“Life for me ain’t been no crystal stair./ Its had tacks in it,/ And splinters,/ And boards torn up,/ And places with no carpet on the floor–/ Bare./ But all the time/ I’se been a-climbin’ on,” – Langston Hughes. These words, written in the poem “Mother to Son” have been momentous in my life for the past couple of months. These words inspire individuals to press forward despite their hardships. I have had to endure so many obstacles in the last couple of months, but I have learned how to overcome them: Never Give Up!

I have so many projects that I am currently engulfed in: fashion related ventures, furthering my education, working full-time, and deepening my understanding in my faith. It seems that when I am not shooting for the blog, I am researching things for my next endeavor. And when I am not working on my next endeavor, I am in class. And when I am not in class, I am at work. And when I am not at work, I am in Bible study.

But I am learning to stand up to myself! The mind sometimes can be a bully to the body. It tells it what it can and cannot do. For instance, the mind seems to always want to tell the body that it is tired. Do not let the mind intimidate you. Have those inner conversations with yourself that make the weak thoughts of the mind become inferior.

In the most recent years of my life I have become more confident, assertive, and sociable, whereas in college and most of my educational life, I was so timid. I think part of that comes from the fact that I finally know who I am. I know what I like and what I do not like. I know what I am willing to accept and what I am not willing to accept. But more importantly, I know what I am capable of doing. I have been pushed to new limits because I refused to give up.

With every step closer to my dreams I become filled with more joy. For so long I have encumbered myself with things that brought me security, but I have learned to relinquish those things. My brother told me “Chelsea, you are closer to 30 than 20,” which means I have to start getting my ish together. Age will take your mind hostage and have you pondering are you where you want to be? The only true way to find the answer to that question is to clearly and specifically establish what will make you happy.

As I continue to evolve and as I tackle all these projects, I make sure to do it in style. Just because you have a lot going on does not mean you have to let yourself go. As always, outfit details are below (remember clicking on hyperlinks take you directly to the item):

TRENCH: Forever21 $35– similar here and here // DRESS: Love Culture $20– similar here and here  // HEELS: Gucci $900

If you would like to discuss more about the idea of never giving up or you simply want to talk about the decision making that went into pairing this outfit together than you can Subscribe to the blog (option listed on the right side as you scroll down), Email me (located on the ‘About Me’ page), Follow Me on Instagram or Facebook.

‘Til next time!

Chelsea Nikole