elease ariana samms

10 Mar 2018

Ysra Daley-Ward penned in her book of poems, titled, bone, that, “Today is the first day of the rest of it. Of course, there will be other first days but none exactly like this.”  Preceding those very lines with the subtle verse, “Seize that loveliness. It has always been yours.” Signaling to us, that this day, this LOVELY day, is ours for the taking. It is ours for the cultivating. It is ours for the living.

It is OURS.

All the LOVELINESS is there for us to marinate our souls in.

Glow in.

Grow in.

Be FULL and then let some more in.

All we have to do is seize it.

10 Jan 2018

Though the saying goes, “The blacker the berry the sweeter juice,” it doesn’t discredit the superpowers of other berries or fruits. In fact, some of your go-to, as they would call it, super-fruits, do not even necessarily fall into categories of fruits with deep hues.

One fruit, or berry, the cranberry, for instance, is a fruit, that is not deep in hues like the black or blueberry. However, it is usually a glorious deep red and / or burgundy color that is RICH in nutrients and antioxidants. Small yet mighty, this berry is INFUSED with health benefits good for not just your stomach but also your heart and kidneys. The cranberry is truly one super-fruit that packs a mighty punch. Worthy of being a staple in any diet.

Though its juice is a tad tart, it is food for the soul.  

05 Jan 2018

A wise Serbian Proverb read, “Be humble for you are made of earth. Be noble for you are made of stars.” Proclaiming, you must be good to you… for you. You are the root of all your happiness and peace and if you do not feed your soul, you cannot teach anyone how to treat you. How you love your own self is how you show those around you to love you. So, start at the root. Plant the seed and grow from within, outward.

Watch how you SHINE. Bright and beautiful.

10 Oct 2017

Nayyirah Waheed, says in her book, nejma, "be easy. take your time. you are coming home. to yourself." She calls this, "the becoming." And like growing can sometimes pain us, becoming, also hurts. Yet, it is so necessary. Nothing grows from a zone of comfort. The very act of being uncomfortable and still flourishing, even despite, is a sign of growth. A sign of BECOMING.

Of BEING. 

And what better way to start this journey of SELF than with nourishing the largest organ on your SELF: your SKIN.

It is one thing KIN to all of us. Even despite its outwardly color, the vitality of our skin is heavily dependent upon how we care for it. The same way in which you nurture your inner self must align with how you love your outer self. 

What you put in is what you'll get out. So, as Nayyirah said, "be easy." Be easy with You. Softer with You. Your body is your temple. You must preserve it for YOU.

YOU are worth it. 

10 Sep 2017

"Let people feel the weight of who you are and let them deal with it." Wise words John Eldridge once spoke into the universe. Making it known that YOU need not alter or change yourself to be accommodated within anyone's spectrum or dimensions. Rather, yet, let them DEAL WITH IT. Let them figure out how to be WHOLE with their own self while alongside the WHOLE of you. If you must break down to pieces to fit into someone's life, then is it worth it losing bits of YOU? How can you can give ALL OF YOU when parts of you were diminished to make room for someone else?

Reclaim YOU.

Reclaim YOUR LOVE for you.

Be YOU.

Without.

Apology.

​The rest of the world will deal.

10 Aug 2017

Anaïs Nin spoke, one day, so eloquently, that, “Things are calling me away. My hair is being pulled by the stars again.” Awestruck by the beauty of the butterfly, as Maya Angelou, yet another great author, once spoke, we forget, so quickly, how much CHANGE that butterfly had to endure to reach that point. Things were calling it. Demanding the butterfly’s attention. Pulling it one way. And another. Until finally, the butterfly, listened to those very stars. And transitioned into what we admire today. 

I call that: freedom.