Growing Some Ovaries (101 Things in 1001 Days Update)

I have a “101 Things in 1001 Days” update for you all! I was reluctant to publish this because I thought that I only had 2 things to check off, but I do indeed have 3 whole things that I consider DONE!

For starters, I am beyond grateful to say that I can check off #63, “Reach one hundred followers on this blog!” This goal was actually met back in March of this year! In fact, the blog has 148 followers to date! WOOT WOOT! YAY!!!!! I am so happy about that! It may be small beans in the ginormous world of blogging, but it means the world to a little blogging novice like me! Thank you all so much for supporting the Popped Black Woman Blog!

Secondly, the next item that I can check off (the one I almost forgot about) is #60, “Learn how to enjoy working out without listening to ratchet music.” You may laugh, thinking what’s the big deal, but it was hard to let go of that twerk and “Run Up Get Done Up” music, even for a peacoat-wearing, motivational book-reading, Downton Abbey-watching gal such as myself.

Peep this quick video to see the kind of music I used to listen to at the gym:

Even though a good beat helps get that blood flowing in the gym, I believe music has a huge influence on our thoughts and outlook on life. I think that negative song lyrics can make it a lot harder to stop thinking negatively in general. I listen to pretty positive music during the day-to-day. Specifically, the Janelle Monae station on Pandora is one of my favorite stations ever right now! But, letting go of my DMX and “Knuck If You Buck” stations on Pandora during my workouts has been hard. (Yeah, I luh the old school even when it comes to rap, which crazy enough can now be applied to music from the early 2000s!)

All of the drop it low hooks and talk about whoopin’ somebody’s a$$ used to make me go harder on the treadmill. But, I’ve noticed that the songs that used to get me turnt up, hurt my spirit a little bit now. I no longer can listen to music that calls women hos and still feel empowered. I’m in a different frame of mind now, which is wonderful! I don’t think this means I will give up the old stuff entirely. I mean, music like the “Regulate Jammin’ Remix” by Warren G and Nate Dogg will always be a classic in my book and the lyrics aren’t so bad, but I don’t need to feed my gangsta alter ego to enjoy my workout anymore. Won’t He do it! 😉

Lastly…drum roll please…I got my nose pierced again (#35)! As I said in one of my introductory “101 Things in 1001 Days” posts, the first time I had my nose pierced was my freshman year of college. I had freshly turned 18 and nobody could tell me nothing. I wanted to do it and I did it. This time around, I was so nervous! Not nervous about the pain because I knew what to expect, but nervous about what other people would think about it. It reminded me just a little of the dread I felt over the negative reactions I knew were coming from a few old school family members when I cut my relaxed hair off back in the day, which also happened right after I turned 18.

Um…disregard all that shine #oilyskinproblems

Where was that “I don’t care” attitude that I had when I was 18 this time around? I’m a hellava lot grown-er now than I was then. It’s been almost 10 years! I’ve experienced life in the “real world”—had several jobs, had my own apartment and my own bills, got married, had a child. Who or what was I afraid of?

I questioned if it would be appropriate now–whether I would be setting a good example for Little L. Yet, the more I thought about it, the more convicted I became to GROW SOME OVARIES & DO IT! By expressing myself in this way, I felt like I was showing my daughter that she is free to be who she is, which may not be popular and celebrated by everybody, but it’s worth it to be herself in the long run because she’s in charge of her own happiness. I never want to discourage her from doing something simply because everybody won’t like it. If it doesn’t hinder her personal and professional goals, why not do it?!

I stopped worrying about the what ifs–what if ish hits the fan and I have to go back into the workforce and it’s not acceptable to have a nose ring? I’ll cross that bridge later if it gets to that point. It’s only a tiny little piercing that can close at anytime if I take the stud out. It can be pierced again just as easily! It’s crazy how we can turn the smallest things into much bigger issues than they really are. I feel free. Free to be whoever I decide to be at any moment and it feels great!

Have any of you checked off any items from your 101 Things in 1001 Days/Bucket Lists lately? Let me know in the comments or on Facebook! Keep it poppin’ as always 😉