Briana, I Am

I'm glad I didn't give up on myself. On July 28, 2017 I took a leap of faith and wrote my first blog post, Vital For Survival. I was really inspired by the movie Girls Trip, the message I took from the movie and seeing numerous women bond and laugh together while watching such a groundbreaking film. While I was inspired, I was also terrified. I was so scared to share my thoughts with other people that I almost did not push the Publish link. I actually clicked “Publish” by mistake and had a 5 minute panic attack (typical me). I was so nervous as to what people would say about something that I created – my words, my thoughts, my opinions. The thought still gives me the worst anxiety when I think about it. It is a fear that I push through week after week because I needed a place where I could be myself, share my thoughts and in turn inspire others to share with me and others as we grow and try our absolute best to navigate through this thing called life and try to be better...

Work; the last place we want to be and yet the place where we spend majority of our time. Everyday we get up and go to our place of employment to earn a living that allows us to provide for ourselves - even if we don't enjoy it or, maybe we love our jobs but not to much the people/pay. Whatever your situation, bills don't pay themselves, so day in and day out we must push our feelings aside and put our best foot forward. The best way to do that is to have peace of mind going into work and keeping it steady throughout the day. Peace of mind is everything while at work. Sometimes, it's all you have. When your job gets stressful or you simply just get in a funk for whatever reason, it is so easy for negative feelings to take over and make you feel even more low - you start thinking about how much you don't want to be there, wish you were doing something else that you loved, and next thing you know you're snapping at your coworker who stopped and asked to use your sta...

Conflicts. Disagreements. Disputes. Call them what you want, difficult situations between individuals happen. Whether it be from miscommunication or lack of, passing judgement, unintentional actions that hurt someone or one feeling as if they are simply just not being heard, disagreements occur but they don't always have to be the end of connections and relationships between the people involved.  Conflicts arise for many reasons, but when resolved they can lead to breakthroughs, growth and even stronger bonds when two people are willing to hear one another out and come to a common ground. Getting to that point, however, is the challenge. It's easy to argue, go head to head and even hold a grudge against people we are in dispute with. It is not easy to open up, hear our opponent out and come to a compromise to satisfy both parties involved. I personally have found it easiest to do this when I approach the situation calmly and early on before it has time to fester. Let me explain...

Happy Self Care Sunday! I have so been looking forward to this day and the launch of this wonderful segment. After the response from Self Care: The Best Care   I felt it was important to make Self Care an ongoing topic here at Briana, I Am. It's so very important to practice self care not every once in a blue moon or once a month but every day! A lot of people don't think they can with their schedule or their funds but let me tell you - it is possible! With Self Care Sundays I want to remind everyone that self care does not have to be elaborate or costly - you can practice Self Care right from the comfort of you own home without spending a dime. Remember, Self Care is about doing what you need to do for yourself to help you feel better, be better and do better. What you need to achieve those three things can vary. Whatever it takes, it's important to make Self Care not just a habit but a priority. Check out how I practiced Self Care this week! Relax... This weekend...

  It’s that time of year again! The summer is coming to an end, September is almost half way done (whew) and fall is right around the corner. You know what that means…the end is near! No, not THAT end (I hope). I’m talking about the end of the year! 2017 is nearing to a close and for many this can be either a good or bad thing. A good thing because a new year means new opportunities and a chance to reset and start fresh, and a bad thing if you look at the previous months, look at your goals and realize that the year probably did not go as well as you originally hoped. No matter where you stand, we all have a chance to finish stronger than we started and end this year with a bang!  In basketball, the 4 th quarter can be the most intense. The tension is high, the players are tired, but their adrenaline and determination pushes them to give their all until the last second of the game. A lot can change in those final minutes! A team can go from a twenty point lead to...

Nine...Four...Eight...One...B-Day! Yes, it is that wonderful day of the year where BeyHive members from near and far will celebrate the musical powerhouse herself...Beyoncé! Throughout the years Bey has given us hit after hit, anthem after anthem and has made girl power on ongoing trend in her music. Since her breakout single Crazy in Love, we have seen have seen her grown as an artist and more importantly, as a woman. Curated by my good sis Jasmine (twitter: @j_chole), check out  The Evolution of Beyoncé below! 1.   Crazy in Love, Beyoncé ft. Jay-Z (2003)  Baby Bey came out swinging with this one! Making her debut as a solo artist, Beyoncé made her mark with Crazy in Love. She had no shame making her love known like most of us do at a young age, no matter how CRAZY we may look in doing so! This song established her as a solo artist and helped make Bey even more of a household name. Go Baby Bey! 2. Me, Myself and I, Beyoncé (2003) Every woman has...