Life Update: I Want To Live Today

Quick Story: On November 18th of this year, around 2 pm, I received a text informing me my good friend had transitioned from this life. I couldn’t believe the words on my phone screen. I read them over and over. I just talked to my friend on that Friday (Nov. 13th) so I figured someone, somewhere, had something mixed up. I decided to call his phone to let him know the foolery I had just received on my phone. He didn’t answer. So I texted him…no response. Then after about an hour or so of being in denial, his best friend called me to confirm what I didn’t want to believe. My friend had left the earth at the age of 35. I couldn’t grasp what I just heard. I kept saying out loud, “huh??” I got up from my desk to close my office door so no one would walk by and notice the sunken look on my face.

After gathering myself, I opened the files on my computer. I searched for a particular document I had been pondering on for a while. I was going to give this document to the powers that be at the so-called appropriate time. But after receiving the news I had just received, I realized that for this matter, there was no better time than the present. I edited the date and then printed my resignation letter and marched it right into my supervisor’s office. I’m stepping out on faith…again.

I told the story of my friend’s passing not because I need your expressions of sympathy. I’m doing just fine and with time I will be even better. I wanted to share that story with you all so that you too can be motivated to live for today. The time is now to do whatever is in your heart. I’m not saying quit your jobs. I’m saying LIVE…however that looks to you…just do it. Do what you have to do as a responsible adult, but make sure you top that off with what you want to do as well.

On another note, I haven’t talked to you all in about 2 1/2 weeks so I’ll catch you guys up on some of what I have been doing. See below.

What I’ve Been Listening To: I decided to take a trip down memory lane and pull out Erykah Badu’s Mama’s Gun album. The album is celebrating its 20th birthday so what better way to pay homage to this thought-provoking art than by listening to it. The more I play the songs, the more I realize it was meant for me to revisit this album. It is speaking to the times I’m currently in. On one of her songs titled Time’s A Wastin , Erykah smoothly sings, “Keep on drifting…ain’t no telling where you’ll land.” That line adequately describes my current journey.

On the podcast tip, I’ve been revisiting old episodes from Side Hustle Pro. I love hearing the stories of women who are side hustlers-turned-moguls. Listening to where they started and how they got to where they are now is the motivation I need at this moment.

Who I’m Currently Inspired By: ANGEL ANDERSON - owner of THE SPICE SUITE in DC!!! You have to listen to her story (here) if you haven’t already heard of her!! This girl is goals!! I love her style and how she fuses fashion and food. She never set out to start her business. It just happened, and it is absolutely booming!! I’ve been following her on social media for a while and it so gratifying to see her growth. Home girl will rock the cutest pair of tennis shoes or a fabulous fur coat while cooking up a colorful dish using a special blend of spices that came from Morocco or India! Check her social media out here. You will not be disappointed!

What I’ve Been Working On: I’m currently working on my mindset. I want to control my thoughts as much as possible. Everything begins with a thought so therefore I’m creating abundance in my mind and letting it manifest into reality. Watch me work.

What I’ve Been Reading: I’m currently reading Party of One: The Loners' Manifesto by Anneli Rufus. It’s kind of slow so it’s taking me a while to get through it. I may put it down and come back to it. I got the news a week or so ago that one of my favorite authors, Sista Souljah, is coming out with the sequel to The Coldest Winter Ever (one of the best books in the world!!). I CANNOT WAIT! Life After Death will drop around March 2nd. YESSSSSS!!!!

Quote of the Month: What is possible and not possible is not your business. It’s nature business. Your business is just to strive for what you want. - Sadhguru

Let’s Live Y’all

- Samjah Iman

Photo Credit: 87 Photography

Outfit Details: Vintage Sweatshirt // Beret (old, similar one here) // Boots (kinda similar ones here)

Act Like You Know Better

Remember when our mothers used to warn us against touching hot stoves? We knew our mothers were telling the truth, but curiosity got the best of us so we had to touch the stove to see for ourselves. And when we touched it, we discovered what we already knew - that the stove was the temperature of hell. We knew better, but our carnal side won the battle. And it oftentimes still does. In 2019 I touched a few hot stoves against my better judgment. I made some moves that put me in some great positions and some moves I knew better than to make but did it anyway, and you better believe I paid the tolls for those decisions. So if someone were to ask me what’s the one thing I plan on doing in 2020 as a result of my experiences in 2019, I’d proudly answer them by saying, “I plan on “acting like I know better.”

If 2019 showed me nothing else, it definitely showed me that my past lessons, wisdom, and intuition are definitely my most promising guides. The consequences of not acting on the knowledge I possess cost me a lot of time and energy that I can’t afford to carelessly give away in 2020. I’m competent enough to know (in most cases) what actions produce favorable and unfavorable results, and I’m not only just holding that knowledge in my head in 2020, I’m acting on it as well.

Life is rolling, and it’s time out for games, serial mistakes, people who drain you, unhealthy relationships and food, uncomfortable jeans, procrastination, no sleep, immaturity, etc. Most of us are at the point now where we’ve gotten a few life experiences under our belt and as a result, we know what makes us happy, what makes us crazy, what’s good for us, and what isn’t. Of course we won’t get it right all the time, and we can’t control everything that will happen in life - but for the stuff we can control we need to exercise the wisdom that we’ve gained from our previous life experiences.  We always hear people say “look for the lesson in everything,” and I totally agree with this perspective. But let’s not only look for the lessons in everything, let’s implement what we’ve learned from those lessons. Because learning something new is half the battle, but exercising what you’ve learned is winning the war. Let’s not only say we are going to do better in the new year, let’s act like it.

“When you know better, you do better.”

— Maya Angelou

Happy Holidays S&E Family! Whatever you normally do during this time of the year, make sure you incorporate a little relaxation and reflection into that routine. We all need it. I’ll holler at you guys soon!

Peace and Blessings,

- Samjah Iman

Photo Credit: 87 Photography

Outfit Details: Vintage Leather Coat // Vintage Jeans // White Booties

All You Have to do is Just Be

As soon as you log into your email each morning or on your social media accounts, messages like get money, hustle hard, stay on the grind, hurry up and succeed, are pushed in your face.  I totally get those messages, am sometimes motivated by those messages, and have even emailed/posted those types of messages in the past as well.  However, I woke up the other morning and said that on that day (and the days to come) I will just be.  I won't be hard on myself, I won't try to overachieve, I won't let the world or internet rush me or tell me what success should look like. I will just simply just be present, do the work my way, and let the chips fall where they may. 

Sometimes we need to take all of that stress off of our shoulders from the world, get a clear picture in our heads of how success looks to us, and just be.  Be in the moment, be in spirit, be appreciative, be reflective, be content, be patient and everything will come together. Let the pressure of succeeding and the world go sometimes.  This is your own race, no one else's.  Just be.   

Outfit Details: T-shirt // Neon Pumps

The Dress from the Unknown

Vintage fashion peaks my imagination.  When I get a vintage piece, I imagine who owned it first, what they did for a living, where they wore the particular piece to, and why they gave it up.  Vintage fashion is more than just fashion to me, it's a story.  A story that keeps being retold over and over....and when I get the pieces, I make sure that my story in these clothes will be interesting, authentic, and most of all full of style.  Get into my story below featuring The Dress from the Unknown. 

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When I received this dress from Do The Right Vintage, I slipped it on and was immediately reminded of the dresses my paternal grandmother used to wear; therefore, I'm guessing this dress dates back to the 1970s or so.  My grandmother's dresses always fit her in the waist and flared at the bottom.  I love fit and flare dresses because they hug my frame just enough to accent my waist, but flare out to keep it conservative.

What is old becomes new in fashion, and this is why I always welcome classic pieces into my closet. When you collect classic pieces, you will definitely get your money's worth and be able to sport those classic items for years to come. 

When you receive new items, take care of them.  Be grateful and mindful when sporting them; put some good energy on those pieces, and then pass them on with grace.  You never know who will inherit them next.

One person's hand me downs is another person's treasure.  

Outfit Details:  Green Vintage Dress // Booties (old) similar pair here // Black Clutch Purse (old) // Gold Belt (old)

For those of you who are on Instagram, you can find Do The Right Vintage at - @dotherightvinatge.  Happy Shopping!

Photography Credit: Todd Sterling (toddlsterling@aol.com)

- Samjah Iman

The Silk Blazer

I do not know who decided to give this blazer away to a thrift store, but I am grateful for their insanity.  When I first laid eyes on this blazer, I did a double take and thanked God for small blessings.  It was love at first sight.  

I found this blazer on Instagram from a thrift store called @shopvintagebowtique.  I couldn't believe someone had not purchased it yet (which means it was meant for me).  This blazer is 100% silk, and it cost $36.00!  I was drawn to the print because it reminded me of Versace.  I paired the blazer with a white bodysuit, white cutoff shorts, black Steve Madden heels, a small coin purse (similar one here), and my favorite necklace of the moment which brought the gold colors out in the blazer.

I believe thrift shopping is becoming the new way to shop.  You can find a lot of treasures shopping online or in stores that offer previously owned clothing, and you can save a great deal of money.  If you don't want to take the time to thrift shop on your own, try @shopvintagebowtique or @monicasthriftonabudget on Instagram and let them do the shopping for you.

Have a prosperous week everyone!  Keep the faith!

P.S. - Thank you to everyone that helped me with assisting the family in Baton Rouge who lost all of their belongings due to the flood.  They are overwhelmed with gratefulness.

Peace and Blessings

- Samjah Iman

The Dress with Faces

Hey my people!  I'm back from visiting my family in Denver, and I thoroughly enjoyed my loved ones.  My time was well spent with my 92 year-old grandmother, my mother, and aunts.  I really needed that time with people whom I love unconditionally and who love me the same.  Now I'm refreshed and back at it. 

So I'm sure you all know by now that I'm a t-shirt junkie.  A t-shirt is the best way to be fashionable and comfortable at the same.  Whether it's a regular t-shirt or a t-shirt dress, I'm always down.  Check out the cool t-shirt dress I scored from a vintage shop below.  It's simple, yet artsy - just like I like my clothes (and life!).  

While I was putting the finishing touches on this outfit, my aunt came into the room and offered me a style tip.  She suggested I tuck my belt buckle in and turn the belt to the side.  She reminisced and told me stories of how her and my other twin aunt sported belts over dresses and jeans during their college years.  I immediately liked the look, and I rocked it like that for the rest of the day. 

To complete this dress from Monica's Thrift on a Budget, I added my Steve Madden sandals and Urban Outfitters backpack (sold out, similar one here).  I originally wore some other sunshades with this outfit until I saw my other twin aunt pull out the ones I have on in these photos.  I had to jack her for them....these sunshades totally completed my look! 

Thank you all for opening your minds and hearts to my art and thoughts.  I'm so grateful and blessed.  When you get a chance, share my blogs with your friends and family and on social media please.  Thank you, thank you, thank you!

Have a beautiful weekend everyone and remember to spread love! 

- Samjah Iman

Vintage Allure

In this post I'm wearing a vintage pussy bow blouse I purchased from a thrift boutique on Instagram that has tons of great stuff.  I've always wanted a blouse like this because of how sophisticated it looks.  The sewn-in shoulder pads give this shirt a modern look which makes it a classic piece.  This boutique gets a lot of blouses like this for great prices.  For instance, this shirt is 100% silk and it was very inexpensive!  For those of you who are on Instagram, the name of the boutique is @shopvintagebowtique.  My shorts are from Urban Outfitters (similar pair here), and my shoes are from Aldo (similar pair here).

On another note, I'm currently transitioning to a different chapter in my life.  I've been dealing with different situations that have brought about valuable lessons.  I have been releasing some past situations and cleansing my soul and as a result, I'm learning to trust my intuition and spirit more.  I'm being the best, authentic Sam I can be.  I laugh hard when something is funny, I fall out on my living room floor when I'm exhausted, I cry when I feel the need to, I let out unexpected screams in the privacy of my own home, and I dance around the kitchen floor - thus, allowing myself to just let go.  I'm accepting every inch of Sam, and it feels liberating.  I'm on a journey, or as my girl Jill Scott puts it......I'm getting prepared.  Stay tuned!

Enjoy each moment of this week everyone.  Stay authentic and let go!

- Samjah Iman