Marriage burnout is a thing. If you do not create a safe space to love yourself, you will not be able to properly love your spouse. Self love in relationships is necessary in order to be happy in love. There are certain expectations in marriage that require your dedication and commitment, even when you feel you don’t have it to give. Your spouse won’t stop having needs, though … [Read more...]
How to Keep Your Black Kids Self-Aware in a World that Reflects the Opposite
I live and work overseas most of the time, sometimes in places where the African (and specifically the African-American diaspora) is sparse. And this can pose a challenge when trying to raise the next generation of conscious black children. For example, we are currently living in a Latin American country where the “Afro” community is extremely small and confined to disparate … [Read more...]
Here’s Why It’s Okay to Take Time for Yourself
We are all busy people and this is a busy world. We are mothers, fathers, parents, sisters, brothers, cousins, grandchildren, professionals, friends, and so many other roles. We make time for the people and things that matter most to us and often at the expense of ourselves and our personal priorities. Now in an era where self-care is critical to your peace of mind, … [Read more...]
Being Mary Jane: Episode 402 Teaches You How to Get Naked and We Like It!
This week on Being Mary Jane, Mary Jane’s one-night stand turned sex partner, Lee, initiated a game with Mary Jane called: Let’s Get Naked- focused on emotional transparency. In an effort to get to know each other better, Lee moved their interactions out of the bedroom so that he can spend quality time talking to Mary Jane (with clothes on.) Initially, they shared general … [Read more...]
Being Mary Jane EP 401 Shows Women What NOT to Do if They Want Real Love
Being Mary Jane is back, and Mary Jane Paul is still the same broken, lonely and insecure woman she has always been. The show opens with Mary Jane pledging that she is no longer using her bed to audition men for a relationship. She is declaring a fresh start in every area, especially when it comes to matters of the heart. To achieve her goal, Mary Jane hired a high priced … [Read more...]
Do You Need a Dating Detox?
I know this post isn’t for everyone because a lot of women are enjoying the status quo. But for those who aren’t, let’s talk. Ladies, some of you are DOING TOO MUCH when it comes to your relationships. I understand that you don’t want to be alone. I understand you want to spend time with a man and not your girlfriends. I understand it’s been a while since you’ve been on a … [Read more...]
Stop Hunting for Mr. (or Mrs.) Right; Here’s How to Let Love Find You
Despite having to repeatedly scold myself about the price of wasted time, I senselessly devoted the last 74 minutes of my life, scrolling purposelessly through social media. Right at the height of reprimanding myself, I stumbled across an 11-word quote that resonated so deep in my heart that I convinced myself this quote was worthy of the hour and a half I just spent … [Read more...]
5 Lies You Tell Yourself That Can Unexpectedly Ruin Your Marriage
If we were all able to accept our realities, there is no question that we would live happier, healthier lives. No matter how painful the truth seems, people who are truly in tune with what’s going on in their lives have the best chance of living happy ones. Embrace your personal truths and your life will change for the better. When you are unable to be honest with yourself … [Read more...]
5 Empowering Lessons on Beauty I’m Teaching my Brown Girls
Growing up in a predominantly white neighborhood and often being one of the very few or only black kids in class, I did not consider myself to be anywhere near the standard of beauty. Oh, and if there were any other black kids, I was always the darkest. It took me a really long time (well into adulthood) to really love and embrace who I was, and to define my own standard of … [Read more...]
7 Ways to Take Your Love to the Next Level
By Shana Campbell Self-love seems like a topic that is often overlooked when it comes to overall relationships. What is self-love? My definition of self-love in a nutshell is making yourself a priority. At a glance it seems selfish, but it's not. When you learn to love yourself more, you become your best self. By loving yourself, you will feel re-energized and able to give … [Read more...]
3 Ways Self-Love Can Improve Your Love Life
This post is part of Loving in the Grown Zone Blog Tour which I am delighted to be a part of along with many other inspiring bloggers across the globe. To learn more and to join us as we change the conversation about healthy love, CLICK HERE! I receive a lot of emails each week from people who are sharing their relationship woes: My girlfriend is disrespectful, what … [Read more...]
6 Ways to Love Yourself, Now
This is part of a sponsored campaign with McDonald’s®. All opinions are my own. We recently made it through the season of love or February depending on what you call it. While the hot topic of conversation may have been how to express love to your loved ones, something, if not more important, is how do you express love to yourself? Are you pushing so hard with your main … [Read more...]
Why are We Desperate for Lighter Skin?
I don’t normally write about this topic because I feel there’s already been so much said about it that I don’t need to add to the noise, but after watching this video, I just had to say something. A friend of mine posted a clip of a Cameroonian recording artist named Irene Major being interviewed recently by two talk show hosts in London. The topic of the interview was Major’s … [Read more...]
30 Days of Gratitude Challenge Week 2: Spouse or Significant Other
Week 1: Self-Gratitude Week 2: Gratitude for my Spouse/Significant Other Week 3: Gratitude for my children Week 4: Gratitude for others Week 2: Daily Gratitude (Spouse/Significant Other) Day 8: Write your spouse a love letter. Include in your letter why you fell in love with them & the dreams you have for your future together. Day 9: Today is "yes" day. … [Read more...]
BMWK 30 Days of Gratitude Challenge: Week 1
It's so hard to believe that we are in the last two months of 2014! Before you know it, the hustle and bustle of the holidays will be upon us. It's the time of year that can be so beautiful and blessed for many, but also sad and lonely for others. We all know the saying that "someone always has it worse" than us. But how often do we keep that in mind? How often do we go about … [Read more...]