling the intersectional experience of being both a queer and a woman.
By Brittany Valentine4 years ago in Motivation
An Ode to Spoken Word Poetry
“Let me build myself smaller than you. Let me apologize when I get caught acting bigger than you. Let me always wait for this, let me work for this. The convenient thing about being a magical woman is that I can be gone as quickly as I came. And when you are a whole person for the first time, the movie is over. Manic pixie dream girl doesn’t go on; there’s no need for her anymore. Manic pixie dream girl is too dream girl, and you just woke up. Once, I told you I was afraid of my father, and for a moment, I looked so human, the audience lost interest.”
By Brittany Valentine4 years ago in Poets