"We can go shorter." I said to her.
"Okay." She replied.
The she I'm referring to is my absolutely wonderful new stylist, Candace! Little did she know she had become a part of a major turning point in my life. For YEARS I've had long hair. For years I've wanted to cut it. However, the first time I cut it I learned about the idol hair had become in some communities. I mean I was almost stoned! Other times I went to stylists that flat out refused to cut it because it was "so long". While I can laugh about it now, then it began a process in my head that constructed the thought that my hair was what made me beautiful. The longer it was, the more beautiful I was. I've been told that cutting your hair is equivalent to any of the bigger sins of the world. (No I'm not kidding, someone really referred to the bible! LOL) I mean people foam at the mouth, comment even when you didn't ask their opinion, and scream about how if they had your hair what they would do with it.
Sadly a little over a year ago I realized I was wearing this hair on my head and it was damaged. I was willing to hold on to brittle, breaking, unhealthy length to maintain this irrational standard of what beauty should be. For years I wore this long hair on my head, and what no one seemed to realize is that it was tightening around my neck like a noose. I allowed the words, thoughts, and perceptions of others to tie me up. I at one point, longing for a change, decided to wear my hair in its natural curl and was assaulted with insults and disapproving looks. So Saturday, when I sat down in that chair, I went in with the sole purpose of physically cutting something off that spiritually had me weighed down. So I cut it. I didn't make a big spectacle of the occasion. I went in quietly, asked Candace to, inadvertently, cut the noose from my neck.
"We'll start with a longer cut." she said.
"Ok", I replied.
**SNIP** The first cut was....invigorating. Freeing. I never knew how much I was holding onto.
**SNIP**
Each cut restored a piece of me. Who knew taking a bit off the top of my head would restore so much on the inside. With every cut I was able to rid myself of the ridiculous perception that who I am and my beauty is wrapped in the aesthetics of my hair (and with that other physical features). While my physical attributes come together to function as a home that my beautiful soul resides, they are not all I amount to. I'm learning my strength, the joy within, and the place I have in the purpose of this world. I'm embracing every growth spurt, change, and challenge. I've gone years without proper growth, years without expressing myself for fear of disappointing people around me (based on their perceptions of me), and walking on eggs shells. Saturday I began to walk out who God purely intended for me to be. Not what other perceive me to be or expect me to be. I'm so thankful to have this fresh outlook and a renewed mind to walk into all that lies in my future! So to you I say, you are whatever God has placed in you to be. If you know that you are not walking that out TODAY, you can shake off the perceptions and expectations of others and move forward. Do not apologize, ask another person their opinion, or walk into your future fearing what will come! Today, make a conscious effort to take a little of that bad, dead, unhealthy stuff off the top so that you are able to move unshackled and free into YOUR future.
Love and Blessings to All!
"Okay." She replied.
The she I'm referring to is my absolutely wonderful new stylist, Candace! Little did she know she had become a part of a major turning point in my life. For YEARS I've had long hair. For years I've wanted to cut it. However, the first time I cut it I learned about the idol hair had become in some communities. I mean I was almost stoned! Other times I went to stylists that flat out refused to cut it because it was "so long". While I can laugh about it now, then it began a process in my head that constructed the thought that my hair was what made me beautiful. The longer it was, the more beautiful I was. I've been told that cutting your hair is equivalent to any of the bigger sins of the world. (No I'm not kidding, someone really referred to the bible! LOL) I mean people foam at the mouth, comment even when you didn't ask their opinion, and scream about how if they had your hair what they would do with it.
Sadly a little over a year ago I realized I was wearing this hair on my head and it was damaged. I was willing to hold on to brittle, breaking, unhealthy length to maintain this irrational standard of what beauty should be. For years I wore this long hair on my head, and what no one seemed to realize is that it was tightening around my neck like a noose. I allowed the words, thoughts, and perceptions of others to tie me up. I at one point, longing for a change, decided to wear my hair in its natural curl and was assaulted with insults and disapproving looks. So Saturday, when I sat down in that chair, I went in with the sole purpose of physically cutting something off that spiritually had me weighed down. So I cut it. I didn't make a big spectacle of the occasion. I went in quietly, asked Candace to, inadvertently, cut the noose from my neck.
"We'll start with a longer cut." she said.
"Ok", I replied.
**SNIP** The first cut was....invigorating. Freeing. I never knew how much I was holding onto.
**SNIP**
Each cut restored a piece of me. Who knew taking a bit off the top of my head would restore so much on the inside. With every cut I was able to rid myself of the ridiculous perception that who I am and my beauty is wrapped in the aesthetics of my hair (and with that other physical features). While my physical attributes come together to function as a home that my beautiful soul resides, they are not all I amount to. I'm learning my strength, the joy within, and the place I have in the purpose of this world. I'm embracing every growth spurt, change, and challenge. I've gone years without proper growth, years without expressing myself for fear of disappointing people around me (based on their perceptions of me), and walking on eggs shells. Saturday I began to walk out who God purely intended for me to be. Not what other perceive me to be or expect me to be. I'm so thankful to have this fresh outlook and a renewed mind to walk into all that lies in my future! So to you I say, you are whatever God has placed in you to be. If you know that you are not walking that out TODAY, you can shake off the perceptions and expectations of others and move forward. Do not apologize, ask another person their opinion, or walk into your future fearing what will come! Today, make a conscious effort to take a little of that bad, dead, unhealthy stuff off the top so that you are able to move unshackled and free into YOUR future.
Love and Blessings to All!
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