Opening words from the Editor:
Hello Ladies,
A happy new month to you and Welcome to the very first edition of The Smart Woman Magazine.
My name is Ngumabi and I am the editor in chief of The Smart Woman Magazine. I'm so proud to present to you this first edition. This magazine is tailored to inform and support the ambitious woman through her journey of becoming her best self; career, beauty, fashion, culture, relaxation and health-wise.
I hope that through these monthly publications you will be inspired and informed about people, facts and cultures that will push you to take action to make your life better and also build your mind to confront the better life that awaits you.
It's a pleasure for me to contribute to your level up journey through my blog posts and now through this magazine that is meant to build your mind intellectually and culturally.
I originally thought of making this magazine a free downloadable magazine but it needed some more expertise and time to do it. And all I wanted to do was start to publish this month of March. So just some days ago, I had the idea to create the magazine right here on the blog, until I can make it an actual magazine that you can download, read and share with your fellow women.
I was so excited when I realized that my dream of creating this magazine and putting out all these ideas and content for you guys was still possible from this month. of March.
Hope you enjoy this first edition because it covers the amazing and inspiring story of Dr Tererai Trent who never seized to believe and work for a dream that she buried in the ground. And despite all the difficulties and obstacles she faced, she realized that dream. Her story is so inspiring so please take time to read it.
In culture, we are also going to be talking about etiquette when attending events. In beauty, we will learn the various beauty hacks you can do with honey. We shall also get some career advice which will be about the necessity of having multiple streams of income in this new age. We shall also be discussing health where we will talk about how to eat properly to avoid falling sick while working hard for your dreams. To relax, we will visit fun and relaxing outdoor activities that can help you build a stronger bond and connection with your loved ones.
It's going to be an interesting first edition. But before we get into all of these stories and tips our magazine begins with top interesting facts and what made the news during February.
Hope you enjoy the rest of the Smart Woman Magazine and don't forget to leave your feedback in the comment section when you are done.
Happy reading!
Ngumabi.
News
One should be wondering what else could have made news in February other than the fact that it was the month of love with red roses and wine flowing to celebrate it. But apart from Valentine's day, some other surprising stories painted the month of February.
Let's begin with the Gucci "Blackface" campaign which got many black people and anti-racists in their feelings for weeks. The tea is Gucci put up on their website a black pullover for sale which covered half of the face and had wide red lips. This got people tweeting and replying to Gucci on various social media platforms that this fashion outfit was purely racist as it reminded people of the representation of black people in movies and cartoons in the past.
Though Gucci publicly apologized for the incident and withdrew the sweaters from their site, the most intriguing questions are "How could they not know that this looks racist?" "Was it done deliberately to pull attention?". Stories like these can only leave you wondering why.
The next major news that came towards the end of February was the death of Karl Lagerfeld. He was a German designer who lived in France and owed a cat gifted to him called Choupette. Apart from that, he was the top designer for Coco Channel and other brands like Fendi. He worked with so many celebrities around the world who remembered him as an extraordinary fashion designer. He died at the age of 85.
In politics, as the presidential race is building up in America, other presidential races have come to an end in countries like Senegal and Nigeria this month as Presidents Macky Sall and Mohamed Buhari win second terms in office.
Those were the stories that made waves in February 2019. Other stories like the testimony of President Trump's ex-lawyer Micheal Cohen are on the rise and you can follow that story on CNN, BBC or any other world news channel.
Spotlight:
Tererai Trent: A Girl Who Buried Her Dreams In A Can - The reward of perseverance and persistence
From being a child bride in a village in Zimbabwe to becoming a PhD holder and Oprah's all-time favourite guest.
Here are her story and the lessons we can learn from it.
She has given into marriage by the age of 11 and by the age of 18 she had already given birth to 4 children. One of the children died because she couldn't produce enough milk to breastfeed the child. Being a wife in a polygamous home was the tradition of her village and it was followed by her grate-grate-grand mother, her grandmother and her mother.
When she was a little girl, she used her brother's school books to read and write. She even did his assignments for him. When the teacher found out about it, he asked that Tererai should be let go to school. She attended just two terms of school and then was married off at the age of eleven.
This tradition and marriage she followed kept her silent for a long time though she wanted an education. She didn't like this life and tradition but because there were no role models and she didn't know any other way out she went on living like that.
Her husband knew about her desire to go to school but will beat her every time she talked about it.
While the other women talked about having food security and educating their children, she said she wanted to go to America, have a degree, then a master's degree and then a PhD. She was 18 years at the time and expecting her 5th child. She also never had a high school education.
This woman told her that if she believes in her dreams then she can achieve them. She was confused because she knew that she didn't have a secondary school certificate. So she wrote to her mother telling her about the American woman who told her that she can achieve her dreams. And her mother said to her that if she believes in her dreams and achieves them, then she won't only be a pacesetter and role model for other women but also for the children she brings into this world. Her mother also told her to write down her dreams and bury them in the ground so that she will not forget where she comes from no matter where she goes in search of her dreams.
She wrote her dreams down and buried them. The fifth dream she added was that she wants to come back and help the girls and women in her community. Her mother made her write the fifth dream and Tererai says that she understands why. She says our dreams make more sense when we use them to help others. This fifth dream made her want to build schools, especially in her community to help other girls who have dreams and prevent them from going through what she went through to achieve her dreams.
It took Tererai 8 years to get her GED (an exam certificate that is equivalent to a high school diploma). She will struggle to get money to study and write the exams in her country and then send the results to the post office every time. She kept failing the exam and kept writing it until she passed it after trying it for eight years.
Then she was admitted into Oklahoma State University where she got a degree in agriculture and then a master's in Plant Pathology and of course a PhD.
But all of these achievements didn't come without trials and obstacles.
She moved to Oklahoma, America with her husband and five children. Her relationship with her husband was abusive to the point where he was deported for continuously abusing her. Life became so hard for them as she was going to school and worked four jobs to take care of her family. One day she saw the gums of her kids bleed as they brushed their teeth and she realized that it was because they weren't eating fruits and vegetables. She asked for help from her school and was directed to a store which accepted to give her fruits and vegetables that were going bad and were to be thrown away. She would select the fruits and vegetables from the trash can, wash them and feed her kids.
During this difficult moment, what kept her grounded was thoughts of gratitude. She felt grateful that even though her kids ate from the trash can, other kids ate from trash cans which were not as clean as the one she and her kids ate from. She was also grounded by the thought that despite the uncomfortable place she lived in there were other women who lived with their kids on the street and she wasn't one of them. These thoughts made her grateful, they kept her moving on and remaining persistent with achieving her dreams.
It took her almost 20 years from when she buried her dreams till when she achieved her PhD from Western Michigan University.
She later met Jolak who told her that she could achieve her dreams when she got a job after getting her master's. Then when she got her PhD, she decided to make money and go back to her country to achieve her fifth dream which was to help her community.
She printed t-shirts with the words "Tinogona" meaning "it's achievable" written on them in her local language. But she sold only 20 of them and so she couldn't raise money to open schools back home in Zimbabwe.
Then one day she got a phone call which she calls the best phone call of her life. It was from Oprah. Oprah donated $1.5 million for her to go back and build schools in Zimbabwe.
She released a book in 2018 titled "The Awakened Woman" where she talks about the hunger for the things we want, meaningful life and greatness.
She is invited to give talks all over the world by organizations like the United Nations to talk about the importance of girls' education.
She built 11 schools which support more than 6000 children. She is an inspiration and role model for her community.
Tererai believes that if you truly believe in your dreams and work hard for them and never give up then you will achieve them. As she often says 'It is achievable' and she is living proof of that.
Her book "The Awakened Woman" is a guide to help women ignite and remember their secret dreams. Her book teaches essential lessons that encourage women to uncover the power hidden within them so that they can achieve their dreams. This book is written to help you achieve your dreams.
Her book is available on her website and other sites like Amazon in both audio and e-book format.
She also wrote this book titled "A Girl Who Buried Her Dreams In Can: A True Story" which talks about the true story of her life. You can get it in audio and downloadable e-books as well.
Memorable moments for Tererai.
Terarai's face and reaction when Oprah told her that she will donate $1.5 million to realize her dream of building schools.
She was shocked and so happy as Oprah surprised her with the announcement on her show.
The school in her village was not in a good state because the walls were falling apart, children took classes on the bare floor and teachers had no material to help them teach the children.
Tererai was able to renovate the school and build many other schools that have encouraged more girl children to go to school and get an education that will help them achieve their dreams.
Most of the parents and children in her village see her as a role model and want to either become like her or want their children to become like her. Tererai never had a role model as she built her dreams but today many young girls look up to her as one.
Lessons from her story
1. She visualized herself achieving her dreams
She would go to where she buried her dreams, sit there and visualized what life would be like when she achieved her dreams.
2. She wrote down her dreams
Writing about her dreams made her serious about it and made ger to remember them.
3. She practised gratitude
This made her grounded and gave her the courage to go on and never give up.
4. She humbled herself
She was humble every step of her journey. She knew her situation and was honest with those who helped her to get to where she is today.
5. She was patient
It took her eight years to get her GED and twenty years to get her PhD. Only patience can help anyone achieve this.
6. She was persistent and never gave up
She kept insisting even when she failed. She took her GED exam many times for eight years and never gave up even though she kept failing. She found more ways to ameliorate instead of giving up on the exam because she knew that it was the only way she could get into the university to achieve her dreams.
7. She worked hard for her dreams
Apart from believing she can achieve her dreams, she put in hard work to achieve her dreams.
Favourite quotes from Tererai Trent
'When you have the vision to change your life, whatever you write down becomes engrained in your thoughts. Whatever is engrained in your thoughts can be manifested. Because your mind, and your thoughts, and your being, and your feelings are thinking about that vision"
"Find your passion, find your great hunger and go for it!"
"Happiness is temporary, but wholeness is forever. I may wake up sad but I'm whole."
"Your dreams will have better meaning when they are tied to the betterment of others."
Culture:
Etiquette when attending events.
Attending events is unavoidable when building a successful career and social life. It is therefore very important to know how to behave during events especially when we have the aim to build solid relationships while at it. Here is some very important etiquette to practice when attending events.
1. Confirm your presence at the event before the event starts
It's polite to respond to your host that you will be attending his/her event. It also puts his/her mind at ease because they need to be sure of the number of people attending.
2. Respect the dress code demanded by your host
You don't want to be the odd one in the room, right? If the dress code is white then come dressed in white.
3. Be there on time
Going on time shows respect for your host because it helps him/her to follow their program as planned. And people are more inclined to show respect to those who respect them as well.
4. Thank the host for inviting you.
Find the time to meet and interact with your host and thank them for inviting you. Warm compliments about the event's theme, guests or decor will be highly appreciated by your hosts and make them remember you when they organize the next one. This is a good way to work your way into the heart of your hosts especially when the event is important for your career or business in terms of networking or getting clients.
5. Respect the point of view and cultures of the host and other guests
Don't go to events to show your host or other guests that you are more intelligent or to win arguments. Share your point of view but keep an open mind and tolerate the views of others.
6. Don't drink too much
No need to emphasize that too much alcohol will only help you misbehave in front of everyone and that is embarrassing for you and your host.
Beauty:
The beauty hacks with honey
Honey is one very essential product to have at home because of its benefits. Here are some easy beauty hacks with honey that will help you save money and which don't have side effects.
1. Skin Hacks:
- Acne treatment
You can use honey to treat acne on your face, chest and back. Honey contains antioxidants and antibacterial components that treat acne and blackheads.
- Scars and burns
Honey helps relieve the effects of burns. Apply it immediately if you get burnt to prevent the burns from hurting and swelling.
Applying honey to scars helps them to clear out and disappear with time.
- Skin Exfoliating
Honey mixed with grains of sugar is efficient to exfoliate the skin and leave it free from dead skin cells.
2. Hair Hacks
- Nourish and repair hair
Honey is great for hair. It softens nourishes and repairs damaged hair. It also helps with hair growth and prevents hair from breaking.
- Hair removal
Honey also provides a natural way to remove hair when it is mixed with sugar and heated till the sugar melts and the forms and smooth thick paste. Apply the warm paste on the areas you want to shave or remove hair, put a cloth on the paste you applied to stick and then pull it with some force to take out the hair.
Career:
Why you need to have multiple streams of income in this new age
At first, it was common to see people with just one career or work from the beginning of their career until their retirement. But these days, more people are increasing their streams of income not only because they want to make more money but for many other reasons. It has become a necessity to have more than one stream of income. Here are some reasons why it is necessary.
1. No Job is safe
Job security is a real source of stress for both employees and employers. An industry may face a serious meltdown that will cause people to lose their jobs or go out f business. For example, the blogging industry which faced a great hit with the arrival of Instagram influencers and a low attention span from readers.
That's why it's important to have other sources of income to support you during times of job insecurity in any industry you are involved in.
2. To be financially free and secured
Multiple streams of income help you to make more money in a shorter time. This makes you financially free and secured faster.
3. Because you have many talents and gifts
Use your multiple talents and gifts to make extra income. If you are good at more than one thing then
Your purpose can give you multiple streams of income.
Health:
How to eat properly in order to avoid falling sick while working hard for your dreams
Building a solid and successful career can be full of stress and serious hard work which may lead to poor eating habits. This may also lead to illnesses and tiredness due to not eating properly.
That's why it's important to eat well and properly as we work hard to get to the level of success we wish to obtain in our careers and lives. Here are some ways to eat properly in order to avoid illnesses that will slow you down as you chase your dreams.
- Avoid eating to keep yourself awake longer or to prolong the working time
Eating to stay awake when sleepy or to send away tiredness is not healthy at all. It is important to take a nap and rest when tired so that you don't eat at unnecessary times of the day or night.
Plan your meals weekly
Take time to plan what you are going to eat during the week even if you eat out most of the time. This will help you eat more balanced meals and leave you less stressed about food so that you can concentrate on work while eating healthy.
- Avoid drinking too much coffee, and sodas and replace them with natural juices.
Replace coffee and sodas with fresh natural juices to benefit from vitamins that are good for your health. Coffee and sodas don't have any health benefits to you especially when you are stressed out with work and building your career.
- Drink healthy smoothies
Smoothies are great because it helps you consume food that you may not like eating directly. Making a healthy smoothie and drinking helps you benefit from lots of healthy nutrients even from foods you don't like eating.
- Add lots of fruits and vegetables to your meals for more healthy nutrients
Work stress can empty your nutrient reservoir quite quickly. It is necessary to add fruits and vegetables to replenish. Lots of nuts and lentils are also great for your health.
Relaxation:
Fun and relaxing outdoor activities can help you build a stronger bond and connection with your loved ones.
Finding the right activity to create a great bond and really connect with loved ones is important after you've spent most of your week working. It's very important to reconnect with those we care about because it's not only about working and building a successful career, life is also about spending time with loved ones.
Outdoor activities are more fun and active. That's why this is a great way to create a bond with those you love. Here is a list of some fun outdoor activities to help you reconnect and relax with those who matter the most in your life.
Picnicking
Decide to have some more play and fun time by picnicking. This activity creates room for conversation and bonding. You may prepare the food yourself or order it and create a spirit of sharing that helps to create a bond.
Hiking
A walk up the hill or mountain is a great opportunity to have a deep and long conversation. Supporting and encouraging each other through the walk is also a great way to connect.
Bowling
The fun of competing in bowling is exciting and fun. This makes it a great activity to connect with those you care about and create new memories with them.
Eating out
It's easy to have a great conversation over some good food. Taking the time to eat out is great as it is relaxing and different from eating at home.
Going to the beach
A visit to the beach is highly recommended. Taking walks at the beach, building things with sand and watching the waves is good to experience with your loved ones.
An evening walk
Closing words from our Editor:
Thanks for reading this March edition of The Smart Woman Magazine. Hope you join us in the next edition which will be out the first week of April. Please leave your thoughts on the sections you liked or found useful in the comment section.
Thanks and see you next month for another edition of our magazine.
Ngumabi.
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