The Write Curl Diary

Monday, October 31, 2011 1:00 PM

Posted by GG Renee | Filed under Happiness, Simple Freedom

I recently was presented with an opportunity at work that I immediately shut down saying that I didn't want anything to do with it. The opportunity has to do with managing people and I've always associated that with tons of meetings, processes & policies, evaluations, projects, and bureaucracy. I have to say, it's taken awhile but I love what I do now, and the thought of giving up my client work in order to manage people didn't sound like the right move for me...initially.

As I thought about it more and talked to some friends and family, I began to see things differently. What if I didn't have to give up my clients? What if I could keep some of them and begin working on training and developing some junior people on our team? I loooove training and development, and I already involved myself in that as much as possible. I also love relationship management (which is what I currently do). So, why not marry the two? I'm not sure if my manager would be open to the idea or not, but I can certainly propose it, right?

The more I thought about it, the more attractive the idea seemed. I found myself wishing that I'd taken time to think about it before I said no. Where are my negotiation skills? Where is this open mind that I'm always talking about? *sigh* In my mind, it's never too late so I went and talked to the person and ended up having an awesome discussion and throwing lots of ideas around. So, we'll see what happens.

Lately, I've been thinking a lot about lifestyle and career and how I want to shape my life. I have the vision but don't necessarily know what all of the small puzzle pieces will need to look like to create that vision. And that's OK. This situation reminded me to keep my mind open and look for "myself" in all opportunities that are presented to me.

Remember,

*When approached with a new opportunity, always think and ask questions before you respond. Be creative with your thinking. Sleep on it, if possible. 

*Avoid people who complain and put a negative spin on everything. They can affect your attitude with you even realizing it and your negative perception could cause you to overlook opportunities.

Monday, October 24, 2011 10:00 AM

Posted by GG Renee | Filed under Musings and Reflections, Simple Freedom

   

I didn't expect to get pregnant right when I was on the cusp of twenty-something, professional woman fabulosity.  I certainly never expected to be a single mother.

I didn't expect to partner myself with such a beautiful disaster.  I never knew that marriage and family would become such a complicated issue for me.

I didn't expect to to acquire a lifetime of debt before I was 25.  I didn't understand the implications of what I was doing or how long it would take for me to recover from my "affluenza".

I didn't expect that some of the "closer than close" friends of then would be the "love you from a distance" friends of today.

I didn't expect to ever find myself at 28 sitting on a couch in my therapist's office crying my eyes out saying that I couldn't handle this life.  Completely and utterly disillusioned with the woman I thought I was supposed to be.

There are so many ways that life has thrown me for a loop.  And while I have my moments of regret and "what-if" just like everyone else, I wouldn't change a thing. 

This week's Simple Freedom is just a reminder to take life as it comes and accept everything that happens with faith, grace and courage. 

Have a thankful and thoughtful week!

Much Love,
GG

                  

Saturday, October 22, 2011 12:00 PM

Posted by GG Renee | Filed under Healthy Natural Hair

Roller Set  (not sure what i was doing with my mouth but my hair looks shiny :)

Shrinkage

Thursday, October 20, 2011 2:00 PM

Posted by GG Renee | Filed under Start. Stop. Continue.

   

Besties

My sister and I

Tuesday, October 18, 2011 6:07 PM

Posted by GG Renee | Filed under Captured

Monday, October 17, 2011 1:16 PM

Posted by GG Renee | Filed under Musings and Reflections, Simple Freedom

            
   

                    

Friday, October 14, 2011 11:54 AM

Posted by GG Renee | Filed under Love and Locks



source

This is how my wall looks at work.  I post positive affirmations, scriptures, quotes and excerpts everywhere.  If you're not in the habit of surrounding yourself with inspiration, you should change that.  Make your world a vision board. 

So, how was your week?  I got a scary text from my sister on Thursday saying she'd been in a car accident.  She was shaken up, but otherwise unscathed.  Reality is so unwelcome and disruptive sometimes, isn't it?  I'm so thankful that she's okay, but I have to admit that sometimes I feel so resentful about the fragility of life, you know?  I have such wonderful people in my life and I love big and yet I have no control over what happens.  I picture all of my loved ones with a bubble of protection around them constantly, because somehow I believe that I can keep them safe that way. 

I've been feeling really goofy and awkward lately.  A couple weeks ago, I had to give a presentation at a work offsite and I got up in front of everyone and completely forgot what I was going to say.  I willed the earth to open up and swallow me, and nothing happened so I just try to salvage what I could of my presentation.  At least I finished it, but I was really disappointed in myself.  Even more disappointed when I felt the knot forming in my throat!  I didn't cry in front of everyone, thank God!   I remember thinking about when Carrie fell flat on her face on the runway on that episode of Sex and the City.  She got back up and kept walking.  Yes, I really thought about that in the midst of the ordeal.

But there's more.  (And all of these things keep happening at work!)  I've walked into a few doors and walls. Oh, and then there was the time a couple days ago when I was eating and flung food across the table onto two people.  I've been saying random things that I wish I could take back as soon as they leave my mouth.  The absolute worst fiasco occurred when I actually got my period on the guest chair in my MALE colleague's office.  Yes, I stood up to leave only to look down and see a huge blood stain on the seat.  WTF?  What am I, 13? (Fortunately, with the help of a friend, I was able to get the chair out of his office and switch it with a clean one, undetected.)

I think I just need to relax and accept my occasional awkwardness. It really is just part of who I am. I like to think of myself as very sophisticated and put together, but inside I'm just a girl who's a bit sheltered and a bit uncertain.  I see things much differently than a lot of people, so I'm always studying - trying to figure out how other people perceive things.  As a result, I'm often distracted or on another wavelength.  I'm in my own little world and I come out to interact and play and learn.  I guess that's what we all do to some extent.

The only hair update I have is that I'm preparing a post on my current staples and fall regimen.  That's coming soon.  I recently provided a couple quick updates here and here.

So, for now I'll leave you with some hair and style inspiration and remind you to try to be carefree and do things your own way.  Even if your way is a little bit sideways and goofy.  The world needs that too.

Saturday, October 8, 2011 1:08 PM

Posted by GG Renee | Filed under Whimsy

Thursday, October 6, 2011 7:17 PM

Posted by GG Renee | Filed under Healthy Natural Hair

Monday, October 3, 2011 11:20 AM

Posted by GG Renee | Filed under In A Word

I love this picture because it pretty much captures how I feel most of the time.  I can't go around dancing and swinging my hair all over the place though, can I? Well, I suppose I could.  But I've found that it's best that I let all this out selectively.

How many of us can honestly admit how much time we spend pretending? We pretend so we can cope. We pretend so we can fit in. We pretend to avoid judgment. Sometimes, we pretend just for fun. And other times we pretend because we don’t know who we are.

How often do you let your “representative” speak for you and how often do you speak from your heart no matter what the implications are?

Just this morning, I pretended to be asleep because I didn’t want to cuddle. I could have just turned over and said “I don’t want to cuddle, I don’t want to be touched or messed with – please just leave me alone.” Even though it was true, it would have hurt his feelings and I would’ve felt bad. So, I pretended.

Just last week during a conversation with some colleagues, I pretended to know what it’s like to not be overwhelmed with bills and financial obligations. I didn’t think that particular audience really needed to know all my business, so I played along. 

Outside of this blog, I open myself up to people very selectively. Here, I feel like there is a layer of protection that gives me the courage to be so transparent. I don’t have to look you all in the face as you read my words.  

As much as I encourage people to live their truths, the reality is that many of us temper our truths a bit in order to get by. And while I acknowledge that I am guilty of it, it can be very detrimental if you start to lose touch with who you are. Yes, be discreet. Yes, be kind and considerate. But say what you need to say and don’t be afraid to express who you are or how you feel.

Where do you draw the line between pretending and adapting? 

Saturday, October 1, 2011 8:42 AM

Posted by GG Renee | Filed under Healthy Natural Hair, Love and Locks

Hello Lovies!  I had a very full week, and I'm totally exhausted.   How about you?

I don't think I have the mental capacity to do a very thought provoking post, but I wanted to reach out and touch y'all before we go into next week.

While it was still wet, I put it in two sections and added Fermodyl 619 for coarse/curly hair.  Then, I put some coconut oil in it and wore it in a bun for two days.   This really helped to stretch the front, side and back of my hair. 

After the second day of bunning (my hair was still kind of wet on the inside of the bun), I took my hair out to put twists in it to help it dry and stretch out.  Detangling was a non-issue; or in other words -- i'm still enjoying fresh, healthy ends from my TRIM!!  I used Shea Butter Curl Enhancing Smoothie to twist, I wet my ends with water and sealed with coconut oil, then I used Organix Shea Butter Serum to double seal.  I didn't apply the serum until the twists/braids were done.  I put a dime size in my hand and this was enough to smooth it over all of the them (only about 5 or 6 total).  In the morning, I put my hair right back into a bun.

I only needed to remoisturize once all week, and the night that I did, I went to bed with a plasic cap over my twists and a scarf over that.  This method really helps the heat from your scalp and the moisture in the plastic cap to work together to remoisturize your hair.  I didn't put any water in my hair, and I only added product to my ends.  My hair was crazy soft in the morning. 

Does this make sense?  Does it sound like a lot of work?   It wasn't at all!  Remoisturizing once a week is perfectly manageable for me.


By the end of the week, I was tired of the buns so I wore it down and it stayed moisturized all day.  It still swelled and shrunk throughout the day, but low and behold, I was able to come home and run a wide tooth comb through my hair without having to fight with any tangles or knots.

'Tis good.  I have a renewed excitement about my hair and I feel empowered again.  Still learning and adjusting as I go and doing what works well for my hair. 

Have you made any changes to your hair routine lately that have made a positive difference for you??  What adjustments do you plan to make for the fall?