…excuse me…

Time is one of the most valuable things in this world because it is the one thing that you can never regain. Time is priceless and so I question:

Is our investment of time the reason we stay in situations that no longer serve us(love)?

Are you staying at that job just because you’ve been there for so long?

Are you still in that romantic relationship, because of how much(time) you invested?

Are you scared that you won’t find anything better?

Do you FEAR you won’t be treated better?

As mentioned in an earlier post F.E.A.R is False Evidence Appearing Real, don’t let F.E.A.R tell you that you don’t deserve more. Sis, you got to learn to leave the table when love is no longer being served.

As mothers, sisters, and friends we serve our communities heaping plates of love, but we have to be cautious to not deplete our reserves. Let me be clear, I do not think we should only give based on what we gain, but I do believe it is important to evaluate our circumstances. Where are you pouring and who is pouring into you? If and when we notice a lack of reciprocity, it important to reevaluate our circumstances. 2020 came in sweet and then hit us hard with an amazing opportunity to reflect on how and why we do the things we do. COVID19 has many of us taking a fine-tooth comb through our finances. Here is something to consider: the consumer spending power of the women in the United States of America is estimated at about $20 trillion, take a closer look https://girlpowermarketing.com/statistics-purchasing-power-women/

The consumer spending power of African Americans is estimated at $1 trillion.

That’s a lot.

As an African American woman, it seems like a whole lot.

As we sit reflecting, I ask you where are you spending your dollars?

Are you spending your dollar in companies and brands that align with your values and beliefs?

I began this post speaking about time, but switched to money, so let me see if I can make some through lines. As humans, we have an innate desire for routine, consistency, and ritual. We can easily get lost in spending our time and money in the same old spaces and places simply because of habit. As we face these challenging times I ask you to assess how you show your love for brands and companies. Do these places serve your community? Do these brands and companies align with your values and beliefs; and if not why keep loving something that doesn’t love you?

GET UP FROM THE TABLE.

If these companies and brands would treat your friends and family less than lovingly why would you give them your love/dollars?

There is a mall in my hometown that has 5 pm curfew. This curfew mandates that after 5 pm on Fridays and Saturdays children under the age of 18 must be accompanied by an adult 21 years of age or older. This curfew might make sense to some because children can be a lot of things, but it does not make sense to me for one simple reason… truancy. This same mall fails to consistently enforce truancy laws that would prevent unaccompanied school-age students from entering the mall during school hours. So let me state that in another way- I have personally seen unaccompanied school-aged children walk freely in this mall during school hours, and witnessed mall security harass children during evening hours. This seems to have an unspoken rule of which populations can roam the mall freely. This mall resides in an area where the only children visiting during the day are either skipping school or privileged enough attend one of the surrounding private schools that have tuitions ranging from $10,000-$30,000 per year. The surrounding private schools allow upper-classmen (high school juniors and seniors) to leave campus for lunch. In the ideal situation, a security officer is posted at mall entrances respectfully checking all children to making sure they have permission to enter the mall rather than assuming they do. In the ideal situation, during evening hours security officers respectfully remind all children they need to be accompanied by an adult. I have personally witnessed several less than ideal situations. They won’t get my money, which is a little easier said than done, because this mall has one of the only Apple Stores in the area and I’m a mac user. But, I would rather drive the distance than to hear the discomfort in my son’s voice as a security officer yells at him to move because he is not allowed to be in the mall unless he is standing by me. I must add that the officer yelled so loudly my son could barely hear me on the phone. I would rather drive the distance and spend my money elsewhere than to fear not running fast to ensure the safety of my son.

DON’T FEED THE ANIMALS!!!

Let’s be mindful and not feed the animals/monsters that devour or starve our communities. Let’s nourish the brands and companies that work towards equality by respectfully spending our dollars where our values, beliefs, and bodies are respected.

The switch is simple but not always easy, so be kind and patient with yourself. Start small and be consistent. I started with my hygiene products, and more specifically my soaps. In 2016, I decided to only buy handmade soaps from local minority-owned businesses. These soaps tend to be a little pricier, so I have to plan for them in my budget. As a small business, their production is slower than larger franchises which also takes planning but I found that buying several bars at once tends to be more beneficial to my time and pocket. At the end of the day, I invested my time and money into high-quality products that reinvest into the communities/populations that I hold dear to my heart. I feel, look, and smell good. In 2017, I then decided to become a member of minority-owned Harbor Bank of Maryland. Let’s make it a habit to love the things that love us. Let’s take a seat at a table that's serving up the same type of love that we serve.

Let me know who are you supporting and why? And remember to like and share this post.

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💛Mya

#love #women #african american # black #wealth #equality #bankblack #Covid19 #ninasimone