The weather is getting warmer; more skin is showing as suggested from the pictures above, and let me be the first to say that, "I'm going to wear what the fuck I want to wear this summer," and have no care what others think of it. In this article, I will express how I developed this mentality in hopes that you all will gain encouragement to do the same.
At one point in my life, I did care what others thought about my clothes and what others thought about my physical features just like everyone else probably did growing up in our society. With the addition of the environment, we are absorbed in; we have the use of social media also playing in the role on making people more comfortable to express their opinions on what other people are doing in their lives and what they were wearing even when their comments and opinions weren't needed nor asked for. Well, I'm cutting out the middleman aka "Negative Energy" and saying, "I'm going to wear, what the fuck I'm going to wear this summer." Over the years, I have started becoming more nonchalant on what others think of me especially if they are not taking part of helping to pay for my wants and needs in life. This started around the time I was entering my last year of community college and I decided that I no longer wanted to get perms in my hair and to go natural. When I first mentioned that I would no longer get a perm in my hair, I received mixed reviews. Most of the positive comments came from friends and people who were not blood-related while the negative comments and thoughts were. Receiving that news was very shocking and revealing to me. I actually assumed I would have received the opposite. I couldn't understand why my family thought it was a bad idea even when I had proven facts on why it was a great idea. Well, they weren't having it. They tried to find ways to get me back to the creamy crack. It did not work on their end. It was a complete fail and a total win on my part. In ways, I could have never imagined. Going natural has taught me to stand my ground on my beliefs and choices that are making me happy at the end of the day even if people I have high respect for don't feel the same. Going natural has also taught me that I have to really like myself before I try to convince others to do the same. Before going natural, I never really felt as though I was being brainwashed to believe that my natural hair could never compete with when my hair was straight, styled as loose curls, or having any hairstyles that could perfectly hide my naps until I had to learn about the hair growing out my scalp with no enhancers. After the first year of going natural and doing the big chop, I started learning who I was and was meant to be for the first time and started applying this mentality to all aspects of my life.
So to say, this summer if I want to wear a very revealing swimsuit, I will! If I want to wear a dress that is too long for my natural height, I will! And if I wear a bra that becomes see-through under my shirt, Oh well! At least I'm wearing one. You know why? It's because when I chose my outfits, I'm looking out for my own best interests, not anyone else's. And when it comes to my hair, I wear my hair in its natural shrinkage state most of the time, but if I want to switch up with a straighten wig or straighten it with a flatting comb and a roller set to get bouncy loose curls, I will do that too.
I know I have a "Bangin' Ass Body," and that's my opinion, which is more important one about myself than anybody else's has on my appearance because I'm the only one living and creating experiences in this body that I have naturally been given. I didn't start gaining this opinion of myself, until the day I came with the realization that, "If I'm happy with my life choices and decisions I have made than who cares if others don't agree with them." Everyone isn't going to find me attractive, but that doesn't mean there aren't others who will and do find me attractive. People may not feel comfortable with my level of confidence, but throughout black history and during my lifetime, I've been given the message that I don't deserve to be okay with the skin and physical features I was born with and with my new mentality, I'm changing all prospects and if you're not ok with that, then suit yourself because this is me. I sleep peacefully knowing that I was able to make decisions that make me completely happy and received no regrets at all from them. This message isn't just for me, but it's for yourself too. Are you happy with your looks? Do you enjoy the activities you participate in? Did anybody die or get physically harmed by a decision you made for yourself? If you said yes to my first two questions and no to my last question, then nothing should be stopping you from doing those things. And I will end on this note, "This summer, we will wear and do what the fuck we want to do this Summer with no regret at all."
