March 30, 2011

Natural Hair Buddy

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Remember in elementary school, your teacher assigned you to a “buddy”?  When you went on field trips, you had to hold their hand; you worked together on art projects, etc.  It taught you to the importance of teamwork, discipline, and accountability.  When you have a common goal, it builds a bond or tightens one that already exists.  This same concept can be applied to the natural hair journey.  Whether you are a seasoned natural, a neo natural or approaching your road to transition, having an ally can help make the process as smooth as possible.  It can often times provide new insight on what you thought you knew about natural hair.  Although every journey has its own passage, having a natural hair buddy can be all the difference in your success.  Here’s what having a natural hair buddy can do for you:

1.      Share HairStories – hair testimonies are a great avenue for learning and gaining perspective.  Discussing common issues and sharing ideas is always beneficial.
2.      Provide encouragement and motivation – having a support system is key to most achievements.
3.      Talk you off the “relaxer edge” before you jump – we all have those defeated moments where we want to give up.  Your natural hair buddy can act as your sponsor in those situations.
4.      Curl time – much like girl time, this is time spent to swap products, come up with new hairstyles, discuss care methods and connect.  This is a good time to share resources deemed useful (blogs and other written publications, meet ups,forums,etc.)

Is there someone you can buddy up with or provide mentorship to?  Do you need a natural buddy?

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