This accurately sums up my weekend. How was yours? This accurately sums up my weekend. How was yours?
It’s been a challenge to find joy this week. But It’s been a challenge to find joy this week. But Black Joy has been my mission. Most of the people in my life have been overwhelmed and exhausted by constant grief, fear, and disrespect. Many of us have been reminded of the times we were pulled over by cops for driving while Black or the times we’ve feared for our parents, siblings, children, cousins, and other friends and family members. Sometimes it feels like we are all stuck in this cycle, doomed to witness and experience Black suffering and trauma forever. I have to constantly remind myself that times haven’t changed but we ARE changing things. We have to. And until those changes really take place permanently, I’m choosing Black Joy whenever I can. Because Black Joy is resistance. 

Here’s where I was able to find joy this week:

🤍 Interviewing @majorcreates + @tiffanydbrown_, two dynamic and talented  Black women for @heartandhustlepodcast.

🤍 Long chats with @studio404design about everything under the sun. 

🤍 The Falcon and the Winter Soldier and how unapologetically Black it is. 

🤍 Texting Marvel memes back and forth with @mmalikaj who is FINALLY obsessed with Marvel. My hard work has paid off! 👏🏽

🤍 Trying to recreate @eatatbento at home since we live in DC now. 

🤍 Reading The Gilded Ones. 

🤍 Knowing that @bohemianseoul is moving east! 

If you are Black, where did you find joy this week? If you aren’t Black, we’re you able to bring joy to a person who is Black this week or amplify a voice celebrating Black joy?
We receive hate, lies, injustice, and death. But We receive hate, lies, injustice, and death. 

But we deserve joy.

So many of us are reaching new levels of exhaustion because of the continued attacks on our community by those who are being paid to protect us. There are some days where our situation feels impossible. On those days, please take the time out to do one small thing that brings you joy. As Black people, we have to experience and carry so much trauma while living in this country. But we deserve joy. We deserve joy.
I’ve been spending every free moment chasing gor I’ve been spending every free moment chasing gorgeous blooms. I know they don’t last long so I’m trying to enjoy them as much as a can while they are here. It’s a great reminder to live in the moment and enjoy your life right now.
Lately I’ve been meditating, manifesting, and do Lately I’ve been meditating, manifesting, and doing a little bit of yoga before I even get out of bed. Yes, you heard that right, I do bed yoga. Doing these simple things before I leave the comfort of my bed have really been helping me feel like I can take on anything during the day. Do you do anything special in the morning that makes you feel more equipped to handle the day?
I’m so happy that the weather is consistently co I’m so happy that the weather is consistently cooperating and we can get out to explore more! I’m usually a homebody but being stuck inside this past winter has really made me appreciate every good weather day so much more than I ever have before. The best thing about being in a new city is that everything is new to me so even staying close to home feels like an adventure.
Drinking my way through Orlando with all the best Drinking my way through Orlando with all the best teas!🧋
Home is whenever I’m with you. 🤍🍵 @qreatec Home is whenever I’m with you. 🤍🍵 @qreatecoffee
Happy first day of spring! Most of the blooms aren Happy first day of spring! Most of the blooms aren’t out yet in the DC area but that didn’t stop us from spending every moment we could outside today. I am SO happy that winter is officially over and I can’t wait to twirl around under cherry blossoms in a few weeks.
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Travel · March 4, 2014

Finding the Strength to Overcome Shyness

I’m going to let you in on a little secret that a lot of people don’t know about me. I am shy. Not just occasionally shy but painfully shy. It started in elementary school when I realized that I was the only mixed girl in school with hair that reached Don King heights and it continued as I learned how much kinder books can be than your peers.

The problem with this shyness though, is that it really doesn’t serve me when I want to share my story to help others. Whether it is through words or photos, I feel honored to share parts of my life with others and I have met some of the most amazing people by doing this. Putting myself and my story out there however, doesn’t make me any less shy.

nycfeb201417Being shy in my line of work is still something that I struggle with often. Opportunities to meet and network with people who I can learn from, be inspired by, or even inspire are normally met with excitement followed by immediate nervousness. I often will try to talk myself out of going to an event three minutes after I first hear about it. It’s not because I don’t want to have a chance to meet incredibly amazing people but it’s because the thought of being in a room with tons of people I don’t know makes my hands shake and my stomach hurt. My body and mind immediately reject the idea of meeting tons of people at once even though there is a part of me that wants to that is just lacking the confidence to do so.

nycfeb201415Not everyone needs to worry about putting himself or herself out there. Many jobs in the world do not require a large amount of networking and there is definitely nothing wrong with that. My career however requires a lot of networking and even more importantly than that, I want to share my story and my life experiences in hopes that they will help someone else.

nycfeb201421The struggle with shyness is a daily thing but I have found a successful way to overcome it. I’m sure the best way varies from person to person but for me, it is as simple as traveling to a place that makes me feel confident. For me, that place is normally New York City. I spend a lot of time there for both work and play and I never return home from the city without a new sense of confidence. In New York City, I am a teeny tiny tadpole in a vast, enormous ocean yet the possibilities of what could happen while I am there seem endless. So many people talk to me about everything under the sun that it is impossible to stay shy for long. It is not uncommon to meet a CEO, a famous artist, and a journalist all in the same day and meeting so many different people from so many different backgrounds makes me feel like there is no limit to what I can achieve. The passionate energy in the city is contagious and every time I go, I try to store enough away in my pocket until the next time I am able to return.

nycfeb201414

Maybe New York City isn’t the place that makes you feel confident but there is something out there that does. Maybe there is a song that you can blast in the car and sing along to before arriving at a networking event. Perhaps a long talk with your best friend can clear your head and make you feel confident before you head off to teach a workshop. It’s possible that painting for pleasure in your down time can give you the confidence to stand up in front of a large group of people and lead a meeting every morning.  Whatever it is that gives you the confidence to put yourself out there, find it and do it! As for me, I will spend the next week reaching out to people that intimidate me and marking yes to those RSVP’s to all those networking events that made me nervous just last week.

nycfeb20145

In: Travel · Tagged: bravery, nerves, new york city, nyc, shy, travel

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Hi! I'm Charisma, a creative entrepreneur who loves to help others reach their full potential. I'm a photographer, a writer, and the owner of Kismet + Charisma, an online boutique that pairs minimalist, cozy, boho style with activism. In my little corner of the internet you'll find my latest travels, what I'm currently reading, how I practing Black joy as resistence, and how I'm finding hygge in my daily life. Pull up a chair, grab a cup of tea, and stay awhile.

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This accurately sums up my weekend. How was yours? This accurately sums up my weekend. How was yours?
It’s been a challenge to find joy this week. But It’s been a challenge to find joy this week. But Black Joy has been my mission. Most of the people in my life have been overwhelmed and exhausted by constant grief, fear, and disrespect. Many of us have been reminded of the times we were pulled over by cops for driving while Black or the times we’ve feared for our parents, siblings, children, cousins, and other friends and family members. Sometimes it feels like we are all stuck in this cycle, doomed to witness and experience Black suffering and trauma forever. I have to constantly remind myself that times haven’t changed but we ARE changing things. We have to. And until those changes really take place permanently, I’m choosing Black Joy whenever I can. Because Black Joy is resistance. 

Here’s where I was able to find joy this week:

🤍 Interviewing @majorcreates + @tiffanydbrown_, two dynamic and talented  Black women for @heartandhustlepodcast.

🤍 Long chats with @studio404design about everything under the sun. 

🤍 The Falcon and the Winter Soldier and how unapologetically Black it is. 

🤍 Texting Marvel memes back and forth with @mmalikaj who is FINALLY obsessed with Marvel. My hard work has paid off! 👏🏽

🤍 Trying to recreate @eatatbento at home since we live in DC now. 

🤍 Reading The Gilded Ones. 

🤍 Knowing that @bohemianseoul is moving east! 

If you are Black, where did you find joy this week? If you aren’t Black, we’re you able to bring joy to a person who is Black this week or amplify a voice celebrating Black joy?
We receive hate, lies, injustice, and death. But We receive hate, lies, injustice, and death. 

But we deserve joy.

So many of us are reaching new levels of exhaustion because of the continued attacks on our community by those who are being paid to protect us. There are some days where our situation feels impossible. On those days, please take the time out to do one small thing that brings you joy. As Black people, we have to experience and carry so much trauma while living in this country. But we deserve joy. We deserve joy.
I’ve been spending every free moment chasing gor I’ve been spending every free moment chasing gorgeous blooms. I know they don’t last long so I’m trying to enjoy them as much as a can while they are here. It’s a great reminder to live in the moment and enjoy your life right now.
Lately I’ve been meditating, manifesting, and do Lately I’ve been meditating, manifesting, and doing a little bit of yoga before I even get out of bed. Yes, you heard that right, I do bed yoga. Doing these simple things before I leave the comfort of my bed have really been helping me feel like I can take on anything during the day. Do you do anything special in the morning that makes you feel more equipped to handle the day?
I’m so happy that the weather is consistently co I’m so happy that the weather is consistently cooperating and we can get out to explore more! I’m usually a homebody but being stuck inside this past winter has really made me appreciate every good weather day so much more than I ever have before. The best thing about being in a new city is that everything is new to me so even staying close to home feels like an adventure.
Drinking my way through Orlando with all the best Drinking my way through Orlando with all the best teas!🧋
Home is whenever I’m with you. 🤍🍵 @qreatec Home is whenever I’m with you. 🤍🍵 @qreatecoffee
Happy first day of spring! Most of the blooms aren Happy first day of spring! Most of the blooms aren’t out yet in the DC area but that didn’t stop us from spending every moment we could outside today. I am SO happy that winter is officially over and I can’t wait to twirl around under cherry blossoms in a few weeks.
Happy Gotcha Day @valkyrieambrosonokeefe! I truly Happy Gotcha Day @valkyrieambrosonokeefe! I truly don’t know how we would have made it through this year without you! You are the sweetest, happiest, cuddliest dog ever. 🤍🐾

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