Naturally Xcentric: March 2011

I must admit, it feels good to have people come up to me asking for hair advice or sharing hair stories. It tells me I must be doing something right :). But why do these same women ask questions as if they are very inquisitve then turn around and say, "I know my hair can't do that, only Your kind of hair can". First of all, I still do not know what my hair can do since I still have a few inches of relaxer on hanging on. Second, when was the last time you saw your hair fully natural to judge what it can and can not do? We are so quick to compare ourselves to others which will only hinder our growth and development as a race. Now, I can't be mad at them because they are just stating what they have perceived from their environment. But come on, it's the 21st century! There are way too many resources out there that will help aid you to reach any goal that you may aspire to achieve. If you constantly compare yourself to others you already lost the battle before it began. Will people hate on you or try to share their "2 cents"? Yes. Will you feel like what you are doing is risky or pointless from time to time? Yes. Will you feel like you are the only man (or woman) stranded on an island? Hell, yeah! Trust me. This is normal. You have to reach a point in your life when you just don't care what other people think. Stop making excuses and take chances especially if there is minimal risk and you can easily reverse it if things don't work out the way you expected it to do.

I express this because I know natural, black hair is a very controversial topic. Everyone has their own opinions about it, but how do we expect to receive respect from other ethnicities when we can not even take the time to respect ourselves?

So to help make the decision process a little bit easier for you, here are a few tips to keep you motivated during your transition to natural hair or just to stay natural.

Focus on the Why

There are many reasons to go natural but each individual is unique so ask yourself why do you wanna go natural in the first place and STAY FOCUSED on that reason.

    2.   What chemicals are really in relaxers?

Other than sodium hydroxide being the main ingredient, there are definitely others that will cause long term damage to you scalp. Ever wonder why you get headaches close to touch-up time? Do your research and you'll be immediately turned off by the "creamy crack".

    3.   Who are you impressing really?

Married womem can attest to this. We represent our husbands thoughts and beliefs outside our homes so it's only natural that we want to look good for him at all times. But remember, a good amount of men are conditioned to believe straight hair is better because we led them to see us in straight weaves and styles the majority of our lives. If your man acts indifferently towards your decision to go natural, don't trip about it. Condition him to love it. Having control over your hair brings confidence and men love confidence. Don't worry, he will come around and if not then... maybe you should question your relationship.

    4.   Never stop learning

A person that stops him or herself from trying to learn new things is a person that will break under pressure. Don't expect to learn how to care and nurture your natural hair overnight. You haven't seen it in over 10 or 20 years! All you saw was it's alias. Be patient, grasshopper (lol) and make realistic goals about your hair journey. When you focus positvie attention on something you will receive an astronomical reward for it. When you focus on negative attention than you are back at feigning for the cream, then you relapse. Stop over analyzing. It's just hair! Enjoy the ride to the enlightenment of a new you. You never know. It may influence you to set goals on other things you would like to improve in your life like your weight, relationships with friends and family, your financial stability, etc. The sky's the limit!

So stop focusing on what you do not have and embrace what is present in your life. I will conclude with this quote below. Feel inspired and live life.