I am not my hair

11pm at night and I am exhausted. I just got home from a work event that involved running about 10k and solving impossible clues and all I can think about is the fact that waking up tomorrow morning is going to be more painful than running 10k. However as tired as I am, the inspiration I had today is too exciting to keep to myself so tired or not I must blog. What inspired me the most today was the fact that one of my team members in our "challenge" was one of the execs at the company I work for. What inspired me the most about this exec is the fact that she is young, black, female with dreads! Now I know we are in 2012 and America actually had a black president so black female executives are not as scarce as they used to be but I am pretty sure executives with dreadlocks or natural hair are still pretty rare! The company I work for is a pretty well known multinational with many affiliations with different groups such as some very famous soccer teams so to see someone at such a top level with natural hair is inspiring. I know that times are changing and natural hair is more accepted than it used to be even 10 years ago but the fact that the corporate world is beginning to realize that we as black women are not are hair is amazing. Ultimately it is what's in our head that really matters and not what on it that counts. Now I know when it comes to natural hair some of the people who probably speak against it the most are black women as they don't believe it looks professional, or its too hard to maintain or we are just not attractive with it but to shun what was naturally given to us by God because the previous standards that were set have still not been broken all the way is sad. Don't get me wrong, transition to natural hair is a very long and at times a difficult process and it takes a lot of patience, dedication and self motivation to keep at it but its still a very beautiful look and gradually a change that will have u wondering why you didn't do it sooner. So all I really want to say here is this. We are not our hair. The fact that a person can be judged based on what grows on their head is ridiculous. All that really matters is what comes out of the head. So whether you are the cashier at McDonald or you are the CEO of a top 500 company. You are not your hair. Focus on proving to people you are worthy by what comes out your mouth or your hair and take the emphasis off your hair. As a 7-8 year veteran of natural hair I can only say my hair has never determined my abilities and that as I keep rising to the top, just know it will be me who gets me there and my hard work not my afro puff I rock proudly to work everyday.