Grief, boy. If there’s anything that has the ability to manifest itself in some pretty unexpected ways for as long as it sees fit, it’s grief. An example of mine is the fact that, back when my late fiancé died in 1995, it was in a freak accident at a Shell gas station on Bell Rd. in Antioch, TN. The super-tripped-out part? My mom used to call me “Shell Belle” while growing up, and clearly, Shellie Bell would’ve been my married name (wild, right?).
Fast forward to this year, and I’m reminded of almost 30 years ago in a very surprising way because Damien was a music engineer at the time; one of his favorite producers was Quincy Jones, and so my mother got me an advanced copy of Q’s Jook Joint to put into Damien’s casket. Who would’ve known, all this time later, that Damien and Quincy would have in common the date of their passing? November 3. And yes, that has caused me to process grief, yet in another way entirely than I have in times past.
Since the initial profound level of grief hit me at such a young age (21), it has caused me to look at grief with a lot of nuance to it.
Grief is hard. Grief is deeply self-reflective. Grief is also miraculously transformative. As John Green, the author of The Fault in Our Stars, once wrote, “Grief does not change you…It reveals you.” Legendary writer C. S. Lewis once said this about grief: “No one ever told me that grief felt so like fear.” And, as one of my all-time favorite poets, Rumi puts it, “Don’t grieve. Anything you lose comes round in another form.” Yes, including grief.
One way that loss — not just of a person but…pretty much the loss of anything that you may hold dear — can “come around” is by creating a time, atmosphere, and opportunity for real change; it does this by encouraging you to do some very serious soul-searching. Not only that, but as a science-based article that I recently read on grief stated, although grief can initially feel like emotional chaos at first, it definitely has a way of evolving us, showing us how important relationships are (including the relationship that we have with ourselves) while teaching us how to become more adaptable to change as we learn to love better — and differently.
All of this is why I’m really big on something that I call “grieving your way” into new seasons. And since the new year is a time that is considered to be a new season for so many, I figured that now would be an excellent opportunity to further explain just what I mean by “grieving your way” and why grieving into the next 12 months, before they actually arrive, just might be the best thing that you could do for yourself — and what lies ahead.
The Five Traditional Stages of Grief
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Let’s begin with the fact that, just like we can thank Dr. Gary Chapman for his concept known as the five love languages back in 1992, back in 1969, it was a Swiss American psychiatrist by the name of Dr. Elisabeth Kübler-Ross who created what we now call the five stages of grief: denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. As I was reading a piece that shared excerpts of how Dr. Kübler-Ross explains each stage of the grieving process (which we will touch on in a sec), it reminded me that there is also something that is called the Kübler-Ross Change Curve. Basically, it’s some added phases of grief — and there are two that I think will be really beneficial for today’s exercise: testing (experimenting with new situations) and decision (the optimism that comes from trying something new).
Okay, so even though grief is oftentimes immediately associated with the death of someone only, articles that I’ve written for the platform, like “How To Heal From A Broken Friendship,” are again reminders that ANY TYPE OF LOSS that impacts your life will probably require some type of grieving. That’s the sad part. The amazing thing about allowing that reality to settle into your spirit is being willing to intentionally walk through grief can evolve you in ways that nothing else in life can.
So, let’s go through the five — well, seven — stages (with some different scenarios so that you can see how to grieve beyond death), with a bit of a twist, shall we?
1. Denial: “Life makes no sense.”
GiphySay that you just lost your job — and ugh, can there be a worse time of year for that to happen? And here’s the thing: although it might seem like it’s a common practice to fire or lay people off in December, January is reportedly the most popular month. Either way, the reason why companies do so at this time of the year is usually due to how their fiscal year falls. Anyway, when it’s you, do you even care about the reasons behind it?
All you know is you (almost always) didn’t see it coming, you’ve got bills that you had a hard time keeping up with before losing your gig, and now you have no clue what to do. The sheer shock of it all can put you into an utter state of denial because you truly can’t believe what is going on. Deeper than that, though, as Dr. Kübler-Ross breaks down what denial feels like, things just don’t make sense to you right now.
Before no longer being employed, sure there were challenges. Oh, but now, you don’t even know how you’re going to handle those. And when things don’t make sense, life can be paralyzing.
Denial stage: If there is something that you’ve recently lost that have you feeling exactly this way, you need to be able to call it out by name because, in order for things to become sensical (i.e., logically coherent) again in your mind, you’ve got to know what, specifically, has thrown you off to begin with. That said, what have you lost this year that may still not make sense to you?
2. Anger: “Anger is strength.”
GiphyWhen it comes to the emotion known as anger, I’ve always appreciated the Scripture that instructs, “Be angry, and do not sin. Meditate within your heart on your bed, and be still. Selah” (Psalm 4:4-NKJV) At the end of the day, there is nothing wrong with being angry; anger simply means that you are displeased with something or someone — and when you lose something or someone and the emotion that you feel is anger, the dissatisfaction that’s within you is what will cause you to want to make some changes in your life so that you’re not feeling anger…forever.
Yeah, interestingly enough, when anger is imbalanced and goes all the way to the extreme, a synonym for it is acrimony — and I’m sure more than a few of us have watched Tyler Perry’s movie Acrimony (my opinion about it…I digress) to get just how problematic that can be. And yet, did you peep the pull-out quote from Dr. Kübler-Ross that I went with on anger and then what the Bible verse says that you should do when you are angry? Say that you just found out that a friend betrayed you. Although you may want to act out on how displeased you are, THERE IS STRENGTH IN BEING STILL — and then processing for a moment.
Anger stage: If losing something — even if it’s simply realizing that someone isn’t who you thought that they were — has you super frustrated right now, rather than “doing something about it,” take a moment to figure out what you are so dissatisfied with. That way, you can put steps in place to have better discernment and healthier boundaries in the future.
Exhibiting the kind of self-control that responds instead of reacts is a true sign of real maturity, and oftentimes, you don’t realize you’ve gotten there until you go through the loss of something that has angered you so.
3. Bargaining: “We remain in the past, trying to negotiate our way out of the hurt.”
GiphyChile, is it bargaining — or is it begging? There is someone I know who is attached to such a toxic individual; one way I know that to be true is because she is constantly “bargaining” in order to try and make the relationship work (well, last, because it really isn’t working). Because she so wants things to be how they were, shoot, 20 years ago, she finds herself trying to make deals with the guy, with herself, and even with God (via the “If you make him do this, I will do that” prayers).
Honestly, it’s so difficult to watch her remain in the pattern of bargaining that I’ve had to mentally and emotionally remove myself a bit because she is literally hellbent on remaining stuck in the past even though philosopher Thomas Hobbes once so eloquently stated, “Hell is truth seen too late.” As I’ve been processing all of this, what I realize is probably what’s hardest to see is how much she is remaining loyal to the past, even though the past is gone.
It’s like she would literally rather remain loyal to “back then” with him, even though both of them are not the same people anymore — even though it is totally at the cost of what could be…with someone else…who would probably be so much better for her.
Bargaining stage: The fascinating thing about the bargaining stage of grief is it’s like you want to avoid the pain that’s associated with loss so much that you’re not even willing to consider that the pain won’t last always. Plus, it could be strengthening you for so much more that is in store. That said, if you are constantly making deals with someone or prayer deals with God, ask yourself if, like C. S. Lewis said, fear is motivating you — because if that is the case, yeah…that ain’t good.
Another Scripture? “There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love.” (I John 4:18 — NKJV) This Scripture is a reminder that when you’re in the bargaining phase when it comes to loss, all you’re really doing is…well, tormenting yourself. So, take a moment to ponder if, on some level, right now…are you? Are you trying so hard to avoid the pain of releasing the past that you’re only causing more harm to yourself in the process?
4. Depression: “Empty feelings present themselves…”
GiphyIf you’ve ever heard before that depression is simply “anger turned inward,” it is the famed neurologist Sigmund Freud who once said it, and yes, there can certainly be some truth to that. To me, though, I think depression (not clinical depression but the kind that is typically associated with grief) is more about…emotional exhaustion. Like Dr. Kübler-Ross says, you have been feeling so much about what you have lost that you don’t have much of anything left — including hope.
What’s potentially concerning about that, though, is it’s important to remember what one of my favorite definitions of hope actually is: “the feeling that what is wanted can be had or that events will turn out for the best.” Did you peep that hope doesn’t always mean that you can have what you want (including what you may have lost)? Oh, but if you hold on to hope anyway, what you can be sure of is, at some point, you will see how things really did turn out for the and your best.
Depression stage: The end of a relationship. The loss of a pet. The unexpected emptiness that comes from changing jobs, leaving a church, or moving to another city. If one of the top words that you would use to describe how you are feeling is depressed, and now you realize that more accurately, it’s because there is a sense of hopelessness, now is the time to remember that, again, just because something may not have gone as you wanted it to, that doesn’t mean that the universe does not have your best interest, in mind.
Now is the time to explore and express what has caused you to lose hope (the first definition) and what you can do to restore it (the second one).
5. Acceptance: "We must learn to reorganize roles, re-assign them to others or take them on ourselves."
GiphyAs a control freak in recovery, something that has made going through my own seasons of grief move a lot faster is learning to accept things — for starters, accepting that loss is a part of life, and absolutely no one escapes it. This means that when I do lose a person, place, thing, or even (sometimes an) idea, that doesn’t mean that the world is against me; it simply means that I am not exceptional when it comes to escaping grief — that I must humble myself and accept that very real fact.
And what does it mean to be at a place of acceptance? Acceptance is about flexibility. Acceptance is about patience. Acceptance is about…just what the quote up top says about acceptance: knowing that it’s time to reorganize some things because, when we lose something or someone, it is time to shift…and then be okay with the shifting that is required — and necessary.
Acceptance stage: If something has happened in your life that you just refuse to accept, ask yourself why that is the case. If you’re really and truly honest with yourself, a lot of it probably has to do with the fact that you’re still trying to control things that are well beyond your control — and gee, why put yourself through the drama and trauma of continuing to do that?
As philosopher Maxime Lagacé once said, “The first step towards change is acceptance. Once you accept yourself, you open the door to change. That’s all you have to do.” And you know what? Really, at the end of the day, all acceptance is saying is, “I recognize the loss and how it has altered my life. Now, I am ready to reorganize some things, create a new normal, and embrace who I am about to become as a result of what has transpired.”
Bonus Stages of the Grieving Process
Beginning Something New GIF by T-Pain - Find & Share on GIPHYGiphyOnce you have completed these exercises in the traditional five stages of grief, it’s time to tackle what I call “bonus stages” — it’s time to test out some new situations and make the decision to look at it all with a positive lens.
Testing: Experimenting with New Situations
Question: When was the last time you experimented with your life by doing something new? When it’s all said and done, experimenting is simply doing something in order to learn what you don’t already know. And y’all, after a loss, one thing that can be exciting about what’s next (after going through the acceptance stage) is you can give yourself permission to do things that are unfamiliar — things that will help you to learn about who you now are as the direct result of how the loss has transformed you.
Yes, once you’ve fully accepted that you are now a different person, it’s time to find some new/other people, places, things, and ideas that will complement who and what loss has caused you to become. And if you look at it from the right perspective, that can cause excitement to replace your feelings of despair (which, by definition, is a loss of hope).
Decision: The Optimism of Trying Out Something New
Choosing to be positive. Sometimes, grief will try and lie to you by saying that you don’t have a choice in how to feel or be. And although you should absolutely allow yourself to go through all of the stages of grief (so that you can process your loss fully), the mere fact that you have survived/are surviving the loss means that you are stronger than you are giving yourself credit for.
It also means that yes, you can CHOOSE TO BE POSITIVE about what the loss has taught you about you, along with what lies ahead as the “new” you. And so, as you are “testing things out,” choose what will make you feel great about what’s next. Don’t compromise that on any level.
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It is Queen Elizabeth who said around the time of the 9/11 terrorist attacks that, “Grief is the price that we pay for love.” When we care about something profoundly, and we lose it, grief comes. Hopefully, though, this article has shown you how to work through grief in a way where you won’t fear it; instead, decide to embrace grief because you know that it almost certainly brings about (internal) change and, if you choose well, ultimately…change for the better.
And y’all, that is why I think “grieving into new seasons” is an absolutely wonderful (and highly recommended) thing to do. When processed differently, grief can be its own gift. Amen.
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So, we handpicked one hundred It Girls who embody that palpable It Factor moving through us as young Black women, the kind of motion lighting up the world both IRL and across the internet.
It Girl 100 became xoNecole’s most successful program, with the hashtag organically reaching more than forty million impressions on Instagram in just twenty-four hours. Yes, it caught on like wildfire because we celebrated some of the most brilliant and influential GenZennial women of color setting trends and shaping culture. But more than that, it resonated because the women we celebrated felt seen.
Many were already known in their industries for keeping this generation fly and lit, but rarely received recognition or flowers. It Girl 100 became a safe space to be uplifted, and for us as Black women to bask in what felt like an era of our brilliance, beauty, and boundless influence on full display.
And then, almost overnight, it was as if the rug was pulled from under us as Black women, as the It Girls of the world.
Our much-needed, much-deserved season of ease and soft living quickly metamorphosed into a time of self-preservation and survival. Our motion and economic progression seemed strategically slowed, our light under siege.
The air feels heavier now. The headlines colder. Our Black girl magic is being picked apart and politicized for simply existing.
With that climate shift, as we prepare to launch our second annual It Girl 100 honoree list, our team has had to dig deep on the purpose and intention behind this year’s list. Knowing the spirit of It Girl 100 is about motion, sauce, strides, and progression, how do we celebrate amid uncertainty and collective grief when the juice feels like it is being squeezed out of us?
As we wrestled with that question, we were reminded that this tension isn’t new. Black women have always had to find joy in the midst of struggle, to create light even in the darkest corners. We have carried the weight of scrutiny for generations, expected to be strong, to serve, to smile through the sting. But this moment feels different. It feels deeply personal.
We are living at the intersection of liberation and backlash. We are learning to take off our capes, to say no when we are tired, to embrace softness without apology.
And somehow, the world has found new ways to punish us for it.
In lifestyle, women like Kayla Nicole and Ayesha Curry have been ridiculed for daring to choose themselves. Tracee Ellis Ross was labeled bitter for speaking her truth about love. Meghan Markle, still, cannot breathe without critique.
In politics, Kamala Harris, Letitia James, and Jasmine Crockett are dragged through the mud for standing tall in rooms not built for them.
In sports, Angel Reese, Coco Gauff, and Taylor Townsend have been reminded that even excellence will not shield you from racism or judgment.
In business, visionaries like Diarrha N’Diaye-Mbaye and Melissa Butler are fighting to keep their dreams alive in an economy that too often forgets us first.
Even our icons, Beyoncé, Serena, and SZA, have faced criticism simply for evolving beyond the boxes society tried to keep them in.
From everyday women to cultural phenoms, the pattern is the same. Our light is being tested.
And yet, somehow, through it all, we are still showing up as that girl, and that deserves to be celebrated.
Because while the world debates our worth, we keep raising our value. And that proof is all around us.
This year alone, Naomi Osaka returned from motherhood and mental health challenges to reach the semifinals of the US Open. A’ja Wilson claimed another MVP, reminding us that beauty and dominance can coexist. Brandy and Monica are snatching our edges on tour. Kahlana Barfield Brown sold out her new line in the face of a retailer that had been canceled. And Melissa Butler’s company, The Lip Bar, is projecting a forty percent surge in sales.
We are no longer defining strength by how much pain we can endure. We are defining it by the unbreakable light we continue to radiate.
We are the women walking our daily steps and also continuing to run solid businesses. We are growing in love, taking solo trips, laughing until it hurts, raising babies and ideas, drinking our green juice, and praying our peace back into existence.
We are rediscovering the joy of rest and realizing that softness is not weakness, it is strategy.
And through it all, we continue to lift one another. Emma Grede is creating seats at the table. Valeisha Butterfield has started a fund for jobless Black women. Arian Simone is leading in media with fearless conviction. We are pouring into each other in ways the world rarely sees but always feels.
So yes, we are in the midst of societal warfare. Yes, we are being tested. Yes, we are facing economic strain, political targeting, and public scrutiny. But even war cannot dim a light that is divinely ours.
And we are still shining.
And we are still softening.
And we are still creating.
And we are still It.
That is the quiet magic of Black womanhood, our ability to hold both truth and triumph in the same breath, to say yes, and to life’s contradictions.
It is no coincidence that this year, as SheaMoisture embraces the message “Yes, And,” they stand beside us as partners in celebrating this class of It Girls. Because that phrase, those two simple words, capture the very essence of this moment.
Yes, we are tired. And we are still rising.
Yes, we are questioned. And we are the answer.
Yes, we are bruised. And we are still beautiful.
This year’s It Girl 100 is more than a list. It is a love letter to every Black woman who dares to live out loud in a world that would rather she whisper. This year’s class is living proof of “Yes, And,” women who are finding ways to thrive and to heal, to build and to rest, to lead and to love, all at once.
It is proof that our joy is not naive, our success not accidental. It is the reminder that our light has never needed permission.
So without further ado, we celebrate the It Girl 100 Class of 2025–2026.
We celebrate the millions of us who keep doing it with grace, grit, and glory.
Because despite it all, we still shine.
Because we are still her.
Because we are still IT, girl.
Meet all 100 women shaping culture in the It Girl 100 Class of 2025. View the complete list of honorees here.
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Luckily, there are some things that you can do to either speed up the healing process of a cold or make having one more bearable than usual. Things that are affordable, all-natural, and easy to incorporate into your daily routine.
Are you ready to know how to nip a damn cold in the bud…before you even get one?
Here ya go.
1. Fire Cider
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Two drinks that I am gonna drink all the way down, each and every fall season, are hot chocolate and apple cider (that’s warmed up). So, when I read about something called “fire cider,” it absolutely caught my attention. If you’re not familiar with it, fire cider is a homemade drink that consists of things like apple cider vinegar, herbs and other ingredients that are specifically designed to boost your immune system.
I won’t lie to you — since some of the traditional recipes contain things like onion and garlic (sulfur has potent medicinal properties) and sometimes even hot peppers (which help to clear up congestion) — although fire cider might not be your favorite as far as your palate is concerned, the viruses (because there are reportedly somewhere around 200 of ‘em) that cause colds will lose a lot of their impact if you drink this; and that makes it worth a shot — well, swallow. Some fire cider recipes can be found here, here and here.
2. Probiotics
A few years ago, I wrote an article for the platform entitled, “80% Of Your Immunity Is In Your Gut. Take Care Of It Like This.” — and that alone should explain why and how a probiotic can help to prevent colds and make it easier to get over them. The reality is that a healthy gut is what helps to monitor how your immune system reacts and responds to harmful pathogens that may try and get into your system, including ones that cause the common cold.
And since probiotics feed your gut with “good bacteria,” this gives your gut the ability to be better (and quicker) at fighting off the bad. So yeah, take a probiotic — all of the time and definitely while you have a cold. It helps.
3. Peppermint (or Eucalyptus) Oil
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Although I rarely get sick (praise the Lord!), when I do catch a cold, I think what I hate the most is not being able to comfortably breathe. Well, something that is proven to help with that is peppermint essential oil. That’s because it contains properties that act as a natural decongestant as well as a fever reducer. Another essential oil that can hook you up in this department is eucalyptus oil. It’s bomb because it helps to soothe a nagging cough, it can clear up chest congestion and ultimately makes it easier to breathe.
So, before turning in at night, either mix a few drops of one (or both) of these oils with a carrier oil like grapeseed, avocado or jojoba, warm it up for 10 seconds in the microwave and apply it to the sides of your nose or on your best or back. Or put the oil in a diffuser. It can quickly ease cold-related symptoms while also making it so much easier for you to rest (which is something else your body needs to get over a cold; more on that in a sec).
4. Zinc Lozenges
Zinc is a mineral that helps to keep your immune system healthy and strong — and since a weakened immunity is directly connected to having more colds (2-4 a year is considered to be “normal,” by the way), it’s always a good idea to have some zinc in your body. As it relates to colds, specifically, aside from the fact that zinc can help you from catching one to begin with, there are also studies which say that sucking on zinc lozenges can help to shorten the timespan of a cold as well.
To be fair, some people have said that zinc lozenges make them feel nauseated; however, everything has its pros and cons and so, how would you know if you’re one of these folks unless you try it? Oh, and while we are on this topic, there are also zinc supplements and foods that are high in zinc (like red meat, lentils, hemp seeds, cashews and quinoa) if you want to try and get more zinc into your system that way (although lozenges are gonna be your best bet on the shortening tip; just sayin’).
5. Foods Rich in Vitamin C
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Speaking of foods that can fight a cold, out of all of what you’ve read here, probably what you are quite familiar with is the fact that vitamin C and colds are mortal enemies. In fact, one pretty significant study says that by taking one gram of vitamin C a day during a cold, you can reduce the severity of your symptoms by as much as 15 percent.
That’s because vitamin C is packed with antioxidants, it helps to reduce bodily inflammation and it helps to strengthen your immunity too. Foods that are full of vitamin C include chili and yellow peppers, kale, kiwi, papaya, broccoli, kale and citrus fruits.
6. Elderberry Tea
If you’re someone who likes to put preserves on your biscuits or toast, have you ever tried one that is made from elderberries (recipe here)? It’s actually pretty good — and good for you because elderberries are high in vitamin C, fiber and antioxidants. And that is why they are great whenever you are trying to hurry up and get over a cold because they also contain properties that are literally antiviral — and since a cold is a virus…well, there you have it.
One of the best ways to get elderberries into your system? Elderberry tea. If you add honey to it, honey can help to shorten symptoms like a stuffy nose, sore throat and cough by 1-2 days. Very cool.
7. REST
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Did you know that even one day of not getting the sleep that you need to weaken your immune system and increase bodily inflammation at the same time too? That’s because one of the benefits of a good night’s rest is it rejuvenates and recharges your system, so that your immunity can work at its optimal level.
Not only that but, according to science, if you already have a cold, getting plenty of rest can benefit you on a few different levels as well. First, your cytokines (proteins that boost your immunity) are released when you sleep.
Second, your body temperature elevates enough to kill some of the bacteria and viruses that are making you sick. Finally, sleep provides you with the energy that you need in order to get through the day while you are healing from your sickness. So, if you want to get through your cold ASAP, be intentional about getting as much rest as you possibly can.
BONUS: A Humidifier
When you get a chance, please check out “10 Really Good Reasons To Get Yourself A Humidifier This Fall”. There really are all kinds of solid reasons to invest in a humidifier around this time of the year — and one of them is to make getting through the cold (and flu) season so much easier for you. Since humidifiers bring moisture into the air, that can help to loosen up congestion, soothe an irritated throat, decrease coughing, help with the healing process of respiratory infections and it can help you to sleep better — so that you can get past your cold sooner.
So, if you don’t already have a humidifier, cop one ASAP. Your future colds will absolutely hate that you did. LOL. For a list of some highly recommended humidifiers that are currently on the market, click here.
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