BeYouTFull UnivHercity

In this most auspicious and sacred time of year, so much is going on in every dimension of our lives; mentally, emotionally, spiritually and yes financially.  It is the deepest, most intense time of the year for most of us. It is a concentrated time for being with family and friends which are the cornerstone relationships of life. As always, as we stand at the entrance of this season we will have to confront the interior terrains of our lives. We have to deal with brokenness, disenfranchisement, and a lack of fellowship within our families.  We will have to make tough decisions about who we will break bread with, who can sit at the table, who is uninvited, who is banned and who is damned.  We have to determine whether we will forgive for the sake of the holidays; if we are willing to be in the company of our loved ones; even if we will make up ( so that we can get Christmas presents) . Many of us have to deal with loss. The loss of our mother, father, child, sister, bro...

I am very excited to re-enter the stage and to continue sharing with you from the majestic landscape of "BeYouTy". It's been about a year and a half since I have written here.  Not to be cliche', but "where did the time go"? One thing that usually gets in the way of starting is starting . Ideally, you want to have a map of how you will approach everything and lay it out completely. What I have come to learn about myself is that I simply do not operate that way. I have self-integrity. I will get it done ultimately.  I always have the concept and vision in my Soul and Spirit, before I start. What it becomes however, is " my  glorious journey ." I have always lived on the "revelation" and daily "discovery" road. At the end of the day, when I reflect on my accomplishments in life thus far, I usually say, "not too bad."  I am content. As I am now in what some call "legacy years". Indeed I am looking forwa...

Yesterday I had a wonderful visit from a Sister who came to the New Bein’ Showroom in Brooklyn to buy New Bein’ Hair Care Products.  She had read my book ( Hairlocking, Everything You Need To Know) and it inspired her.  She had been contemplating starting Locs and had done extensive research.  What a Divine visit.  This young Sister was intelligent, spiritual, and very self-aware.  She spoke quite poetically about her “hair journey” up until this point (she’s in her mid 30’s).  Some of the things she said really struck me.  She said she was “the dark one” in her family (even though she’s really like caramel toned). Everyone else was "light-skinned".  She had really thick, long, black beautiful hair though, so she was acknowledged for her hair. She said she realized at a young age, that her hair was her “identity” (wow…!)  As she got older she recognized that she had lived and bought into this, even as far as the men she had attracted i...

Grace is one of those beautiful words which kindles images of ancient glories, Queens, and of the most beautiful dancers.  I have had this very strong feeling to write about Grace lately, as it has become one of the most important and significant principles in my Life.  Like many, I had a very casual and even perhaps infantile understanding of this concept of "Grace".  My first recollections of it came from my childhood upbringing in which I was simply taught to "say Grace" before eating.  The only other references to grace were the occasional references to someone being graceful in the way they physically moved. Even today to hear one speak of someone's "graciousness" is rare. Grace in its fullest and highest understanding is profound when you mature up to it and it is revealed to you.  In the spiritual sense, it is so deep and ever present in our lives that, like the wind or the air we breathe we can't see it so we just take it for granted....

Something has been ruminating in my Spirit for a while now.  It is a subject that continually comes into my daily life and into the lives of others that I observe.  It is a universal and perpetual conversation of humanity. I believe it is something that we all reckon with until we leave here. What is it you ask?  It is the concept of   "the process". It is spoken of very matter-of- factly by most.  As we go through personal trials and tribulations, feelings of doubt, challenges, not understanding...Life, we usually comfort ourselves with the notion and satisfaction that well, "Life is a process...it is a process." The depth of this concept however is really profound if you are trying to grasp it and work powerfully with it.  We all know the cliches'...the journey of a thousand miles begins with the first step...the race is given not to the swift but to the one that endures to the end, etc. On the court (in Life) however, it is a lot easier said...

There is one thing that anyone would want in a time of emergency like when there’s a “blackout” -  that is, a “generator”.  A generator turns on the power and sustains a source of light and electricity sufficient to run everything within your home.  Most of the time, we go through our daily lives and only think about a “generator” when disaster or an emergency strikes.  This is much akin to how we live our personal lives. What are you generating? What do you generate on a daily basis? There is a living power source within all of us which is available for us to tap into every day of our lives.  As human beings we have the ability “to generate” the kind of life we want to live.  We express this primarily in how we think and speak; our thoughts and words.  These in effect create our reality.   First thing in the morning, when you arise, what do you generate? What are your first thoughts?  Are you a subject or a victim of whatever sh...

I took this title from a local newspaper that I found on a subway seat last week and thought it was most awesome!   We are in the most auspicious time of any given year; the first of, the beginning of, the new year. As a human family we have started a tradition of "making New Year's Resolutions."  By now, that phrase carries the same unhealthy dose of cynicism and sarcasm as most things left to humanity. My thoughts around this idea of "Evolution rather than Resolution" moves quickly toward the axiom that "change is not an event - it is a process" and so it is.  I am wondering as we are coming near the end of this month of (re)newal, (re)constituting, (re)solving, that perhaps it is not about "re" anything.  Maybe it is about becoming acutely aware of what is important to us and what our priorities are in a very real, tangible and pragmatic way; not the lofty, glorious, hard to reach, idealistic goals that we usually set up for ourselves w...

Reflecting on 2013… it’s about 5 hours from the New Year, 2014. I have long given up and outgrown the drinking, club hopping, being out in the world with stranger’s years.  For the last decade and better I usually attend “Watch Night” services at my church.  I love it…it’s about gratitude, community, acknowledgment and Blessing God for all that He has done for you, all that’s He’s brought you through.  It's about the Grace and Mercy that you have been granted for things that would have, should or could have happened to you.  It is rejoicing, celebrating, worshiping and feeling safe…at home…a part of something greater than yourself. I am not going out tonight though.  It’s one of those years where I will "be" the church and have church at home. 2013… I am having a little bit of a struggle trying to describe it.  Usually I look for a word that seems to highlight the tone and movement of the year.  The first word that showed up for me was “transitiona...

In the course of living, as we go through trials and tribulations, our Soul speaks to us.  It is a presence, a knowing, a conversation between I and I, the knowing that you have within you.  In these times, when you have been questioning yourself, wondering, pondering, perhaps even agonizing over something…there is a part of you that Speaks… It is moving…it is dancing…it it trying to shake something off.  It is giving you an answer…telling you what is right and what is wrong; what you should actually do.  You get the answer….you know the answer…because it speaks, it tells you…either in secret but out loud…you have a “soul scream”.  Now you are at the moment of Truth.  You must choose. Make a very important decision; to say Yes or No.  To make an agreement that is integral and in alignment with your Soul or one which is contrary to it.  The vote has been cast, it’s already a fix because the Soul carries much weight.  It leans…it burdens…beca...