Step 213: Do not comment on things people are, comment on things they do

adulting:

The simplest example of this is not telling a tall person that they’re tall.

So much of our lives are shaped by weird rolls of the genetic dice, or fate, or God, or however you choose to interpret that particular mystery. Whether someone is short or tall or originally from Canada or gay or Asian or born to rich parents or redheaded or whatever — that’s not something they chose or cultivated in themselves, and it’s not something they work for.

What makes someone good and valuable is not these traits. It’s the choices they make and the things they do. I’d always rather someone tell me I’m a good writer than that my red hair is pretty, because one of those things is something I work my ass off at, and another is some protein encoding. Both are sweet things to say; one means a lot more to me.

It’s not that you can’t be proud of/pleased by these intrinsic things, but don’t forget that the things you (and others) deserve credit for are the things you have control over.

Andrea Levy is one of my fav authors of all time. So excited to finally read her newest novel #19 (Taken with Instagram at Oakland Main Library)

Very cute!

(Source: blkgirlsrock)

(Source: sweatlikeagirl, via somefatchick)

Curvy Girl Guide: Office Essentials {Spring Edition}

girlwithcurves:

1. An Ivory & Navy Bow Tunic is perfect over skinny pants or crop trousers, Dorothy Perkins

2. A Polkadot Peplum Top has just the right amount of classy and trendy, Dorothy Perkins

3. A Print Wrap Dress flatters any figure, while being conservative enough for the office, Old Navy

4. Peep Toe Kitten Heels are a smart alternative to higher heel pumps, Nine West

5. Peep Toe Pumps in a nude tone are an absoute must, no matter how high (or low) the heel, Nine West

6. A Blush Bow Collared Top is perfectly pretty over a pencil skirt or classic slacks, Dorothy Perkins

7. Polkadot Wide Leg Trousers are trendy, yet demure and office-appropriate, Evans

8. A Print Pussybow Blouse can be tucked into straight-leg trousers or a conservative skirt, Dorothy Perkins

My fairy godauntie done lost weight and some of her mind with this see thru number. I still love her tho. #ChakaKhan (Taken with instagram)

D’Angelo lookin’ scrumptious dinamug…YESSIR. (Taken with instagram)

thesmithian:

Africa, with a population expected to roughly double by mid-century, has become recognized as the world’s fastest growing continent. But the less-told story is of Africa’s economic rise. In the last decade Africa’s overall growth rates have quietly approached those of Asia, and according to projections by the IMF, on average Africa will have the world’s fastest growing economy of any continent over the next five years. Seven of the world’s 10 fastest-growing economies are African. The continent is famously resource rich, which has surely helped, but some recent studies suggest that the biggest drivers are far less customary for Africa, and far more encouraging for its future: wholesale and retail commerce, transportation, telecommunications, and manufacturing…

bold, ours. much more, here.

Is it weird to have a favorite historical figure? Oh well. He’s mine. Happy birthday, Malcolm X. 5/19/25 - 2/21/65 (Taken with instagram)

Read #18. 30 pgs in and Im already in love with this story. I can never get enough of New Orleans (Taken with instagram)

For #BookTini’s Coed Cocktails discussion in June (Taken with Instagram at Oakland Main Library)

Read #17 got me procrastinating on my final project #booktini #bookclub #ErnessaTCarter #books (Taken with instagram)

For My Mama Who Let Me Shine

Ain’t nobody on the planet that can touch you…