dia-ar-te

Latest Posts by dia-ar-te

To protect your energy:-

It’s okay to cancel a commitment.

It’s okay to not answer that call.

It’s okay to change your mind.

It’s okay to want to be alone.

It’s okay to take a day off.

It’s okay to do nothing.

It’s okay to speak up.

It’s okay to let go.

#Elevated_subways at #Queensboro_Plaza.

#New_York_City_Subways #mtanyctransit

Today <3 

The Women’s Building - San Francisco, California

by Juana Alicia, Meera Desai, Miranda Bergman, Irene Perez, Susan Kelk Cervantes, Littleton Yvonne and Edythe Boone

(photos: Anthony Byrd)

Celia Cruz

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Continuing the revolutionary love note series with Sandra Cisneros. 

Currently reading “A House of my Own” and relishing on the memories of this amazing chingona elder. Reminding myself of my power, of my magic, always. 

If you’d like to support me and my work check out my art at www.angelicabecerra.bigcartel.com

“Because to suffer for love is good. The pain all sweet somehow. In the end.”

-Sandra Cisneros [[Woman Hollering Creek]]

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Elementary school in Baltimore where kids get meditation instead of detention - WTF fun facts

Yup. I remember being so confused at the age of 12 when my 7th grade homeroom teacher introduced me as DAIANA (Eng pronunciation: Diana) to the rest of my class. It was my first grade in U.S.A. I had to play it cool because I was learning English and this was the States after all, so I had to start with my name, right? It wasn’t until college I reclaimed my name back: Diana (Spanish pronunciation please, Deeana). Many white folks and color folks ask me why do I bother on correcting people every time they mispronounce my name (which is about 90% of the time) and I say because DAIANA is not my name and I refuse to give up my real name, not anymore.  I don’t need a mispronounced name, I have one of my own. Say it right. 

A message to teachers who refuse to pronounce the names of their students of color correctly. 

In a new video, Adam Levine-Peres, an educator in the Bronx, talks about the importance of teachers, especially white teachers, learning how to pronounce the names of Black and Brown students properly. He says pronouncing the students’ names correctly “will go along way in the classroom”, otherwise there might be lack of trust, students might end up giving up on things like their teacher gave up on saying their name the right way.

Full video Follow Adam on Twitter @projectbronx

#EthnicNames

If you wait to do everything until you are sure it’s right, you’ll probably not do much of anything.

Win Borden (via onlinecounsellingcollege)

Choose empowering beliefs 

In the process of changing beliefs, choose beliefs that are empowering to your soul. A good way to know what belief will be empowering is to simply ask yourself how you feel about adding the new belief. If you feel a strong connection with a new belief, such as feelings of excitement, it will probably be a very good choice of a belief to implement. Make a conscious effort to purge all beliefs that are less than satisfying. Understand also that as you become a more conscious human being, changing your beliefs will become a much easier, more natural process.

Peace & Blessings, Our Journey to Balance 

When Indigenous Fashion Hits the Runway, Details Matter

Fifteen years ago, Glenda Yañez put on the clothes of her ancestors. She had always admired how her grandmother dressed—her wide, layered…

Fifteen years ago, Glenda Yañez put on the clothes of her ancestors.She had always admired how her grandmother dressed—her wide, layered skirt; a thick embroidered shawl; and a top hat leaning just so, two long and dark braids coming down her back. Yañez, who grew up in the bustling city of La Paz, Bolivia, had come of age in jeans and T-shirts.

That’s because her grandmother’s indigenous dress — known as the chola style — had for centuries been a target of acute discrimination. For most of Bolivia’s history, a Spanish-descended, white minority lorded over the country’s native majority in a system akin to apartheid. The chola wardrobe is a fashion distinctive to Bolivia’s second largest indigenous group, the Aymara people. And it’s one that has endured since the 1700s, even though it has brought with it heightened segregation.

MORE

The photos accompanying this article are SO wonderful. 

When you recognize your personal power, you no longer need to feel superior or inferior to anyone else.

Deepak Chopra (via icreatewhatibelieve)

This is so empowering and healing. Prayers for all the women in the upfront defending our mother Earth and fighting against displacement. <3 

Guardians of life: The indigenous women fighting oil exploitation in the Amazon

Felipe Jacome’s set of photos Amazon: Guardians of Life documents the struggles of indigenous women defending the Ecuadoran Amazon through portraits combined with the powerful written testimonies. The words across each photograph are a self-reflection of the lives of women, their culture, history and traditions, and especially about the reasons for fighting oil drilling on their ancestral lands. The color designs framing each portrait use the same natural dyes found in face paint to expand on the symbols and designs that reflect their personalities, courage and struggle. (Read More)

What we find is that if you have a goal that is very, very far out, and you approach it in little steps, you start to get there faster. Your mind opens up to the possibilities.

Mae Jemison (First African American Female Astronaut)

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New moon blessings ✨💫

3 parts of building a habit: a cue, a routine & a reward.

As part of transitions, I am developing new habits both naturally (like sleeping longer ☁) and those at will (like working out more ☜). But how does the human body, brain and soul develop new habits? AND how do we build a positive habit over a negative habit? But first, we should acknowledge that only YOU have a say in what is a positive or a negative thing that you want for yourself at at given time and space. With that being said, here are some good tips I just read about developing new habits, and repetition or self-torture are not the answers. 

What are habits and how are they formed anyway?  Habits are made by synapses, or gaps between cells that send impulses to the brain. This helps facilitate what a person thinks or does. If this is repeated constantly, it becomes more accessible -- or a habit. 

Now to the 6 ways to breaking a bad habit and developing healthy habits:

Link the new behavior to a routine or environmental cue: Repetition is only part of forming a new habit. It is useful to develop a habit loophole, which means performing something at the same time of the day. This becomes a response to specific cue.

Link a difficult task to a reward: Pretty much think “If i do this tough task, then I will reward myself with something that I like” The idea behind the if-then principle is to link the new behavior, which may be uncomfortable at first, with something positive so the new behavior is associated with positive. This enhances confidence in performing new habit and thus increasing positive feedback and desire to do it again. 

Repeat new behaviors and keep track of progress: Okay, I did say repetition but 24/7 repetition is not what makes a habit successful. In addition to repetition, keeping track of new habit and response to performance is a helpful technique in developing new habitual behavior. Be mindful that life happens (let it happen) and it is okay to miss a day or two of your routine. It is much more important staying schedule most of the time rather than ALL the time. This helps build a new habit. 

Keep it simple: Focus on one habit at a time, otherwise it becomes overwhelming and easy to give up

Use peer support for accountability: Tell a friend, partner or join online support group for motivation or a even a little peer pressure. 

Make a detailed plan: As with many other personal or professional goals a plan in mind will provide more direction. This can be very helpful when building a new habit as well. 

Forget the 21-day habit myth, there is no exact time for developing a habit but with a cue that reminds you and makes you comfortable to do something, a routine that fits you, and a reward for your hard work, a habit will be formed. 

These Black women made history.

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Different platforms have been offered, and thanks to the people in those settings and self-confidence, I’ve been able to grow. This is personal. But believing in the self is the most important tool one has to create change: in society, in your community -your beautiful and fierce community- in your mind, body and soul. 

Black Moon is in Libra and is the best moment to set intentions to start new life projects, explore deep love and self-love. 

This picture of Mother Water captured in Portland, Maine frames this transition so beautifully.  

“Hispanic” Heritage Month centers a very specific type of Latinx & too often erases & conveniently forgets about AfroLatinxs.