Final Friday's Fab Finds for June 2020

While wrapping up the first half of 2020, can you believe all that has occurred? We're in the throes of the COVID-19 global pandemic, protests are ongoing as we call for justice and equality in the Black Lives Matter movement, articles of impeachment were approved, Australian bushfires ran rampant, Kobe Bryant died, the Iowa caucus broke down in chaos, Harvey Weinstein was found guilty in a case that helped fuel the #MeToo movement, the nation is struggling with how to safely educate the next generation amidst a novel coronavirus, there are regular developments in the current election cycle, and over 40 million Americans have filed for unemployment. 

When disruption strikes, small businesses feel the impact faster and harder than anyone else with the effects lasting much longer afterward. With that in mind, I’m continuing my “Final Friday’s Fab Finds” series with options that emphasize both the need to support small businesses via shopping local as well as a desire to amplify Black voices. Hopefully, you'll find these sources of hope, inspiration and greater productivity in cultivating the life you want to live. 

Although American Son started as a play on Broadway, it was made into a Netflix film starring Kerry Washington, Steven Pasquale, Jeremy Jordan and Eugene Lee that is phenomenal. The story plays out in real time over 90 minutes. As time passes, tension mounts in a Florida police station as an estranged, interracial couple awaits news regarding their missing, teenage son, and the dialogue is amazingly moving. You feel like you're there with the couple, sitting on the edge of your seat. 

As so many of us have experienced big shifts in life amidst the current global pandemic, there are lots of people adopting new routines, realigning priorities and really focusing on who we want to be as well as what lives we truly want to cultivate. The world is not the same as a few months ago, we may go through a few different iterations before we get to a “new normal”, and there is so much in this evolution that impacts our abilities to be productive. In the spirit of evolving, I began digging into the book Becoming by Michelle Obama, and I’m absolutely loving her approach to answering “What’s your journey of becoming?” I’ve been enjoying her reading of the book on Audible, and there’s so much inspiration in the life she’s leading, filled with meaning and accomplishment.

In my efforts to be more active in being anti-racist, I have been working to amplify the voices of those Black experts in our communities, and I stumbled across Berrion Berry, who is a PMS and Period Educator based out of Florida. Y’all, I feel like I’ve found such a kindred spirit! Berri is an Enneagram 8w7 who self describes as someone who will challenge but inspire you; plus, she has 3 brothers and lost her father to lung cancer. So many similarities, and I am learning tons from this amazing rock star. Berri expertly explains how a woman’s menstrual cycle is set-up to help optimize her abilities for ideation, creation, execution and evaluation, helping me utilize my menstrual cycle as a tool for boosting productivity. Brilliant!

Finally, succulents and house plants are having a moment right now, and I’m well aware of the value plants bring to one’s home based off the stories from my dear friend Kelly, who has over 200 plants at her house. I was overjoyed to learn about Megan George, owner of The ZEN Succulent, who is just as bright and joyful as her welcoming garden center. I have absolutely no green thumb, but I wanted to support local by adding a living thing into my space so I ordered two pothos plants from The ZEN Succulent. These appear to be exceptionally resilient, even with my low maintenance requirement, and I really like the Marble Queen Pothos that I purchased. Stay tuned for how long I can keep this plant alive.

I’d love to know what you’re currently using, loving and finding can bring you a little comfort amidst the hectivity of life. Add a comment here or email me, and maybe I’ll give your suggestion a try for an upcoming “Final Friday’s Fab Finds” post. Take care, y’all!

To Where Do We Go Now?

Something fantastic happened in Raleigh this weekend as this message was painted by volunteers in front of CAM Raleigh on Martin St.

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It is everyone’s responsibility to make sure our young, black or brown girls and boys live long, full lives. I don’t tolerate hate or racism.

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I cannot imagine not having a diverse inner circle of friends, a diverse base of clients, diverse committees with whom I volunteer and a diverse neighborhood in which I live.

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Decisions made by diverse groups are higher quality, wiser and more apt to have a more positive impact than those made by like-minded groups. When interacting, “I see your color, honor you and value your input” is the goal, not “I see no color.” Y’all, I firmly believe we are better together, and, together, everyone achieves more; those are not just cliche phrases but, instead, are actual mantras.

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In today’s world, if you’re not angry, you’re not paying attention, and we must take peaceful steps toward living together as equals. It’s never too early to start having these conversations with the next generation as well as our peers. As I heard recently, “Until all of us are somebody, nobody is anything”.

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As my friend Jim Scott shared recently, those who are disparaging the character of George Floyd are completely missing the point of the recent #BlackLivesMatter protests; these aren’t about how George Floyd lived, but, instead, they’re about the far too many black and brown individuals who have died way too early in life.

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We all must do better. As a white woman, I will be educating myself, listening carefully, proceeding with empathy and always taking action. Know that we are better together.