Affirm Yourself :-)

"I, Too" is one of my favorite poems by Mr. Langston Hughes. Something led me to look for it towards the end of Black History Month--I'm not sure what, exactly. But the final line feels so resolute and affirming.

Only my close friends knew that I was in the middle of writing a collection of 365 affirmations, especially for black people, this month. But I underestimated my ability to write that amount of original or inspired intentional, thoughtful affirmations! So, I did run out of steam, especially as the month came to an end and I began having difficulty with the publishing process with my distributor (and my goal of publishing during Black History Month seemed diminished!).

Interestingly, many of the affirmations I wrote struck a resolute and personal chord within me, as this poem did. I'm happy to share that literally affirming myself, and meditating on the affirmations that friends sent my way kept me going, helped me meet my deadline, and improved my mood. No matter what others say about you and no matter what storm is raging around you, use your own words to shape and influence your outcome, friends!