Finding the Magic Within Us

Growing up in today's society has quite frankly been a nightmare. For the most part anyway. Not only am I a woman, but a black woman. That alone has been a struggle in itself. But definitely not a battle that I will ever lose.

Sometimes it can be overwhelming. You know, just being a woman. Being told what you can and can’t do. Being told what you should and shouldn’t wear. Judged by our looks or our style. And even by the color of our skin. Being a woman almost seemed like a burden.

However, that was just the beginning. Being a black woman is a challenge by itself. Now, not only do they look at the fact that I am a woman but a black woman. We’ve been looked down upon for many, many years. But that’s how I found the beauty of being not only a woman, but a beautiful black woman.

Almost seems crazy right?

How do you find the beauty in something that has always been used against you in such a negative way?

Well, let me start off by saying this… growing up as a black woman in today’s world has been an experience to say the least. For that reason, I was able to make my own path through this chaotic world. One that I am still forging at this very moment. We were already perceived as different. But different isn’t bad and that’s the magic of it. I was able to find myself and see myself under a different light.

Not only do I have magic, I have black girl magic.

The path I’ve decided to make for myself was to become a guide for those around me and who are to come after me. For me, there’s nothing more in life that I wanted than to become an advocate for black women everywhere. But most importantly, and a source of guidance for young girls like myself. I always feel as though it was very important to help young girls find the magic within them. Because the color of our skin and our gender should never be a reason for someone to look down upon us.

We, as a collective, should be looked at for what our skills are, and how much knowledge we carry. Our intelligence and grace. Our beauty and how gracefully we carry ourselves is a given. I stand firmly on that statement. Never should we be looked at as “just women”, let alone a black woman.

With all of that being said here is my ‘Purple-Print’. Much like a blueprint, but for those who want to find the magic that lies within. Not only do I want to take these steps to make 2022 and every year after this better, but I want others just like myself to do the same!

The Purple Print: How to Find our Strength

1. Embrace the skin you’re in.

2. Love yourself.

3. Defy the stereotypes.

4. Always show kindness!

5. And most importantly stand your ground!

Short, simple, and impactful. It has always been a vision of mine, but there is no time like the present.

The first and most important thing I want to do and be known is to love the skin I’m in. To never let it define me! Your skin is beautiful, my skin is beautiful and that’s a fact. But it is not who I am. It doesn’t define any of us. I believe the moment I started to truly believe that and embrace it; it was easier to tell others, “Hey your skin is beautiful!”. I feel like that can do so much in someone's life to hear that.

And just as important as that, loving myself. Loving yourself can go such a long way. It saddens me to think that we should be frowned upon for our skin color. But I want it to be known that you should always keep your head high and love yourself more than anyone else can love you. They always say you can’t give love until you love yourself first. And that’s exactly what I’m going to do. I’m going to continue loving myself so that I can spread the word. With that nothing anyone says can change any of our minds.

Defying the stereotypes! One of the most important and fun things I’ve learned is that defying the stereotypes puts people on their toes. That’s a power that is unbeatable. To never let anyone put me into a bubble ever again. The more that I stand out, the more people make way. Once my path is clear, I’m free to move forward and that’s just what I want. That’s what I want for all of us.

To always show kindness. These days, and I won’t lie, it’s very hard. People see kindness as a weakness, or a weak point. However, I believe it’s definitely a strength. If I can be kind even in the times when I feel like I shouldn’t, I’ll be pretty much unstoppable. I want to be able to show others that being kind is never a bad thing, but always stand your ground. And that makes so much sense of my last step!

The most important and final thing is standing my ground. Even as a child it was hard. Because standing your ground was also known as being disrespectful. Well, I know now, and I think it’s important for others to know that it’s never disrespectful to put yourself first and let it be known what it is and what it isn’t. And I’m going to continue to stand my ground, so that those who follow me will have a sturdy ground to stand in the future. With a sturdy ground comes a sturdy path.

I guess you can say to find the magic within us, we have to make ourselves known. We have to be loud and proud. Something I struggled with for a long time. I believe that if I can continue to make such changes in my life, I will be able to pass on my knowledge and help others like myself grow.

That’s the magic of it all. Sharing our knowledge and spreading the love and light as we go. It has a power that is so unbeatable, so powerful that no one can ever take it from us.

I have a dream to make my small piece of the world a better place. We have to start somewhere. No one can fully take on the whole world at first go around. But I definitely want to be able to make a difference somewhere.

It’s not a crime for everyone to be happy. And if I have to be that ray of sunshine in someone’s life then so be it. All I need is a little magic!