Remaining Unaffected

by | Aug 31, 2017 | Uncategorized

I am so stoked to blog this set. This girl has been one of my closest friends since I was a Junior in highschool and she was a Freshman. Despite the fact that she is a bit younger than me, she has always been so much wiser than me when it comes to life. I love her.

I call Kristen my deep rooted tree. No matter what is thrown her way, she remains deeply grounded and unshaken. I am trying to learn to be more like her.

PS: Kristen is Rihanna’s biggest fan, so it would only be right that I listen to RiRi in her honor while working on this blog!

Read below what Kristen wanted to share with our #LRPBoudieBeauties:

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“I’ve been described in many ways over the years. Up until somewhat recently the words
“strong” and “powerful” were typically used to describe my sensuality. Now it is my
emotional strength that others are starting to recognize.

Maybe it was the move I made
to NYC five months earlier than planned. Maybe it was getting the hell out of the soul
sucking job I took to get there (only three months after starting). Maybe it’s the
somewhat unique relationship I entered in to five months after I arrived.

Truthfully, I believe that power was always within me. I have always been grounded and pragmatic.
Focused and introspective. Taking action and seizing ownership of my life has only
pushed things to another level. I finally claimed my happiness as mine, something that
is only up to me. I have stopped feeling guilty for putting myself first and stopped
wasting efforts on things I cannot control.

The biggest component of this newly manifested strength is choosing to remain
unaffected by other people’s “stuff” – be it their baggage, energy, emotional output, or
overall hang-ups. The core of this decision is very simple: We all have an expiration
date. We all have a limited amount of time and energy. With that in mind, I simply refuse
to devote either to things that are out of my hands. Obviously I have feelings and
emotions, but I decide how to react to them.

According to Buddhist thought, emotions are a fundamental part of who you are.

“When you can connect with the essence of
your emotions, you can respond without preconceptions and judgments.” I have grown
up practicing habitual introspection. My mother is the same way, and she taught me the
concept of “choosing your battles”. Letting the thoughts or actions of others effect what I
do or how I feel is not an option anymore. All I can do is try to understand me, the “why”
of what I feel, and what I can reasonably do about it. My prosperity is my number one
priority. I am in charge of me and only me. I will always protect myself. And guess what?
That is no one’s responsibility but mine.

That is the essence of my emotional signature.
When I look at these photos, taken by my incredibly talented friend, I see a woman who
has taken responsibility for her life. They are not brave because I was not scared. They
are not vulnerable because I did not feel exposed. They are truth. They are power. They
are strong. They are a product of taking a chance on myself. I see exactly who I am
meant to be.

Life is about choices. Choose you. Fuck the haters and ignore the noise.
They will never understand, and that is not your problem. This is the message I want to
spread as an ambassador for LRP and beyond. It is all within your power, my babes.
Your happiness, your truth, your life. Give yourself exactly what you need and drown out
the rest. I promise you are worth it.” ~KB

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