Black History Month is For Celebrating Yourself, Too!

We’re right in the middle of Black History Month! And I’m loving it. I always learn something new about our contributions to this country and abroad. We are such astoundingly creative, resourceful and brilliant people. And for the near future, when I hear the term, “Black excellence,” chile…USHER will be top of mind.

He chewed. it. up. at the Super Bowl! No. Notes.

No disrespect…I guess, but Taylor and all of them can go somewhere because THAT was a performance, honey! As far as I’m concerned, Usher is now the blueprint. And I’m getting my concert tickets!

But in getting to my point…I love that we celebrate our achievements, our history and our culture during Black History Month, but what about celebrating ourselves? I think we can definitely use Black History Month to celebrate our own personal history and accomplishments.

We deserve to look back and marvel at all we’ve come through and what we’ve achieved – all the times we felt down or even broken and picked ourselves up and kept it moving and all the times we’ve been superb in any given situation.

• The horrible jobs where we’ve navigated microaggressions or straight up racism and all the workplace bullsh*t that had us bobbing and weaving like a prize fighter.

• The illnesses we’ve managed and survived.

• The heartbreak we’ve endured.

• The losses we’ve suffered.

• The risks we’ve taken that paid off.

• The better jobs and promotions we worked for and gone back to school for and gotten.

• The home we bought when we weren’t sure it could happen.

• The love we’ve continued to give to others even when we ourselves felt hurt, unloved and dismissed.

• The weight we’ve lost and kept off.

• The love way we’ve loved our bodies as they are.

• The forgiveness we’ve shown to ourselves and others.

• The forgiveness we’ve decided not to offer others (cuz that’s ok too).

• The boundaries we’ve developed.

• The relationships that compromised our happiness and peace that we finally ended.

• The time we sought therapy to heal.

• The growth we’ve achieved that was fought for against difficult circumstances.

• The decision to go on medication to treat your mental health.

Add to this list whatever else makes sense for you.

All the wins, big or small, we deserve to commemorate and celebrate them all.

So, I ask you to take a moment, a day or more, to reflect, and give yourself credit because credit is muthaf*cking DUE!

Because you did that sh*t. And you did it well. Even if it didn’t feel good, even if it temporarily broke you, even if you didn’t think you could, you showed up and showed out.

Let Black History Month also be the time where you take stock of yourself and say, “I did that.”