Slower, Wealthier, Happier

Good morning, beautiful.

It has taken me a long time to understand what beauty actually means to me, not what I was taught, not what culture programmed into me, but the kind of beauty that feels inherent and familiar, like it has always lived inside me. What I know now is that I would not have been able to see, receive, or even notice the beauty in my life today if I had not committed to slowing down. Choosing a slower, wealthier, happier way of living required me to move at a pace where my eyes could adjust, where my nervous system could soften, and where beauty could finally come into focus.

Beauty now feels deeply personal and intimate because I have committed to noticing it. I have committed to paying attention to what brings me joy and allowing myself to choose it without justification. Even this early morning, while everything is quiet and the world is still dark, I’m sitting in my office surrounded by evidence of that commitment. The Black women on my walls, the art that reflects my story, the sparkles of gold and magic, the simple marker case I found at the Dollar Tree that feels beautiful to me, the scents and perfumes resting nearby, and my core values displayed where I can see them. This didn’t happen by accident. I chose to curate a space that mirrors who I am becoming and honors who I already am.

Recently, a girlfriend came to visit, someone I hadn’t seen in a long time, and we sat in this space talking while our husbands caught up in another room. At one point, she paused and told me that this office felt like a completely different version of me than the woman she met years ago. She said it was beautiful, not just because it looked good, but because she could see parts of me she had never seen before expressed so clearly. In that moment, I realized I have also committed to letting myself be seen, to no longer shrinking or editing the fullness of who I am for comfort or familiarity. I am allowing my inner world to live outwardly now.

The commitment I am making is to live inside what feels true and beautiful to me, even as it evolves. Beauty will look different in different seasons, and I am choosing to honor that without guilt or apology. If nothing else, I hope this gives you pause to consider what beauty means to you right now and what it would look like to commit to it fully. Lean into what brings you joy with your whole heart, your whole mind, your whole soul, and your whole spirit. Let your life reflect what you love, and let that devotion be enough.

Love always,
Your most magical self