Resilient Hearts is an independent documentary that looks back on Haiti and the effects of the 2010 earthquake. It is a very hard watch. I cried all over again but at the same time, I marveled at the strength of the Haitian people. Resilient Hearts is the perfect title for this look back because despite what the country has gone through and what it is still going through they continue to survive and live on and laugh and smile and make the best out of life. There is no better example of how strong the human spirit is than the people of Haiti.  The state of the country angered me. The way things were mishandled and the way corruption and greed continue to plague this country breaks my heart. I feel that Haiti should have come through like the phoenix after the earthquake, especially with all the donations, times, and resources that were being sent there. Even though the spotlight was on, people still found a way to undermine the people in the dark. Because this was the first enslave...

 Have you ever encountered a narcissistic person and walked away wondering what just happened when you try to share your feelings? They are experts at gaslighting you and turning the tables. When expressing yourself, to anyone really, be self-assured enough to keep the focus of the conversation pure and on what you want to discuss.  Do not let the tables get turned on you. Make sure to express your feelings and that you are heard. You may not get a resolution but at least you can walk away, knowing that you shared your thoughts and your perspective. Make sure that you are heard.  @liteviwithwanda Be aware of when you're being manipulated. ##duetthisvideo ##wellbeing ##stressless ♬ original sound - Lee Hammock

I enjoy pop culture like everyone else. I love entertainment news and reviews and things that will affect an artist’s performance or the art landscape but I leave all the gossip to the gossip sites for the most part. Every now and then there is a piece of news that takes my interest. Lori Harvey is the latest hot topic. The reason she is hot on everyone’s lips because she is dating. God forbid a beautiful 24-year-old model dates. Of course, she is being slut-shamed by men and women alike. The double standard is loud and obnoxious. She is a successful model who is coveted for her beauty by people in her circle and there seems to be some level of jealousy and hate because she moves on leaving behind broken hearts. I think this world is too use to seeing women be heartbroken, particularly black women. Even when Ciara moved on from her heartbreak with Future she received some form of backlash. Granted, Lori Harvey may not be making the best dating decisions but she should not be crucified ...

I receive love, compassion, and empathy from myself and deflect the negativity that comes from outside sources. When we fill our own selves up, we have the strength to fight against the hardships of the world, whatever forms that may take. My daughter once asked me a very sensible and practical question about that. How? How do we build ourselves up?  I went deeper and asked what source do we draw from to pour love, compassion, and empathy within. For myself, it is the knowledge that our existence makes us worthy. The fact that we are here at all is the only validation that I need to understand that I was created as a gift for life and therefore, I must go beyond just living it, I must strive daily to thrive in it, enjoy every moment of it, be mindful of every breath and soar even through the tough times. But I have to answer that practical question for those who do not think like that.  Continuing in the line of practicality, I have to match that same simplistic energy with p...

Coming 2 America is set to release in March 2021 on Prime. I am late on the reaction to the trailer that came out recently but I was hesitent to even watch it. Coming to America is one of my asbolute all time favorite movies for several reasons. First it is a geuninely funny romantic comedy with a predominatley all black cast in a time when that was unheard of. It was also the first movie that I saw in the theaters. My older brother took me to see it and it is a time, I will never forget. Since then, I have seen the movie countless of times and have enjoyed it each and every single time that I have watched. Therfore, I have been nervous ever since I heard they were going to do a part two. How can they top the first one, or, at the very least, create a reboot that is just as good? Reboots are not usually better and very rarely just as good.  When the trailer came out, I was in no rush to watch it. However, eventually I did and it got my hopes up a little bit. Many of the same charac...

Disney Pixar released Soul on Christmas and I have to admit, I was skeptical at first. I read so many negative comments based on the preview from people wondering why the main black characters could not stay in their human form the entire time. In Princess and the Frog, Tiana did spend almost the entire movie as a darn frog, and with this being the second major project with a black main character some were disappointed by the fact that Joe Gardner appeared to turn into a soul. Skepticism aside, I decided to watch and so glad I did.  I have been pleasantly surprised by two movies over the weekend, Slyvie’s Love and now Soul . Yes, Joe Gardner played by Jamie Foxx did turn into a soul. However, unlike The Princess and the Frog, it was not for the majority of the film and the impact of his character in human form really overshadowed the time he spent as a soul. Moving beyond that, there were so many elements that were enjoyable about this feature. The one thing that may have disappoi...

  Affirm: I release every negative thought from yesterday and resolve to be mindful of the good in this moment.  Let go. When I share these things, it is not because I have the answers or my life is super perfect or even close. I share them because these are the tools that I use not to fall into a cycle of stress and negativity. This is my stress well journey. Sometimes, I have thoughts of not being good enough or not meeting up to even my own expectations that bring my whole vibe down. I cannot allow those thoughts to linger.  I have to remind myself to let them go and be grateful for the good in my life right now, and there are many. I am fortunate. That does not mean that we are free from negative thoughts or self-doubt. This is a daily practice. There are always things from the past that we can carry forward that if we allow can hold us down. Let go. Breathe. Be. Live beyond those energy drainers.

Read with me: Duke and I Part 1 I had my first Read with Me session last night on FB live and IG. It was a lot of fun. Please join me next week as we continue the shenanigans. Check out the video below. 

Shonda Rhimes is bringing Julian Quin's Bridgerton series to life on Netflix. I am actually pretty excited about it because I love historical romance novels and used to devour them in my younger years. So when I saw the trailer for this, I ran out and purchase the first book in the series. As you may or may not know it will be the first read of my Read with Me Bookclub post .  So I get my book home and realize, that it is kind of familiar. I stroll over to my library and low and behold, I have the mass market edition from many years ago. Naturally, I took the new one right back to the store and got my refund, to spend on another book of course.  At any rate, the trailer looks interesting and scandalous, to say the least. I can't imagine pairing Shonda Rhimes penchant for drama with a period piece that already has its own set of melodrama written into it. I am looking forward to it. Unfortunately, I want to finish the first book again before I start watching. So it may be a fe...

 Sylvie's Love Spoilers sprinkled throughout.  Sylvie’s Love is everything I wanted The Photograph, with Issa Rae, to be. Whatever the missing piece that held me back from loving ThePhotograph was, Sylvie’s Love had it. Starring, Tessa Thompson, and Nnamdi Asomugha as Sylvie and Robert respectively, Sylvie’s Love took the audience back to back to the late 1950s where guy meets girl, falls in love, loses girl, and well, you know how the story goes. Robert a talented saxophone player gets a job in a record shop just to meet the beautiful girl he spots in the window, and their love blossomed from there.  I love Tessa Thompson. She is beautiful and quirky but that as Sylvie, she was poised and reserved. In contrast, her cousin Mona, played by Aja Naomi King, was definitely quirky and bold and beautifully spirited. I enjoyed their onscreen friendship as what a true girlfriend should be to each other. True girlfriends should be able to be about their business and life but alwa...