What does emotional health and natural hair growth have in common?

 Emotional health and natural hair both need time to grow, nourish, and sustain.

My Natural Hair Journey

I started my natural hair journey on January 21, 2016, I wanted to learn to accept myself and appreciate the true beauty that was given by God.

At the beginning of my process, I had to let go of my old permed hair. As soon as the perm grew out I copped it off. Then I knew I was really in for a challenge because I had to learn what to do with this hair of mine and what my true natural hair could become. The process of learning hair can be considered an emotional journey as women we understand the important role that hair can have in our lives. Hair can determine a person's status or attractiveness. I knew this journey was not for the faint-hearted. The reality of these complexies quickly made me realize that my hair was not the standard of "good hair". I did not have the s curl or simple wash n go essence I was hoping for. The hair on my head was short, kinky, and dry. The lack of knowledge about my hair led me to search for answers on YouTube. The path on this new journey already looked bleak. I found it very difficult to find women with my hair type but eventually, I did and my hair flourished! Sike. I was insecure. I did not like what God gave me. I did not think it was beautiful. To me, this hair wasn't perfect so I decided to just hide it. Over the past few years, it's been a back and forth battle with my hair. I've come to realize the way I manage my hair is how I manage my emotions I take care of it when I think it's necessary and not daily as it should be. My hair became a circumstantial issue just like my emotions I didn't want to deal with. I created a habit of over prioritizing school, work, and church so I would not have to face my mental elephant in the room. Dealing with my nautral hair has taught me to address my problems, pray on them and then write them down.

As I am learning to become the woman God wants me to be I have to face my issues in order to take steps in a healthy direction. Instead of focusing on what my hair is not, I have to dwell on what my hair is. Combining my emotional health process with my hair growth process has given me this insight,

I have to look back at the things I have gone through, to see how much I have grown.

"For God hath not given us the spirit of fear, but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind."

2 Timothy 1:7  (KJV)