If at first you don't succeed, dust yourself off and try again 💃

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#WednesdayWisdom

"You are not a machine. Why would you need to grind? Rest is a liberation practice. Rest provides space to heal and imagine new possibilities." — Tricia Hersey

Morning Musings

In second grade, I remember my teacher Mrs. Brown saying in her thick Jamaican accent: "If at first you don't succeed, try and try again." The motto had always stuck with me. 

And when a version of the saying became the lead single for the Romeo Must Die soundtrack (rest in power, Aaliyah), it was hard not to think of it whenever I found myself not succeeding at something.

Earlier this year, in an interview for Willie's Warriors, a leadership initiative in honor of Civil Rights activist Willie T. Barrow sponsored by the Chicago Foundation for Women, the panelists asked me how I deal with failure.

As a recovering perfectionist, failure, for me, is akin to rejection. But, thanks to therapy and a lot of Jesus, I've been learning to reframe my attitude toward failure.

You see, I've been rejected quite a few times:

• The time I applied to an internship at Girls' Life magazine (but took another internship, learned mad editorial skills and applied again the next summer - AND GOT IT!)

• The time I applied to a copy editing position at JET magazine, interviewed with the EIC (that's editor-in-chief for non-journo peeps) who told me I'm a better writer than editor (but worked my ass off and applied for another position a year later - AND GOT IT!)

• The time I applied to Girl Scouts, made it to the final two candidates, didn't get the job (did a brief stint with Chicago Public Schools in the meantime, and kept in touch with the hiring manager, learned the original person didn't work out - AND GOT IT!)

You get the point. And interestingly enough, I wasn't accepted into the inaugural cohort for Willie's Warriors last year. I was disappointed, of course. But I didn't let it crush my spirits.

So when the panelists asked me how I deal with failure, I shared those previous examples and calmly told them, "Your no is a not yet." Meaning, if I give it my all, do my best and don't receive an opportunity, I don't give up. 

Now, don't get me wrong, I WILL throw a mini one-woman pity party. I am human, after all. But after I've stopped feeling sorry for myself, I make note of what I learned during the interview process, ask for feedback on what I can improve, connect with the hiring manager on LinkedIn because you never know, and, when the opportunity presents itself, I dust myself off and try again.

And now I'm a proud member of the Spring 2019 cohort of Willie's Warriors. Learn more about the initiative here and check out me and my peeps at the opening retreat last weekend in the pic below.

Love,
L'Oreal

IRL

March 20: Flower Girls Meet 

March 25: A Love Letter to Myself: A Chicago Variety Show

April 2: Ladies, Get Paid! (Thanks so much to everyone who RSVP'd so far. Don't miss my very first webinar all about getting PAID!! Did I mention it's FREE?) 

Links I Love (WHM Edition)*

1. The Rank and File Women of the Black Panther Party and Their Powerful Influence

2. In 'Pleasure Activism,' Adrienne Maree Brown Dares Us to Get In Touch With Our Needs 

3. In Lena We Trust

4. How Jada Pinkett Smith Made Us Feel Safe From A Family That Profits Off of Black Culture

5. Black Voices Are Needed Throughout the Year, Not Just During Black History Month

*Editor's Note: In honor of Women's History Month, I'll be sharing articles written by and/or about Black women.

My Latest Obsession

Comedian, writer and podcast host Phoebe Robinson is one of my #GirlCrushes (fun fact: we follow each other on Instagram, eek!).

After interviewing her for JET magazine back in 2015, I became an instant fan and when her first book, You Can't Touch My Hair, dropped in 2016, I just had to have it ... and I loved it.

But after my friend and fellow bookworm Sierra recommended listening to the audiobook because Phoebe narrates it, I was ALL IN! I waited three months to download the audiobook for her latest, Everything's Trash, But It's Okay, but it was so worth it (especially the chapter on workaholism, which definitely hit too close to home, more on that in a future newsletter).

Now Hiring

1. Vice President of Marketing and Business Development for the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews

2. Senior Editor, Features at Vox Media

3. Director of Public Programs for the National Book Foundation

4. Program Manager for The Chicago Community Trust

5. Associate Brand Manager for the Coca-Cola Company

6. Digital Writer/Content Producer for the National History Museum of Los Angeles County

7. Senior Product Designer for Hallmark Labs

8. Director of Communications for the YMCA of Metropolitan Chicago

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