Personal Development Favorite Creators- BHM Edition
Photo by Oladimeji Odunsi on Unsplash
Several creators have influenced my mindset and helped me shape my beliefs about empowerment, individuality, and creating and maintaining a sense of mental peace in my daily life. Today, in light of Black History Month, I will share a few of my favorite black authors, podcasters, and YouTubers who have enlightened me and continue inspiring me with their works. Please check them out if any related topics interest you!
Set Boundaries, Find Peace: A Guide to Reclaiming Yourself by Nedra Webb
This book is an excellent tool for learning and demonstrating healthy boundaries in your life, whether with friends, families, relationships, or the workplace. The author of this book is a licensed counselor, and she provides different scenarios and examples that help to illustrate how to use boundaries for our benefit. There are so many quotes that I have highlighted, almost on every other page, but here are a few ones:
• “Fear is not rooted in fact. Fear is rooted in negative thoughts and the storylines in our heads.”
• “People can’t meet a standard we never express.”
• “There is no such thing as guilt-free boundaries. Guilt is a part of the process. “
• “The ability to say no to yourself is a gift. You'll practice healthy self-boundaries if you can resist your urges, change your habits, and say yes to only what you deem truly meaningful.”
Feeding the Soul (Because it’s My Business): Finding Our Way to Joy, Love, and Freedom by Tabitha Brown
I love Tabitha Brown’s personality! Whether via a peace-loving clip on social media or reading her book, you will benefit from her positive energy. She shares vegan recipes and gives impressive one-liners that summarize her point and make you think. Her background story is inspiring because she shares her health and career setbacks and how she overcame them. Basking in her wisdom helped me see the light within, and reading this book will help you, too! Here are some of my highlighted quotes from her book:
• “Set your goals but be flexible enough to shift if the route to your destination changes.”
• “Filling your cup means you’ll have more than enough to pour out to those you love.”
• “Your mind is a powerful thing, honey.”
• “Life gives you specific learning opportunities if you pay attention.”
• “Some of the biggest moves you’re ever going to make are the ones that scare you while you’re making them.”
Baggage Reclaim Blog by Natalie Lue
https://www.baggagereclaim.co.uk/
I don’t believe I would have handled my relationships in college the same way if I hadn’t come across this blog when googling the why behind the person I was dating behaviors. I know I’m not the only one who used to Google; why isn’t this person calling me? Why does this person say they don’t want a relationship but still do relationship-oriented things? The list could go on and on…
The way she breaks down different concepts about dating, self-esteem, emotional unavailability, and how that plays out in relationships has been eye-opening. Identifying where you may need to work on your behaviors and when the person you are dating is not a healthy fit for you helps you remove yourself from victim mode to I GOT THIS mode. I know how to ensure this is a beneficial experience, and I can handle removing myself if it becomes “shady.” How empowering is that?
Also, she has a podcast on Apple where she delves deeper into her concepts, and I love listening to her voice since she is from the UK and has a unique accent. Unfortunately, as of this month, her podcast has ended, but there are plenty of episodes to listen to about boundaries in friendships and relationships and with employers!
She has a new book out called The Joy of Saying No: A Simple Plan to Stop People Pleasing, Reclaim Boundaries, and Say Yes to the Life You Want, which I have ordered from bookshop.org. I’m excited to read it and write a review for you all in the future!
Cassandra Mack
https://www.cassandramackministries.com/
Cassandra Mack is DA TRUTH! I love how she breaks down concepts, relates them to real life, and keeps it honest with how she communicates. You don’t have to be a Christian to listen to her content! She is an author, personal development coach, and YouTuber, and she has a Facebook group with shared community events like walks and workshops. Her channel’s content is broad, from relationships to friendships and workplace scenarios! Taking the time to fill out her workbooks has been instrumental in my personal growth and development. I have referenced them several times throughout my blog posts because they can help anyone regardless of religious beliefs.
Using journal prompts and hearing the breakdown of why people do things and what you can do in your scope to handle negative people and circumstances helps you take back control of your life’s steering wheel! My favorite workbook that I love to reference is The Soul Fast Workbook: A 40-Day Fast To Eliminate Toxic Thoughts & Emotions That Eat Away At Your Happiness & Undermine Your Success. Highly recommend it as a starter to clearing out negative thoughts and experiences from your mind!
Tony Gaskins
Listening to this man’s viewpoint on relationships and hearing what areas he has made mistakes in and now has shown growth in his personal life has made him one of my favorite go-to people to watch on YouTube. I found him during those Google-mentioned earlier searches back in college and have tuned in to his videos ever since. I see him as different than other relationship coaches because he pushes for accountability in both sexes to ensure a healthy relationship.
Sometimes, hearing what he says has stung me because how I lived didn’t match my relationship ideals. The first step in personal growth is to acknowledge where you are, what you are currently doing, and what you want to see a change in. I recommend him to anyone dissatisfied with their current dating life and who wants to take ownership of their dating process.
If relationship advice isn’t your thing, he is also a great motivational speaker and life coach and talks about entrepreneurship. In addition, he offers life coaching services and personal branding workshops on his website, which is linked above.
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