Don't hurt yourself 💃

#WednesdayWisdom

"You are your best thing." ~ Toni Morrison

Morning Musings

For as long as I can remember, I've been a people-pleaser. Perhaps it's the Catholic schoolgirl in me, or maybe it's my fear of being disliked. But the truth is I say "yes" to almost every ask without thinking twice ... until now.

Friday night I received a text from a friend I hadn't seen in a while to hang out on Saturday. I'd been looking forward to having the entire weekend to myself to just chillax, something I hadn't done in God knows how long. For a brief moment, I considered saying "yes" until I remembered what one of my Twitter friends told me earlier in the week : "guard your energy, guard your weekends."

And yet another friend reminded me, "sometimes doing nothing IS something." So despite initially feeling guilty, I remained resolved to do absolutely nothing last weekend and it felt friggin' phenomenal.

Too often we put other people's needs, wants and desires ahead of our own. And, at the end of the day, we're just doing ourselves a disservice. We give and we give and we give until there's nothing left for ourselves. And that's simply not okay.

I've said it before and I'll say it again: saying "no" isn't selfish, it's self-care.

Later that day, I saw this post from Black Girl in Om on Instagram and it felt like the universe reaffirming my decision: 

Namaste.

Love,
L'Oreal

ICYMI

Are you woke or not woke? I wrote about how I relate to Dear White People's barometer of Blackness in my latest for HelloGiggles.

Links I Love

I'm Good With Whatever: The High Price of People-Pleasing

Heads Up: The Busier You Are, The More Your Brain Needs Quiet Time

How to Give to Others Without Burning Out

My Latest Obsession

I can already here what some of y'all are saying, "But L'Oreal, aren't you obsessed with cupcakes every day?" And to that, I say you are correct; however, May is the special month when my absolute favorite cupcake of all time -- the hummingbird cupcake at Magnolia Bakery -- is available every single day of the month and my little cupcake heart rejoices.

For the uninitiated, the hummingbird cupcake tastes like pure Southern heaven or, to be specific, "banana, pineapple and pecan cake topped with a sweet cream cheese icing and toasted pecans." Bonus: check out my guide to the best Chicago cupcakes here.

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Well, that's all folks. I hope you enjoyed this of LT in the City Weekly! Hit me up on the Interwebs below or simply click "reply" to tell me what you think. Thanks a bunches!