A New Year and A New You! How to use the 7 Principles of Kwanzaa to improve your life!

Do you know the meaning of Kwanzaa? It is an African-American celebration of life from 26 December to 1 January, created by Dr. Maulana Karenga in 1966 as a ritual to welcome the first harvests to the home.     Dr. Karenga created this festival for Afro-Americans as a response to the commercialism of Christmas. 

Many moons ago when I was an undergraduate at Kean University, I had the pleasure of meeting Dr. Karenga. I was only in the baby stages of self- awareness and I had no clue about the importance of celebrating our culture, both ancient and current. Now, I fully recognize that many of our issues within the Black Community begin with the LACK OF SELF LOVE AND AWARENESS!

As I approach 2020, The beginning of a New Year and New Decade I started to reflect on how I can better serve my community, my family and myself. So I decided to start with the 7 Principles of Kwanzaa as my Guide! Here are a few recommendations to start living your best life!

Day 1: Umoja: (Unity): To strive for and to maintain unity in the family, community, nation, and race.

• Create a Family (OR Personal) Mission Statement.
• Host Soul Food Sunday Meals with Family and Friends.

Day 2: Kujichagulia (Self-Determination): To define and name ourselves, as well as to create and speak for ourselves. I love Miss Universe Zozibini Tunzi, her refusal to wear a wig or a weave and embrace her natural hair and still win the crown is an inspiration to all of us to embrace our beaute' EVERY DAY!

• Create A SELF LOVE Affirmation board! 
• Pay a woman a compliment and mean it!
• Embrace Aging. 

Day 3: Ujima (Collective Work and Responsibility): To build and maintain our community together and make our brothers' and sisters' problems our problems and to solve them together. As a way to uplift the community my company donates $1.00 of every sale to a nonprofit that is dedicated to promoting education and empowering black girls. But giving back is more than just donating money! 

• Volunteer at least once a month. 
• Donate old stuff that you know you no longer need!

 Day 4: Ujamaa (Economics): To build and maintain our own stores, shops, and other businesses and to profit from them together.

• Support a Black-Owned business.
• Start your own Business!  

Day 5: Nia (Purpose): To make our collective vocation the building and developing of our community in order to restore our people to their traditional greatness. 

• Bring traditions like Kwanzaa to the spotlight as a way to remind us of just how beautiful our heritage is. 

Day 6: Kuumba (Creativity): To do always as much as we can, in the way we can, in order to leave our community more beautiful and beneficial than we inherited it.

• Recycle! Recycle! Recycle! Mother Earth Deserves it.
• Clean up your local park and neighborhood.

Day 7: Imani (Faith): To believe with all our hearts in our people, our parents, our teachers, our leaders, and the righteousness and victory of our struggle. 

• Pray without ceasing!
• Meditate and listen to God.

Happy 2020! May God bless you and your family!