In today's day and age, social media has increased the number of millennials who are becoming widely recognized.
Instagram has 800 million active users that include poets, activists, entrepreneurs, entertainers, spiritual leaders, and social media personalities, providing content ranging from beautiful lifestyle photos that are aesthetically pleasing to the eye to parody videos and makeup tutorials. The accounts that I personally find myself most drawn to are people who have the qualities of tenacity, humanitarianism, reclamation of self, inner light, and authenticity that I aspire to.
The four rising gems included below are reflections of the vulnerability and inner light and reminders of the success that can follow when you live your purpose.
Latasha
@callmelatasha
Her Instagram:
@callmelatasha, 9K followers
Her Purpose:
Entertainer
How She Found Her Calling:
"I actually became a hip-hop artist by accident! As a young spoken word artist and poet, I found myself at a New York City Cypher that went viral! A few unexpected viral mixtapes later, and I was given opportunities to open up for artists like Kanye West, Ghostface Killah, Q-tip, and Nipsey Hussle.
The beginning of my personal journey began with getting through body image and bullying issues surrounding what society says a WOC rapper should look like.
After dealing with depression and thoughts of suicide in 2012, I embraced self-acceptance and committed myself to fulfilling my dreams. Coming from a family of immigrants that had to grind 9 to 5, I had to transform my mindset to surviving by doing what I Iove. Through expressing gratitude to the universe, positive affirmations, and hard work, I'm still working toward living my dream."
What Matters To Her:
"Resonance. It is what keeps my heart feeling full and proud every day."
Her Advice For Finding Your Purpose:
"Journal. Write out all that is in your head. Clear your energy at the start of your day with affirmations of gratitude. Be present even through the tough days. Trust the process... It's so hard, but it's worth it!"
Nnenna Stella
@nnennastella
Her Instagram:
@nnennastella, 16.3K followers
Her Purpose:
How She Found Her Calling:
"I am the founder of, The Wrap Life, a head wrap wear company that features authentic African print wraps that inspire women to be creative through self-expression and self-love. Coming from a place of struggle, where my family had no heat or hot water at times, I never had any intentions of becoming an entrepreneur until I realized my desire to express myself through creativity. I had never worked for myself before and becoming a business owner was a totally new concept. I had to push myself to deliver my absolute best.
As an entrepreneur, I recognized the need to not place mental barriers on my strengths and capabilities.
Through the process of becoming an entrepreneur, I learned the importance of asking for help."
What Matters To Her:
"As far as my personal journey, walking in my truth by aligning my personal values with my brand has become a part of my business structure; realizing that feeling good about what I put out has to match my company's value has awarded me the opportunity to evolve as a human being in service to others. It has also kept me grateful, humble, and sound in mind."
Her Advice For Finding Your Purpose:
"Start with what you have. Be honest with yourself. Silence is golden! Don't get into the habit of talking yourself out of things, and work your ass off!"
Kamil Oshundara
@k6mil
Her Instagram:
@k6mil, 34.9K followers
Her Purpose:
Spiritual Leader
How She Found Her Calling:
"Today, I'm an IYA 'Priestess' of Shango, initiated in the Youruba IFA tradition, but from a young age, I became interested in world religion. I was raised as a Baptist in Georgia and made a conscious decision to get baptized at the age of 8. By the age of 10, I renounced Christ as my savior and wanted to find other modalities of spirituality. I struggled with Christian beliefs, and I felt it denied the power in questioning. As I developed my own understanding of the world around me, I embraced an indigenous spirit, which felt closer to my truth.
I had to work through the stigma of being an African-American queer woman who sought reclamation of African religion, surrounded by people who felt the practice of indigenous traditions were negative, evil, or not belonging to me.
Through my own personal spiritual transformation, I teach ritual and sacred study to people looking to gain a deeper connection to their indigenous roots."
What Matters To Her:
"Abundance and success career-wise should be seen as reciprocity... It's saying I believe you are worthy, and you do that in exchanging energy."
Her Advice For Finding Your Purpose:
"Don't just rest on your DNA test, follow your spirit. Look for tribes or spaces of groups that reflect who you look like. Start with the mirror, start with yourself... Get grounded in yourself and dedicate yourself to transformation."
Aja Monet
@ajamonet
Her Instagram:
@ajamonet, 18.8K followers
Her Purpose:
Spoken Word Poet/Activist
How She Found Her Calling:
"As a child, I knew that I had a purpose. Early on, I recognized my desire to become someone great in this world. I found motivation in wanting my family to be happy and live better lives. I really found an outlet through school, where I gravitated toward writing and English. I was fascinated by how stories were told and found solace in learning to question and challenge the world around me.
I found power in using my voice.
In high school, I found mentorship and political education in a program called Urban World NYC. Through this program, I was given an opportunity to travel and broaden my scope of the world in the midst of 9/11. With the energy of young voices all around me, I learned that I could change the world through the power of poetry, in the same way that Langston Hughes affected people. I found my purpose."
What Matters To Her:
"The most important form of abundance that I receive is in the Arabic term, 'Shukran,' which translates to 'thank you,' and the idea that giving things when you feel most grateful takes humility to be grateful for the smaller things."
Her Advice For Finding Your Purpose:
"Spend time in nature. Nature is powerful. If we can learn the humility in that, that could help us love each other more and stay true to yourself."
Have you found your purpose? Name it, claim it, and share it with us in the comments down below!
- 3 Unexpected Ways to Find Your Life Purpose | HuffPost ›
- 7 Strange Questions That Help You Find Your Life Purpose | Mark ... ›
- Five Steps to Finding Your Life Purpose | Psychology Today ›
- Talks to help you find your purpose | TED Talks ›
- How to Find Your Purpose in Life | Greater Good Magazine ›
- Life Purpose: 10 Tips to Learn How to Find Your Passion | Jack ... ›
- You Don't Find Your Purpose — You Build It ›
- How to know your life purpose in 5 minutes | Adam Leipzig ... ›
- Six Ways To Discover Your Life Purpose ›
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Anyway, I personally think that the less shallow folks out here may contemplate calling things “quits” or they at least distance themselves a bit from their partner (and what I’m referring to is serious relationships) due to all of the stress and strain that oftentimes comes with the holidays whether it be financial, familial, due to their tight schedules or something else.
Listen, I would hate for you and your man to miss the fun and happiness of experiencing this time of year, all because you are so overwhelmed or irritated that you can’t really enjoy it. That’s why I have a few practical tips for how to avoid allowing the typical holiday season stress from INFECTING your relationship.
Manage Your Expectations
GiphyUnmanaged expectations. If there is a main reason why the holiday season tends to be so stress-filled for so many people, I’d bet good money that this is the cause. And when you’re in a long-term relationship, expectations can manifest themselves in all sorts of cryptic and/or unexpected ways. You might have relatives who assume that you are going to be with them for Thanksgiving or Christmas when you have other plans in mind. You might be thinking that you are going to spend one amount for presents while your man is thinking something totally different. When it comes to scheduling, your signals may be crossed.
And you know what? To all of these scenarios, this is where clear and consistent communication come in. Don’t assume anything. Don’t dictate anything either. From now until New Year’s, mutually decide to check in once a week, just to make sure that you are both on the same page as it relates to the holidays and what you both are thinking will come along with it. The less blindsided you both feel, the less stressed out you will be. Trust me on this.
Set (and Keep) a Budget
GiphyOkay, so I read that last year, 36 percent of Americans incurred some type of holiday-related debt. Hmph. Last year, there was still some sense of normalcy in this country, chile, so I can only imagine what finances are gonna look like over the next several weeks. That said, since I don’t know a lot of people who don’t find being broke stressful, make sure that you and your bae set a budget and then stick to it this year — no ifs, ands or buts.
Because really, y’all — it doesn’t make sense to deplete savings and/or max out credit cards for a few days of giggles only to be damn near losing your mind because you don’t know how to make ends meet come Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.
And by the way, this tip doesn’t just speak to things like food and gifts; I also mean travel. If it doesn’t make a ton of sense (or cents) to be all over the place this year — DON’T BE.
Keep Matthew 5:37 at the Forefront
GiphyIf off the top of your head, you don’t know what Matthew 5:37 says, no worries, here ya go: “But let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No.’ For whatever is more than these is from the evil one.” That verse right there? Oh, it’s a boundaries lifesaver! I say that because do you see “maybe” or “I’ll think about it” in there? Nope. LOL. It says that you should tell people “yes” or “no” and leave it at that — and that complements Anne Lamott’s quote, “’No’ is a complete sentence” impeccably well. Yeah, you’ve got to remember that anything beyond a yes or no to a request is privileged information; you don’t owe anyone details or an explanation.
Besides, if you are really honest with yourself, when someone asks you something and you give a “Umm, let me think about it” kind of reply, more times than not, you already know what your answer is going to be — so why not let you both off of the hook? Give your response. Commit to that. And let everyone (including yourself) get on with their lives and schedules.
I promise you that when it comes to those holiday parties, you are pissing more folks off by not RSVP’ing or doing so and not showing up than just saying, “Thank you but not this year” off the rip.
Remember That Your Personal Space Is Privilege Not a Right
GiphyA friend of mine recently bought a new house and invited me over to come see it. He’s a single man with no children, so as I was taking in all of the space that he had, especially as I walked through his finished basement, I joked about relatives coming to live with him. “Hell no” and “absolutely not” were pretty much his immediate responses as he went on to say that some folks even had the nerve to be offended when he told them that he had no intentions on taking DNA in.
Ain’t it wild how people think that your stuff is their right? And yes, that brings me to my next point. Your home is your sanctuary space. If you want to host folks this year — cool. If not, ALSO COOL. Please don’t let folks (family included) guilt you into how they want you to act or even into what they would do if the shoe was on the other foot. You are not them — and as one of my favorite quotes states, “If two people were exactly alike, one of them would be unnecessary.” (A man by the name Larry Dixon said that.)
Hell, my friends? They know that I am good for sending them random things that they need or even want all throughout the year. Coming over to hang out at my pace, though. Uh-uh. Chalk it up to being a card-carrying member of the ambivert club yet I like keeping my living space personal — and I sleep like a baby, each and every night, for feeling that way.
Always remember that your space, your time, your resources, your energy and shoot, yourself period (including your relationship), are all things that are your own. You get to choose how, when and why you want to share them. The holiday season is certainly no exception.
Cultivate Some “You Two Only” Traditions
GiphyIt’s not uncommon for some couples to hit me up after the holiday season to “detox.” Sometimes it’s due to the financial drama (and sometimes trauma) that they experienced. Sometimes it’s because they allowed their relatives (especially in-laws) to get more into their personal business than they should’ve. More than anything, though, it tends to be because they didn’t get enough quality time together and so ended up feeling “disconnected.”
Please don’t let that happen. Listen, I’m not even a holidays kind of woman and yet, I will absolutely sit myself down with some hot chocolate and chocolate chip cookies to enjoy a Hallmark holiday film or two. Aside from the fact that most of them are lighthearted and sweet, I also like that they usually focus on couples loving on each other amidst all of the holiday beauty and ambiance — which is something that all couples should set aside some time to do.
Maybe it’s a vacation. Maybe it’s a staycation. Or maybe it’s my personal favorite, A SEXCATION. Whether it’s for a few days, the weekend or even overnight — don’t you let the holidays go by without setting aside time for you and your man to celebrate one another. Don’t you dare (check out “Are You Ready To Have Some Very Merry 'Christmas Sex'?”).
GET. SOME. REST.
GiphyI once read that 8 out of 10 people get stressed out over the holidays and 3 out of 10 lose sleep during to it — and when you’re stress-filled and sleep-deprived, that can absolutely lead to hypersensitivity, making mountains out of molehills and even not being in the mood for sex.
Your relationship can’t afford to go through any of this, so definitely make sure to prioritize rest. I don’t care how unrealistic it might seem during this time, sleep should never be seen as a luxury; it will always and forever be a great necessity.
That said, try to get no less than six hours of shut-eye in (check out “6 Fascinating Ways Sex And Sleep Definitely Go Hand In Hand”) and even ask your bae to take a nap with you sometimes (check out “Wanna Have Some Next-Level Sex? Take A Nap, Sis.”). Not only will sleep help to restore your mind, body and spirit but, when it’s with your partner, it’s an act of intimacy that can make you both feel super connected, even in the midst of what might feel like chaos.
___
Holiday season stress is real. Still, never give it the permission or power to throw your relationship off. Put you and your man first and let the holidays be what they are gonna be, chile.
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Using the same material from the interior of the Volvo EX90, Hudson crafted a wool-blend car coat and waistbelt that combine the vehicle’s Scandinavian design with his signature tailoring and intention. The exclusive collection launched on October 20, and each piece is made-to-order by Sergio Hudson Collections.
Courtesy
In October, I traveled to Charleston with a group of journalists to get a firsthand look at Hudson and Volvo’s location. During a fitting, Hudson said his goal is to make “great work that can stand the test of time.”
“People can look back on and say, ‘I remember when Sergio did that collaboration with Volvo,’” he continued. “Thinking about aligning yourself with classic brands that speak to where you want to go. And I think that's what this collaboration kind of means to me and my business.”
Hudson pinpoints his mom as the biggest influence for his designs. This collaboration was no different.
“This particular coat reminded me of the swing coats that my mom used to wear in the early 90s. You know, diva girls in the early 90s had Sandra suits,” he said, referring to Jackée Harry’s character in 227. “My mom wore those and she would have these matching swing coats to go over them. And that's where the initial idea came. This would be around the same time that we had our Volvo. So she would put on her suit, her swing coat, get in that red Volvo, and go to church.”
Courtesy
With this capsule and beyond, Hudson wants to see more staples rotating in and out of closets this fall. He advises fashionistas to build her closet out with essentials to mix and match that aren’t just stylish but also sustainable.
“It's just those special pieces,” he said. “You can wear the same shirt and pants every day and nobody will notice. But if you have a special boot, a special coat, a special bill, a special bag, that kind of speaks to everything that your style stands about, that is something you should focus on.”
These are the same kind of staple pieces that return to our Pinterest boards and TikTok feeds season after season. Fast fashion has never been Hudson’s aim. “I'm trying to create a special pieces that can stand the test of time,” he said in his warm, Southern accent. “I'm only creating those kind of pieces from here on out.”
Courtesy
For Hudson, this collaboration is revolutionary. It’s his first time working with a car company and experimenting outside of his wheelhouse in this way.
“This is a Scandinavian brand, and, you know, it's 70 years old. I'm an African-American boy from South Carolina that has had a brand for 10 years. So I think bridging those two worlds and seeing the similarities was the beauty of this project,” he explained.
Though Hudson and his partner and CEO of Sergio Hudson Collections Inga Beckham have made massive strides in just 10 years, Hudson said the industry is far from where he wants to see it when it comes to Black representation. He pointed to how few Black designers were at this year’s Met Gala despite the theme being Black dandyism.
“The fact that I dressed 18 people speaks to how many of us weren't there,” he said. He implored more of industries, fashion and beyond, to collaborate with Black designers often.
“Allow mentorship. Allow funding. Allow great design to shine through,” he implored. “When it comes to being a designer of African descent, when you can't get the funding that your counterparts have, you can't compete. When you get opportunities like doing a collaboration with Volvo, or you get opportunities to be at the Met Gala, that's putting us on the equal playing field, but really the funding behind it is what we need to take it to that desk level.”
Featured image courtesy