Episode 6: Happy Birthday to ME!
A birthday reflection and more Dr. KB stuff.
What I’m Thinking About
How fitting is it that my 6th newsletter is on my birthday (six is my line number)? And no, I did not plan this, because I don’t really plan any of these posts that far in advance. I do have a running list of things to share, but that’s it!
A Birthday Reflection
Since 2020, I’ve worked to reduce the unnecessary stress in my life, as I realized the impact stress has on my body (i.e. skipped periods, vivid dreams brought on by anxiety, constipation, grey hairs, etc.). While I was able to adopt healthier habits to help ease the stress like yoga, meditation, peloton, therapy, journaling, etc., I knew I had to remove the root cause - doing too much.
Stepping away from INTech was the first and necessary step during this process. Wrapping up my Ph.D. would be the last step, and even that was a slippery slope because I realized what brought me to school was not going to be the same driving force for me to finish and get free.
Life hasn’t been what I thought it would be since I graduated in May; however, I now have all of my time back and that is the greatest gift. This is what I’ve dreamed of for YEARS. I have AVAILABILITY for myself and for others. I can spend a day alone listening to music, reading a good book while a candle is burning or I can spend a whole day with a friend - starting at the belt line for a walk followed by working and ending with time at the nail salon. There are no meetings for committees or boards. I only get on planes when I feel like it, not because I feel like I have to show up somewhere (and for those of you who knew me when I was THE Traveling Diva, when I get on a plane later this month, it would have been the first time in three months!).
My Google calendar is empty outside of my writing group, concerts, or meet-ups with friends (so I won’t forget). Having time and being available is a privilege that I don’t take for granted, and I’m grateful 32 brought me this great gift.
Cheers to more life 💫
If this newsletter/blog has blessed you in any way, or if you’ve found it helpful, wish me a happy birthday by sharing my publication with others!
What I’m Reading
This week I achieved my goal of reading 20 books for the year! I can’t pinpoint the year I started making this goal, but I have been pretty consistent with it since 2019. Y’all remember those personal pan pizzas from Pizza Hut back in the day? I found this tweet about it online last week and it was so nostalgic. There’s actually a photo of me in the Rocky Mount Telegram for the accelerated reader program - I nerd hard lol.
Anyway, when I lived in Charlotte, I started to gamify my reading goals like my own “accelerated reader” program. Every time I read 5 books, I would treat myself to Popbar ice cream. Once I moved to Philly, I stopped this tradition since Popbar isn’t in Philly, but the goal of reading 20 books never shifted.
I was able to get ahead of my goal this year with all of this extra time on my hands. Reading has always been a place for me to escape into someone else’s life, as well as, imagine a different life for myself. Reading is truly one of my favorite things to do!
Thicker than Water - Kerry Washington
I give this book 4.5/5 stars.
In case you missed it, Kerry Washington’s memoir dropped last Tuesday and I’m already done - it’s that good! If you’re a fan of Kerry, you know how private she is about her personal life. She shares a lot about her struggles with depression, eating disorders, being a people pleaser, and striving to be “perfect”. She also has a chapter about being Black famous where she details being recognized by a Black nurse, before she was an A-list star, while at an abortion clinic using a pseudonym. I knocked off .5 stars because she didn’t really talk about her marriage/kids, which I mean I guesssss…
The biggest “secret” she shares is how her parents used artificial insemination after years of not being able to conceive. While they were never going to tell her that her dad wasn’t her biological father, an invitation to be on Finding Your Roots with Skip Gates, where you have to take a DNA test, blew up everything. She talks about this in an interview with Robin Roberts which was pretty good.
I haven’t journaled about what this book has brought up for me yet; however, after seeing her in person and reading the book, there is an underlying message about forgiving your parents and giving them grace for raising you as best they could with the tools they had.
If you read it, please come back here or text me and let me know your thoughts!
What I’m Watching
Graduation is likely one of the highlights of my 32nd year on earth. So many of my family and framily (friends turned family) traveled to Philadelphia to celebrate little ol’ me. There was literally someone at the party and graduation from every decade of my life, from birth (parents/grandma) to K-12, to NC State, to Cali, to UNCC, to Charlotte, to Philly, and every place in between.
Enjoy the video recap of my beautiful graduation party, and feel special because I’ve yet to share this publicly.
Party planners: Luxury Event Collective | IG: @luxuryeventcollective
Videographer: Nick Wallace Photography | IG: @nickwallacephotography
Theme: The Victory Lap (word to Nipsey Hussle)
Dress: Fashionva Luxe
What I’m Vibin’ to
Boss Talk Podcast Takeover
Episode 033: Doing Less and Living More: Unlearning Hustle Culture
I was recently featured on a takeover episode of La’Vista Jones’ Boss Talk podcast, where I got to talk more about letting go with my sis Keiona Eady.
We recorded this episode last year just before I moved to Atlanta, and hearing it a year later makes me proud of how far I’ve truly come on this journey of doing less. It’s also ironic that I talked about a new job and not even a year later I was laid off from that job….talk about letting go lol.
I have a drafted blog post that I never shared on this very topic, so stay tuned for when I finally post it here!
In the meantime, check out the podcast and let me know what y’all think!
Listen here: BOSS Talk Episode Page | Spotify | Apple Podcasts
Bonus Track: Goodreads
I keep track of all of the books I read by using Goodreads, a social cataloging website that allows individuals to search its database of books, annotations, quotes, and reviews.
Each year I set up a Reading Challenge using the app, and every time I finish a book, it shows me the progress I am making towards my goal. I also use Goodreads for reviews or to keep track of book recommendations by adding books to my “Want to Read” list. I try to write reviews for each book so that years later, I’ll remember what I liked/disliked about a book while recommending it to someone.
I also like that you can see what your friends are reading, which adds to my never-ending Want to Read list, as well as, see how they rated a book that I may be interested in reading.
If you’re on Goodreads or plan to check it out, add me!
Download here: Apple Store | Google Play Store
Happy birthday KB! Keep killing it!
Happy Birthday Dr. KB!!!! Excited to listen to the podcast!