What I Learned Making the Switch
When I left corporate America to become a creative, I imagined I would spend my days in my parent’s Florida room writing a book and developing a podcast. Perhaps I’d pick up a job at a local studio to teach yoga in the evenings and attend some writers’ workshops on the weekends. I wouldn’t focus on making money since the goal was to give myself the time to turn my creative visions into reality.
It was brilliant. In my mind.
Yet, absolutely comical if you knew me.
You see, I had spent over a decade working a 9–5 job. I…
So, do it scared
When I announced my departure from my corporate job, one particular compliment was gifted to me time and time again. There were different versions of it but at the heart of it, it remained the same.
“You’re so brave.”
I was always uncomfortable when someone bestowed any version of this sentiment. You see, when I thought about bravery, I thought about that David vs. Goliath type of courage. Or at the very least the climatic showdown between the good versus bad guys in Disney movies. And, I was no Simba.
To be honest, being scared is kind of my default…
Not making a choice is still a choice
We all have a dream of the life we want to live. Perhaps it’s working flexible hours, interacting less with people, or working for a humanitarian cause. Maybe there is more specificity around what you’re envisioning and you know you want to, say, be an actor, start a business, or move to Bali. The hard part isn’t typically describing the mountaintop but rather, figuring out how to reach it.
Standard self-help doesn’t speak to us much about indecisiveness. Instead, we are told that once we commit to the climb, we shall eventually make our way to the top. …
Three women share how they make tough choices and move toward fulfillment
2020 offered the world a collective rest. When we weren’t binging on Tiger King or watching 4-day election spectacles, many of us were granted more time than ever for inward reflection. In that time, we got to know our simple pleasures but we also came face-to-face with our subtle discontents.
Do I actually like my job or do I just like the people?
Do I and this person make sense together or is this situation just comfortable?
Do I like living here or am I just scared to go elsewhere?
2020 brought up the questions. But as state restrictions loosen…
What I learned from America’s golden child
There was something I always admired about Ryan Rogers*. No more than 6–7 years my senior, I worked alongside Ryan while I was in Public Relations. I, a Senior Account Executive, he about three promotions ahead of me as a VP.
A 30-something-year-old white man, Ryan was the type of person who clients gravitated towards. He was smart yet affable. Approachable but confident. Funny without trying too hard. Ryan somehow always appeared unfazed by problems that would leave our fellow colleagues in a tailspin. …
How to find balance in the era of social media addiction
I decided years ago that I would not follow any of the Kardashians on Instagram.
I’m not anti-celebrity. I follow Rih Rih and Will Smith and Shakira and a whole heap of “influencers,” but the Kardashians are a brand of celebrity that seemed to combine far too many out-of-reach elements for me. They don’t just have some money — there are filthy rich. They aren’t just good-looking — they are plumped, filled, nipped, and tucked by the best. They aren’t just well-dressed — they receive praise even when they are appropriating cultures. …
What the bumblebee can teach us about success
My mom worked as an independent beauty consultant for Mary Kay for several years. As a child, I adored the bumblebee pin each consultant received. (Apparently, I was a member of the Beyhive long before it was cool.) But more than the pin itself, I loved the words written on the place card that came with it.
“Aerodynamically, the bumblebee shouldn’t be able to fly, but the bumblebee doesn’t know it, so it goes on flying anyway.”
The place card then went on to say something to the effect of, “sometimes what you don’t know enables you to fly.”
Mary…
No, I didn’t join an ashram in India
When I was 17, the thought of postponing college for a gap year never crossed my mind. While it may have sounded nice to spend a year traveling, volunteering, and doing other activities to further “personal growth” — for financial and cultural reasons, it was neither a consideration nor a real option.
And so, I went to college. After college, I started working a full-time job and did so for the next several years.
In that time, I worked many a late-night; was regularly stressed; and had pretty laughable boundaries. I needed a break from work and the 10–15 days…
Maybe Millennials Needed to Stay Grounded
In 2019, I took approximately 20 trips. I had moved to the Midwest for a job and didn’t have much of a community outside of work. Thus, I got on a plane for everything from baby showers and weddings to industry conferences and work trips to milestone birthdays and vacations. I knew it was excessive but I loved being in the sky. I was a proud member of the Delta Silver Medallion Club; sworn into the Black and Boujee TSA-Pre-Check Society; and acting President of the Always-Down-For-A-Trip Group Text Thread.
On the rare occasion I’d find myself grounded for more…
Bet those repetitive thoughts won’t shut up
There is something you’ve started to feel. It’s a persistent thought that tries to creep into your mind at the most inconvenient of times. Like right when you’re falling asleep, or during the 15-second countdown between shows on Netflix. You’ve tried to shrug it off; to rationalize your way out of it.
The thing that calls you has different faces that shine in different times and areas of your life.
Something you need to do.
Something you must stop doing.
Something you have on our hearts to say.
Something you need to work on.
Whatever you’re afraid of facing —…
Simone Keelah Brathwaite
A self-proclaimed freedom chaser who writes about self-development, spirituality, relationships, & black folx thangs. Sign up for updates www.SimoneKeelah.com.
