We just wanted to take this time to do a check-in with everyone. Recently the state of the world feels like it's ending and it's not but we need to talk about it!
How white supremacy can apparently colonize your throat chakra?!
White Supremacy in a sentence: 1 : the belief that the white race is inherently superior to other races and that white people should have control over people of other races
Growing up in the United States it was hard loving myself being a dark skin girl in predominately white spaces. It took me years to find myself and realize how deep white supremacy ran within the systems around me and even as far as my throat chakra.
White Supremacy holds EVERYONE back, including non-people of color.
Its about time we start calling it out when we see it. Rewire our ways of thinking and get rid of it. Trust me your inner teen will thank you. I know mine does
Tough conversations are at the top of my mind these days. The state of this country we're living in has made hard topics unavoidable, but we don't know how to talk about them, especially with people that have opinions that are different from ours. I know people whose solution is to just machete chop anyone who doesn't agree with them out of their life but that is just creating more division in our already extremely divided world. SO a big part of my work is now going to be focused on getting us to understand each other better and that starts with learning how to talk about this stuff.
Michaele Antoine is a good friend of mine who has dedicated her business, Curios, to the art of helping humans communicate with one another. I'm super excited to share this episode and I hope you'll get something out of it and share it with a friend.
Wisdom Nuggets:
Contact Michaele: www.curiosbynature.com
IG: curiosbynature
Women's rights, religion, racism, LGBTQ+ inclusion...there's a long list of topics that we have avoided throughout history. It's not "polite" to discuss these things in mixed company. It's barely polite to talk about them behind closed doors with your family. But by not talking about them, we've simply ignored them, and doing so is a privilege, and one that so many marginalized people aren't entitled to.
Ashley and I (Laura) purposely choose to talk about hard things on our platform because we want to be a voice for the voiceless, and we want to encourage you to have those tough discussions. Now, we know that's easier said than done. After all, we've stuck to "polite" conversation for so long that none of us really know HOW to approach these controversial subjects. But we're here to give you our 25 cents (y'all know it wasn't going to be just 2!) and we hope that you will join us is bringing light to the things that have been ignored. We believe wholeheartedly that when enough people come together, change really does happen.
For more information on how you can get involved, check out our new Activism page:
www.bellavaliente.com/Activism
Happy Pride! Here are some things I have learned while sharing my truth within myself and those around me. Growing up I use to hear kids in middle and high school say the phrase "Dont be Gay!" all the time. If it was ever said to me I would quickly laugh and say "I'm not!" but Im here to tell ya'll I lied. I am. And my inner teen is ecstatic about it.
Father's Day is coming up this week! Now, we know Mother's Day gets more attention, and every mom wants her flowers, but we want to recognize the importance of recognizing and appreciating dads.
Now, we know that not every person has the privilege of having a dad in their lives. For so many reasons, a lot of kids are growing up without a father figure, and there are way too many women raising the children they made with someone else, on their own. It isn't fair. But to us, that's all the more reason to recognize and celebrate the men who are present and fulfilling their role. In recent years, there has been some controversy around Father's Day, with single mothers giving themselves social media shoutouts, saying "Happy Father's Day to me!"
The question that led us to this discussion, and one we want to ask all of you, is this: Should single mothers be able to celebrate Father's Day and claim it as another day for themselves? Or should dads everywhere get to have their special day, just like moms?
Let us know what you think. Share this episode with a dad you know, and special shoutout to the men in our lives that are showing up and showing OUT for our kids!
Sometimes, we don't decide to take a deep inner look at why we do the things we do, why we act the way we act and why we hold on to some things that we think are truths but, in reality, are just opinions. As I share my process in healing and moving forward after years of being taught to think and present myself in a specific, "respectable" way, I hope this will invite you to take the time and ask yourself some of the same questions. At the end of the day, we all just want to live authentically, intentionally, and as the truest versions of ourselves.
Hot Girl Summer is right around the corner (although, if you live in Texas like us, it feels like it's already here. Sheesh!)
So many women dread this time of year because it's time to head to the pool/beach and they feel like their body isn't "beach ready." Hear us when we tell you, the way to make YOUR body a beachbody is to put your body on the beach. Dassit.
Wear what you want to wear. Put on that two-piece. Wear that bodycon dress. Girl, wear the crop top! If it makes you feel beautiful, that's all that matters.
Let us hype you up because Hot Girl Summer is a vibe, not a set of rules we need to follow.
Picture this - you want to have a successful career. You have it all planned out, complete with the dates by which you should reach certain milestones. It's perfect! And then you meet someone--THE one--and that person has already started their career. Now you're getting married, planning to start a family, and that career plan of yours is just sitting in the back of your mind, forcing you to ask yourself, "Well, what now?" Is it even possible to have a successful career AND a happy, healthy family life?
Felicia Anzaldua is the publisher and Editor-in-Chief of the Colorado Wedding Magazine. She also happens to be a good friend of mine and she joins me in this episode to talk about how she handled this particular crossroads moment in her life.
We live in a world of extremes. We either don't want to work at all, and just want to exist to do the things that make us happy (Antiwork), OR we are used to working around the clock chasing our dreams (Hustle Culture). What we really need is a middle ground, but how do we make it happen?
We live in a world of extremes. We either don't want to work at all, and just want to exist to do the things that make us happy (Antiwork), OR we are used to working around the clock chasing our dreams (Hustle Culture). What we really need is a middle ground, but how do we make it happen?
OOH! Child. Purity culture had me by my throat all the way into my late 20's. If my teen-self wasn't consistently trying to make sure I wasnt making anyone else "stubble" because of my clothes and actions. I was worried about being that crumpled-up rose that would never be perfect and pure if one has "seggs" before marriage. My adult-self and teen-self have had to have so many conversations to help me get to where I am today on the page of purity, seggs and God.
btw seggs = sex
It's almost Mother's Day! In honor of that, Ashley and Laura talk about how motherhood impacted their lives and, as graduates of the baby phase, offer up advice to first time mommies.
It's almost Mother's Day! In honor of that, Ashley and Laura talk about how motherhood impacted their lives and, as graduates of the baby phase, offer up advice to first time mommies.
What is a Mega Church? How do they function and why do they always seem to end up on the news in the worst possible light? Inspired by the Amazon Prime documentary, Hillsong: A Mega Church Exposed, Ashley and Laura share their thoughts on the culture of these types of organizations. They want to know - have you ever been to a mega church? And if you have, what was your experience?
What is a Mega Church? How do they function and why do they always seem to end up on the news in the worst possible light? Inspired by the Amazon Prime documentary, Hillsong: A Mega Church Exposed, Ashley and Laura share their thoughts on the culture of these types of organizations. They want to know - have you ever been to a mega church? And if you have, what was your experience?
As we get older, we get to know ourselves more and we evolve, but what happens when that evolution catches us off guard? In this episode, I interview my friend, business partner and sister, Ashley, as she shares the story of coming out to herself and her hetero spouse. It's not the story you'd expect--she didn't wake up one morning, decide she was Queer, and then proceeded to blow up her life--but it's definitely a story of authenticity and of following that inkling that tells you to show up as your whole self.
There's something about that moment right when you take a shot of tequila. I don't know about you, but everything slows down for me and that's because I'm concentrating on my breathing. I heard something about inhaling before taking a shot makes it go down smoother...if only dealing with divorce was that easy! That shit burned all the way down and I still tense up from time to time when I talk about it. But hey, we're here to get honest and heal so let's get into it!
We all know about "the slap heard 'round the world," but has anybody bothered to ask about the woman at the center of it all? It's clear how her husband felt about the joke made at her expense, and what everyone and their mama thinks about the behavior of the two men, but we are wondering how Jada was feeling. Listen in as we ponder out loud why black women are the punch line of so many jokes and our own personal experience with people "othering" our hairstyles.
You ever been in a crossroads moment in your life, when you have to make a choice that will change the course of everything, at least for the foreseeable future? THAT is a What Now moment, and those are the moments that we're here to explore. In this first episode of the What Now segment I (Laura) am sharing the story of my first-ever What Now moment and how I handled it. I'm also inviting y'all into my journey as an author, collecting and sharing stories from other people and how they handled their own What Now moments. My goal is to, one day, publish a book that can act as a guide for others when they come to crossroads moments in their lives.
