Tag: wisdom

words of wisdom

Words of Wisdom: Toni Morrison

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What would literature be without Toni Morrison? Her poignant stories seamlessly weave the past with the present, the natural with the supernatural, the sacrosanct with the profane. I’ve found myself going back to “Sula” and “The Bluest Eye” to reread certain passages and become once again swept up in Morrison’s moving language.

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Morrison has published 11 novels, and I fully intend to read them all. Every page is full of vivid imagery and powerful dialogue. One doesn’t read Toni Morrison’s books: one becomes part of Morrison’s world.

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There’s a lot to love about Morrison. She wrote “The Bluest Eye” while raising two children post divorce. She published “The Bluest Eye” at the tender age of 39. She had to wake up at 4 AM to do her writing, but she got it done, and her efforts paid off.

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She speaks candidly about the importance of writing and why we must tell our stories. She shares profundities on life and love. And she tempers all of her works with humor, grace and timeless charm.

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I could sing Morrison’s praises forever and it wouldn’t be enough. So let me just say, if you are so inclined, make sure to read one of her books. I suggest you start off with “The Bluest Eye”: after all, it was her first book! Then move on to “Sula” and think about your closest friend: it will make you want to reach out to him/her and hold them close. Read some of her work and just watch your soul grow: it’s inevitable.

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Thanks for stopping by, and enjoy the rest of your day! I’ll chat with you all tomorrow.

(Photos courtesy of Pinterest, TheQuotesIn, QuotesFav, Goalcast, and LegendsQuotes)

 

words of wisdom

Words of Wisdom: Alice Walker

Mstldelano2 Comments

Happy Monday, my friends! What better way to start off a week than some words of wisdom?

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(from Thought Catalog)

Alice Walker is a writer extraordinaire, penning poetry, short stories and novels.  She is also an activist: she coined the term “womanism”, which is feminism that centers on Black women’s experiences. Her poetry and stories have garnered her a Pulitzer Prize for Fiction and many loyal fans.

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(from Relatably)

Walker’s “The Color Purple” is a riveting tale of a poor Black woman’s journey to overcome abuse and oppression. She was a survivor and thriver in a time where women – especially women of color – found it especially difficult to get ahead in life. Her main character, Celie, learns to love and succeed in a world where the odds seem overwhelmingly against her.

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(from AgingAbundantly)

I’ve read “The Color Purple” as an adult, and I also watched the movie several times growing up. I didn’t appreciate the story until I read it. I was transfixed by Walker’s writing style: conversational and reflective. It was hard to put the book down: the story unfolds beautifully and at a great pace. Walker’s own journey to self-actualization has been inspirational to learn about over the past few years. I’m glad that I took the time to learn more about this remarkable woman.

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(from Pinterest)

Walker’s art inspires me. I hope she continues to create: our world continues to need voices like hers.

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(from Pinterest)

May Alice Walker’s words encourage you today. I’ll talk to you all soon!

life curation · words of wisdom

Words of Wisdom: Maria Callas

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Did you all know that I love opera?

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If I haven’t mentioned it before, let me say it clearly: I LOVE opera music. I’ve played different instruments in the past but I’ve never been a good singer. So, I am always enchanted by a beautiful singing voice (it’s one thing that I do not possess!) One of the most legendary opera singers of all time is the tragic but insanely gifted Maria Callas.

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Maria didn’t care for her voice: it lacked the lightness and smoothness generally expected from sopranos. However, Maria was a mezzo-soprano that had trained her voice to the point of accommodating multiple vocal classifications. What she disliked about her voice was the single quality that makes her sound unique and captivating.

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Sadly, she had many painful experiences in her life. A tense relationship with her mother eventually resulted in them ceasing to speak to one another. Earlier in Maria’s career, she suffered from obesity that impacted her ability to perform; ironically enough, her drastic weight loss has been thought to be one of the main factors in her eventual vocal decline.  A torturous love affair with Aristotle Onassis that resulted in Maria’s ultimate heartbreak, when Onassis married Jacqueline Kennedy and relegated Maria to mistress status.

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It’s the pain of Maria’s life that lends the tender, heart-wrenching quality to her singing. And for sure, she did have some joys: she thrilled many audiences with her dramatic soprano range, she traveled the world, and she LIVED a bold, full life. Maria, may you continue to rest in peace.

 

(photos courtesy Pinterest, Quotesurf, and Classic FM)

life curation · words of wisdom

Words of Wisdom: Prof. Wangari Maathai

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Since I’m still buzzing from my trip to Nairobi, I figured I would share some words of wisdom from the esteemed Kenyan educator and activist, Nobel Peace Prize winner Professor Wangari Maathai.

You may remember seeing Prof. Maathai’s name and photo in my “Night at the Embassy” post. This remarkable woman founded the Green Belt Movement, which focuses on women’s rights, conservation and environmentalism. She authored several books and her ideas continue to inspire conservation efforts down to this day.

One of the main streets in Nairobi is named in her honor (I wish I had taken a photo of the street sign!) and her impact is still felt in this region. Here, I’ll share some of Prof. Maathai’s quotes that inspire me. Enjoy!

 

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(photo from Curves a la Mode)

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(photo from Quotlr)

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(photo from Love Our Girls)

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(photo from Gloria Kendi Borona)

 

 

 

 

life curation · words of wisdom

Powerful Words on Motherhood

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I love hearing the insights of mothers. I think of my own mother, and the words she passed on to me, and the thoughts that she continues to pass to me. I’m happy that she chose to give the best of her to me, and certain lessons she taught me have served me well up to this day. I think most of us underestimate those lessons until we are still and engaging in reflection.

I’ve found that the encouragement I received to go after the things that I desire (her famous words are, “The worst thing they can tell you is ‘No’ “) is the only reason why I’ve gotten as far as I have. I realized that the advice she gave me on interpersonal relationships (letting people “think what they want”, so long as it doesn’t hurt you) and career (get as much benefit out of a job as you can: every job offers more than a paycheck) was truly timeless. She didn’t take big risks with her own life, but she spoke words that allowed me to take bigger risks with my own life. And for that, I’m eternally thankful.

With that in mind, I’d like to share a video that was shared with me almost a year ago. Phylicia Rashad, acclaimed actress, timeless beauty, and mother extraordinaire, discusses what it’s like to have a brand new baby (she already had a 13 year old son at this time) and the lessons she learned from her experiences in motherhood. The whole clip is a treasure, but starting at 4:55, you can see that it was her mother’s words and influence that molded her into a fantastic parent.

I hope that you enjoyed this clip as much as I have! Let me know what you think about it in the comments below!

life curation · relaxation

Currently Listening To …

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I was JUST talking about my love of Oprah yesterday (in my Words of Wisdom post). So it should be no surprise that I’m currently listening to pretty much every episode of the SuperSoul Conversations podcast (I listen on iTunes, but it’s also available on iHeartRadio, Podbean and Podbay .

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I love being able to listen to SuperSoul Sunday without having to be physically located by a television set. I also love that I can have little bits of inspiration everywhere that I go.

My current fave episodes are the ones with Phil Jackson, Iyanla Vanzant and former Vice President Joe Biden. I’ve listened to each of them more than once, as I try to glean all of the wisdom that they offered.

 Do you all have any favorite podcasts? Let me know all about them in the comments below!

culture · words of wisdom

Words of Wisdom: Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis

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I mentioned earlier this week that I’ve been experiencing some not-so-happy times. At this point, I’m thinking it’s just a little bluesy period that will pass, but even when I anticipate a short period of discomfort and sadness, I like to turn to role models who can encourage me. So this week, I want to shine the spotlight on Mrs. Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis,, who experienced more heartbreak than I can fathom, but also curated a beautiful life and incredibly touching legacy.

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Who more perfectly embodies courage and composure than Mrs. Kennedy Onassis? Twice widowed, an unconventional beauty, and a brainy woman during a time where women were rewarded for merely being pretty arm candy, Jackie had her share of difficulty. However, throughout it all she remained elegant, cool and focused on creating JOY at every step of her journey.

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I find it inspirational that she never just “faded away”: from debutante to First Lady, to perfect business wife to editor extraordinaire, everything she did was done with excellence. I love that she found her strength through her pain and left her mark on history.

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Private, poignant, and focused, Jackie is the kind of woman that we can all aspire to be, during good times and bad. I love how she focused on what really mattered and let the rest fade into the background.

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She came, she saw, she WON.

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(Photos courtesy of Pinterest and Town and Country Magazine)

life curation · words of wisdom

Words of Wisdom: Audre Lorde

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When I first started on my emotional and spiritual journey, I came across a lot of unsound advice from well-intentioned (but clueless) friends and family. The main problem with the advice I was receiving was that it lacked nuance and context for my specific circumstances.

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They knew me but they didn’t KNOW me, if you get my drift.

I kind of resigned myself to walking this path alone, until I came across the quote, “The master’s tools will never dismantle the master’s house”. I was perplexed by it, but I thought it was interesting enough to dig deeper and learn who said it first. My research led me to Audre Lorde.

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And. My. World. Changed.

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I found so much of what Audre wrote about mirrored my personal experiences, frustrations and concerns. She inspired me to find my voice, to own my personal power, and to care for myself. I owe a lot to Ms. Lorde.

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Whether you’re familiar with her or not, I’m sure you’ll find a gem among her words. The hardest part of this post was limiting the number of quotes so as not to inundate you all.

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Enjoy, and talk to you all tomorrow!

(all photos courtesy of Pinterest)

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Words of Wisdom: Josephine Baker

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Happy Monday! As we start a new week, I thought this would be a good time to tap into some words of wisdom. One woman that inspires me tremendously is Josephine Baker.

The effervescent Josephine was talented, stylish, graceful and perfectly poised. The trailblazing entertainer left behind an abusive, impoverished childhood and eventually went on to achieving global acclaim. She decided to live in Paris, France where she experienced the happiness and peace that eluded her during her formative years.

Josephine was not just an entertainer: she was also an activist and doting mother. I find her life and perspectives to be so inspirational. Here are a few Josephine Baker quotes that I thought you may enjoy. Vive La Baker!

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(Photos courtesy of Pinterest, APassion4Jazz, and Izquotes)

 

 

life curation · reading list

Highlights from “Outliers”

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Well, dear friends, I finally finished “Outliers”. As you all are aware, this tome has been on my reading list for several weeks (actually several years, but let’s not judge). I have actually squeezed in a couple of other books since I posted about “Outliers”, but those were rereads and not particularly applicable to the content of this blog. However, I set a firm date for when I’d finish this book, and that motivated me to get focused.

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If there is any singular thing I took away from “Outliers”, it’s this: success isn’t the result of a sole action/incident. The most noteworthy successes are the result of a “perfect storm” of conditions, attitudes, timing, and serendipity. There are many things we can control about achieving success, but many other things are the exterior elements beyond our control. Fortunately, there are instances where even what appears to be obstacles or downright walls separating us from our desires are actually the catalyst behind getting the skills needed to rise above everyone else and achieve unprecedented success.

Here are some of the highlights I gleaned during my reading of “Outliers” by Malcolm Gladwell.

  • The infamous “10,000 Hour Rule” is best supported by serendipitous timing, but the expertise gained from continual practice can still put you lightyears ahead of the pack.
  • Having a genius IQ is great, but without other advantages (like personality, connections, or wealth), it isn’t a guarantee of success. In fact, without those other supporting attributes, being a genius can be a frustrating path.
  • Community and network are CRUCIAL to success. The influence of community and network is particularly powerful as children, as this molds identity and behaviors that will remain throughout your lifetime.

I can’t recommend this book enough! I plan to hand this off to a few friends that could use the information.

Have you all read “Outliers”? What was your favorite takeaway? Let me know in the comments below!