Guest Contributor
Dene’t Radden
Hair Care Provider & Consultant
Healthy Hair Republic
203 Hull Street, Suite A
Richmond, Virginia 23224
Instagram: @HairByDenet
In order to achieve a healthy life, we must first vision it for ourselves. We must see the possibilities derived from our visions and dreams to find our true selves. To find our true selves, we have to release the expectations that others have of us, and learn how to embrace and love ourselves, flaws and all. We also have to learn how to nourish our spirits- one day, one step, one moment at a time. As women, we often give so much of ourselves to others that we love and serve, but we don’t spend that same energy on nurturing our own desires.
As a hair care provider, I often experience women searching for their higher selves through the expression of hair, but I consider myself blessed to have an opportunity to service more than their hair. I am also blessed to serve as a confidant, encourager, counselor, and a friend. The salon has served as a place of solace and comfort for African-American women for ages and today still stands as a place of release. I have been honored to pour words of encouragement into women so that they may see more than a beautiful hairstyle, but a beautiful being created to do amazing things beyond the limits they have adopted into their spirit. With women, I often find myself discussing the importance of incorporating healthy habits, nurturing their mental health, and living their lives with intention and purpose. As they learn how to look beyond some of their self-imposed limits, they obtain clarity about their purpose and realize that every challenge they have faced is bringing them one step closer to where they would ultimately like to be in this journey we call life.
Denet’s Book Recommendations
Wholeness: Winning in Life from the Inside Out (Author: Touré Roberts) https://www.amazon.com/Wholeness-Winning-Life-Inside-Out/dp/0310351944
Battlefield of the Mind: Winning the Battle in Your Mind (Author: Joyce Roberts)
Top 5 Coping Strategies
1. Think About What You Are Thinking About.
Our thoughts guide our actions. If your mindset is in a constant battle with itself, your life will also be a constant battle. Negative thoughts create a negative life. Change the way you talk to yourself. Encourage yourself, speak life into your spirit and throw the rest of it away. 2. Be A Listening Ear For Yourself And Others.
We may often find that when we serve others in the way we would like to be served, we are given a spirit of joy and gratitude that helps to release endorphins that ease anxiety and stress. 3. Be Intentional About Taking Time To Become More Self Aware.
Take time to sit with your thoughts, reflect on the choices you have made, and think about how your experiences have shaped your perception of the world around you. 4. Guard Yourself.
Surround yourself with people and things that bring you joy and serve your spirit. The people we surround ourselves with can have a strong influence on us. Being around negativity can cause you to inherit a negative spirit. In addition to guarding yourself from negative people, you may also have to guard yourself from certain environments, television shows, and music that encourage a negative mindset and lifestyle. 5. Release Fear Of Opening Up.
There is no shame in seeking help from a trusted advisor or counselor. Shame fools us to believe that we are suffering alone and holds us in a constant battle with our thoughts. Communicating to someone else about our problems, can help us find order within confusion and stress, and obtain another perspective on our experiences.
