You Will Be Inspired After Hearing These Gray Hair Transition Stories Of 2020 | Going Gray

What are the benefits that you gain from this journey as well as the qualities you feel you gained? Okay, so the benefits is number one saving money and time, because it was almost every two to three weeks. Now that i was uh dying it because you know used to be what six weeks or whatever now grays were coming in fast and furious and that mess i messed up my floor a couple of times the health of my hair. I mean my hair hasn't been this healthy, since i was a teenager really there's definitely some confidence that comes along with this because i'm like. Oh, this does look good and i don't care what you think so and the way i feel about myself, which is all confidence too. I like myself, better than i thought i would maybe even better than i did before right right. Would you say you gained some patience? Oh yes, yes and, as you always talk about self-love self-care, you know giving yourself grace right yeah. What are the benefits and qualities that you gained? Authenticity is one of them. I know because with me no longer feeling like i need to hide my hair, i can also be as weird as i want to be and whoever is going to gravitate towards that is going to gravitate towards us. It'S comforting now that i can inspire other women to not only accept it but love it because accepting it is just like. Oh yeah, i have it. I can't do anything about it, but there's there's a difference between accepting it and loving it. My six-year-old wants to be naturally platinum. So there's that this one do ask me at a fast food restaurant might i had he asked me if i wanted the senior discount i was like. Don'T try me i'll, take it i'll, get that two dollars off all right. What advice do you have for someone who's on the fence or someone who's just started their journey? I got a revelation when i was writing this and i talk about it in here when i was 12 years old. I was unmercifully teased because my mom had put a bad perm on our hair. She didn't know, of course, took our hair out, so she had to cut her hair short 12. I was this big around and i was called baldy locks and all sorts of other horrible names teased and mercifully it damaged my self-esteem and when i was having that moment in the mirror, when i was saying this is me: if something happens, this is what a Man is going to wake up to better. He accept me, as i am, of course y'all. It goes beyond a whole man factor people factor, but it was then, as i was writing unapologetically gray, that i got a revelation that 43 year old sand standing in the mirror at that time was getting justice for the 12 year old. When i was like this, is it i'm tired of pleasing people? So again, you have to know who you are as the gift, because this is nothing more than the bow that is with the rest of the package, and if you don't understand your value, people won't understand your value as well. One thing i say especially to the ladies, because the ladies struggle, the most yes keep in mind that your gray is your tear. You are me, you never see a queen with her head held down low that tiara. That'S on your head. No one has one like you. It is uniquely designed just for you, if you're concerned about the style of it, maybe a little bit of custom fitting with a haircut, but it's yours own it queen, i'm noticing, with each interview. I take away something um and from this is a transformation i mean, there's, there's an inner transformation, a deeper transformation. You know i love butterflies and and what they represent, and i you you took me through the caterpillar to like, where you are right now just got your wings out and flying because what's nice is we're seeing you on this side of things. But you gave us a picture into that. It wasn't always like that and that with work because it takes work, it takes work to um and it takes action confidence. Sometimes we think we have to feel that way first, but you took how you felt the difficult emotions and you use that to grow into this self-loving butterfly, who is unapologetic and embraces all that she is, and that is um such an inspiration for others. Taken from unapologetically great, this is the prologue hi love. There is a story behind your distinctive existence. You are chosen to be a wonder if you do not already know why you owe it to yourself to learn what makes you so special because you truly are. You are powerful in your own right, even if you don't feel it see it or know it. Yet. You were designed to silence the foolish talk about whatever makes people feel uncomfortable with you without lifting a finger you in your extraordinarily fashioned way have a divine purpose to be exactly as you are. I hope this book inspires you to find your voice, liberty, protection and love for yourself to clearly express your uniqueness and focus on your whole. Best being you do not have to be obnoxious to prove your boldness unless that's just in your innate personality. Most people believe that they must be confrontational to make their presence known, but that is not necessary for you. We have all heard that saying. Meekness is great strength under control. You are good enough. You have nothing to prove no more shrinking back, no more hiding do not let the voice of ignorance shut. You up and have the final say about you speak up to amplify the best of you live your best life and be unapologetically. You love unapologetically great any advice that you have um for anybody who's, just starting their journey or on the fence. I just always tell people to take your time. You know you you just don't have to rush into it um. I just think people. Sometimes you know it's like a trend, you know it's like. Oh, this is the trend. Now this is trending. You know to me. This is just not a trend. It'S i can see how this gray hair is. Just people are starting to accept this more and more and more right right. It is like that natural hair, um movement right right. Yes, it's far from the norm, it's just exactly it just took off. I mean women were just like okay, we're going on this natural hair movement right, my goodness. The difference with this yeah is that it crosses over right right. You know everybody's pretty much go to gray. Okay, you can't yeah no matt in the race, gender um. You know economic like it goes right. It'S like this movement of um. You know people are starting to accept gray, yeah and be okay with it and just not equate okay, gray, hair old. You have to take care of your skin. I never put enough emphasis on moisture and hydration. It was always like. Okay, i got ta make sure i wash my face, got ta, make sure i get all that stuff off. You know. I never thought about. Okay, making sure your around your eyes are nicely hydrated. Your skin is hydrated. That'S such a good point that you said that, and i again these interviews continue to surprise me with the gems that we get from each of them, and i love that you talked about skincare. I don't think that's far off from this gray. Hair journey, because those who are worried that they're going to look old well, let's see what things we can do to help us to look as graceful as we can whatever age we're at you know if our hair, because of the lack of melanin moisture, needs more Special needs how much more skin, because another thing that you have to deal with when you get older is the hair under the chin. When you get older, i've been dealing with that. I don't know for how long yeah. In my 20s i mean i was pulling chin hairs girl, you know when you get to. I had a straight razor straight up and i think that that's encouraging for those who are single, who are afraid that that's going to make them unattractive and maybe not find love and that's not true, it's not it's really not, and if, if it is true right Politely, that guy is probably not the right one for you. What advice do you have for those who are on the fence or just starting their hair journey, urging words be nice to yourself. Whatever you decide, whatever's going on in your life every single day be diligent to be kind to yourself, um, it's okay! To put yourself first, in that you know you can reach out and ask people's opinions about. What do you think should i look good on me and everyone is gon na have an opinion. Your stylist is gon na have an opinion, your mom's going to have an opinion. Everyone around you, but it's not going to take in the full dynamics of you and your needs. Your needs could be financial and your stylist might not know that um. You know you could be considering like your footprint on the earth, and you know your mom might not be thinking of that with the advice that they give you. And so it's okay to seek out advice, but remember at the end of the day, come back and just sit with what you are feeling and know that how you move forward. It'S not going to be perfect and it's not going to be easy and um. You know no matter what you choose to continue to die or to not die, but just be nice to yourself last question um. As far as the gray hair journey, what advice or words of wisdom do you have for those who are thinking about going gray or on the fence about it? You have to find your your comfort zone, i guess finding a person, you know finding that comfort zone um finding support, because that's definitely important when you do those two things. You you you'll, you it's a journey, yeah a journey. It'S a journey worth taking. I, like that, it's a journey worth taking and it's a journey um once you do take it. You can um learn along the way, learn that process, because it tells you two things about yourself, um. Yes, you can see where your weakness is. You could see where your you know where your strengths are, and then you can learn from that yeah. I like that mommy, because that is, you know, we're going to talk about the practical stuff in a little bit, but i feel like. Sometimes we don't talk about the fact that it does put you in this vulnerable place and you feel exposed when your roots are out and, like you said, maybe your thoughts on age, your thoughts on getting older, your thoughts on yourself, you know, start to get triggered And come up when you decide to go on this journey and to hear women like my mom other women that i've interviewed um, then you'll realize that you're not alone, if you're not like. Oh, my goodness, all i did was stop dying, my hair. Why is this feel big? You know it does? It does go more deeper than than the hair than the surface. My sister is my mom's hairdresser like we're we're going to get into that, could go through it without her. That'S for sure no, i wouldn't. I would have gone through the process, but not as easy, yeah, probably um yeah, because i think within one or two months of transitioning you're like i can't i can't take this texture. I can't do both and i'm just like you have to kind of weather this yeah yeah, you know. Well, i don't want to say bald, but if you don't want that short cut, because yeah and so did i, what would you say were the biggest emotions that came up once the once. You saw the gray, oh man, okay, where do we start um? Well, just i hate to say disgust but just being disgusted like oh, like you know how like when you so like. When you look in the mirror, you may not always love what you see, but at least we can come to term and be on good terms with with what right right initially, i was not on good terms with that. I reflect this. Is the system right amy? What is going on um? What are we going to do like just the thoughts of? How am i going to deal with this or, like you start thinking ahead like not that we are everything is about the physical right, but aesthetically speaking, it's important to have value from how physically you have to feel a certain amount of value with what you're presenting To people when they see you, you have, you know certain wake-up calls in life, and then you realize you know you know. What'S you know what is important? We have to love ourselves, no matter what you know, it's not if i look a certain way. If i have this, if i don't have that no, we are who we are and we have to learn to love us with the good, the bad, the ugly, the beautiful everything i love this. I love this interview and i'm glad that we did it kind of like um, just let it flow um, because i'm glad that this is recorded. So when you have a moment, i will always just share this interview and i'll, be like listen to your own words. What you said they say what we focus on grows, and so, when you focus on how much you have endured in your life and you've come through through living, each gray, hair shows life that we've lived. That'S been full of, like you, said, good, bad ugly. All things, but it's it's a life and another quote that i've heard that i loved is age, is a privilege that has been denied to many. You know some have not lived as long as we have just every day that we live it. It just shifts the perspective again. It doesn't mean that you're going to be in love, but it's like you know what um i've lived life i've enjoyed. You know love with friendships, relationships, experiences, memories, things like that when we shift the focus on what we hate about something, instead of what something we could change the narrative of what it represents, not that i'm losing life. But this is how much life i've lived and with each day i want to make the best out of it, because we know we're not guaranteed tomorrow. You know considering what happened to you, i'm so thankful you're still here you know and that you that is a really powerful point. Actually um and you're right. You know it's, it is about shifting your perspective and breasts. Have twelve glasses have empty? Well, let's look at the glass is just helpful. I really appreciate that, because yeah um life is a gift every moment that we have, that we're breathing and we're not being threatened by anything. We have a sense of peace, it's that's a gift. You know that could easily be gone tomorrow, yeah yeah, so it really does make you learn to want to live from an attitude of gratefulness. You know what am i grateful for you know. I'Ve got gray hair and, like you said, i've lived this i was. I went through this. I this happened and this happened and this happened and i'm here and now i have all this knowledge and wisdom i can share. You know to benefit somebody else yeah and if we, if i allow myself to think more like that, that will greatly help how i view these hairs coming. Yes, yes, your crown of beauty and if i got anything from this interview, it's gratitude and and mindset um how that can help us. That is always something that we can draw back on when things are out of our control. How can and it's empowering just like you realize with your body with what was happening, you said well, what am i eating? What do i need to do like you were: go getter you you started walking. You started doing all these things to take charge of your health, and so in the same way, if you have gray hair, how can i take care of my skin? How can i hydrate my diet exercise all these things that are good for our health in general? Can help you feel better about yourself and focusing on just the word itself, great full, how it makes you feel full when you think of all you have, instead of what you don't the society around us wants us to focus on something superficial, because it also serves A purpose for them, i need to buy something, so i could cover something about how i am instead of no trust wow. It serves a purpose. I didn't realize that either until i was just like man, i'm so glad to be on stay at home and not worry about having the i mean, i may have maybe worried about getting a haircut or things like that, but you feel it's nothing like feeling comfortable In your own skin, that is the gift that this has given me. I don't i'm not a hundred percent now guys. I still have insecure moments, um with certain things about myself, but my hair is not one of them. I did a whole video guys based on lisa, because i remember her saying that she was going back to work and she was so nervous. So you went back to work about three to four months into your transition. So then what was that first day like? Because, surprisingly, nobody really seemed to care, and so it was kind of like i had all this anxiety built up and worried going in and then i got there and everybody was kind of like don't get ready and actually i don't think, even to this day. No one at work has ever said to me: oh you're, letting your hair feel great right right. I love it, and so i remember following up with you and when you told me that i said to myself how we put ourselves through so much and it's not even half as bad as we imagined it in our mind. What you were saying because i used to always say i can't go gray before my mom does wow and my mom colored her hair. So i was like i would say when i started thinking about. I was like yup as long as mom is coloring her own color in mind so, and i actually made the decision to just go gray despite that right and she um, but she, i guess her last hair color. I would color her hair. Her last color was maybe a little before mine and, to my surprise, she has decided not to color her hair. She was like you know. I'Ve never seen my hair right, i'm curious to see what it looks like and so she's supposed to come with it. So now you got a partner in your journey. What benefits for you personally in just nine months, have you seen from transitioning? I'M sure my wallet is very happy, i'm glad to just not worry about it right right, you feel free. I do it's funny. That'S the whole reason i went natural and it was like i still was kind of holding on to the color. So now as it's coming in it's like now, i can't really be right. You said it so well because i feel like um, there's levels to things and it's okay, if you can't do it all at once, because this is, i know, there's some of you who are watching this, who are also transitioning not just to gray, but also to Natural at the same time, which is two biggies, you know you're dealing with whoa, i'm not coloring, my hair and whoa. This is a different texture um, my hair doesn't do what it did when it was relaxed my brother passed a year ago and he wasn't 50., and so you know, i think, to myself, i'm very fortunate to be able to be the age that i am and So you know, thinking of it that way is kind of like every day is a gift, and why be ashamed of getting older, when, sadly, everybody doesn't get to get home? This is the second second interview where we've come full circle to how the gray hair journey can give you a more grateful outlook that you've lived to look at your hair in a different way, and some might feel like really it's not that serious. But it is, you know if you've gotten old enough to get gray hair that shows that you've lived life, and i appreciate that now there is there's more um exposure to being you know and showing that gray can be beautiful and that um it's another hair color. You know like we don't think. Oh my hair is black. I feel ashamed. My hair is red, my hair is blonde, you know it's gray, that's another color and it happens to everybody. We color it, but it happens to everybody.