Transition: My Ah-Ha Moment

Welcome to my chair...

"A Woman in Transition is a woman who finds herself bracing for a new phase in life. “Transition” is not just a change in routines, relationships or social status – it is a fundamental shift in a woman’s identity. It could be brought on with purposeful intent, such as voluntarily retiring from a successful career, or entering a second marriage. It could be brought on by an unexpected surprise, such as losing a spouse to a heart attack, or becoming single after a painful divorce. For a Woman in Transition, the uncertainty of the future can result in anxiety and fear and/or excitement and anticipation." Athena Chang CFP, Wealth Manager, April 2011.

I ran into a young lady who had just did the Big Chop and who was flaunting a fabulous mohawk. It was like the cut was made just for her. So, as I was giving her compliments about her hair, I noticed she was "a woman in transition" trying to embrace this new phase in her life. This young lady, with the fabulous "hawk", needed encouragement and support about her new look that it took another fifteen minutes to explain how to maintain her new look and what products she should used as well as what type of leave-in conditioner, shampoo, and styling products would be good for her hair texture and curl pattern. I could tell that she was struggling to embrace her new look, but trust me it was FABULOUS!.

So here is my ah-ha moment.

Even though there are millions of blogs on natural hair and billions of natural hair how-to videos on youtube (and the number continues to grow), I understand that there are women who are going natural everyday and transition for them can be full of anxiety, fear, excitement, and anticipation. It means more than being chemically free. Many women struggle with the following questions as they are transitioning...How will I maintain my new look? Did I make the right choice by going natural? Can I find the right products for my hair texture? And so on...

Here is my answer to all of the above.

Knowledge is the key to a successful transition phase. Learn the basics of maintaining your natural hair. Research products before you purchase them. Avoid becoming a "product junkie". Ask questions as you are on your natural hair journey. Follow natural hair blogs.

Most importantly, learn to fall in love with your natural hair and celebrate your decision; take it from me, you will be glad that you did.