Use Your Mistakes to Grow and Flourish

Dear Badass Black Girl,

Learn to be okay with your mistakes. Don't let them block your efforts to become your best version of yourself. Instead, allow every mistake, every shortcoming, every failure to become a source of inspiration to do better and a chance to learn new lessons in life. Remember: If you don't learn to fail, you will fail to learn.

When things don't work out, tell yourself:

1. Remember some of your successes. Nobody is a "total loser."

2. Now, think about a particular mistake. While giving yourself permission to feel crummy for a little while, ask yourself: What lesson can I draw from this experience?

3. What steps can you take to correct the situation? If you said something stupid on a group chat, apologize. If you're the one who accidentally spilled Clorox on your sister's favorite blouse, acknowledge your mistake and replace the shirt if you can.

4. Now, imagine yourself in the future when this mistake no longer matters: You have grown from the experience. How much did it really impact your life? How do you feel?

"Mistakes are a fact of life. It is the response to the error that counts."

-Nikki Giovanni

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A creator of safe spaces, and an initiator of difficult conversations, M.J. Fievre, B.S. Ed, spent much time building up her Black students, helping them feel comfortable in their skin, and affirming their identities. Her close relationships with parents and students led her to look more closely at how we can balance protecting our child’s innocence with preparing them for the realities of Black life. When―and how―do you approach racism with your children? How do you protect their physical and mental health while also preparing them for a country full of systemic racism? She began to research the issue and speak to school counselors and psychologists to find (and apply!) strategies parents and teachers can use with their children to broach uncomfortable but necessary topics.

M.J. is the author of Badass Black Girl, a daily dose of affirmations for Black Girls.

“You'll come away from Badass Black Girl feeling as if you've known the author your entire life, and it's a rare feat for any writer.” ―“Mike, the Poet,” author of Dear Woman and The Boyfriend Book

#1 Gift Idea in Teen & Young Adult Cultural Heritage Biographies, Publishers Weekly Select Title for Young Readers.

Affirmations for strong, fearless Black girls. Wisdom from Badass Black female trailblazers who accomplished remarkable things in literature, entertainment, education, STEM, business, military and government services, politics and law, activism, sports, spirituality, and more.

Explore the many facets of your identity through hundreds of big and small questions. In this journal designed for teenage Black girls, MJ Fievre tackles topics such as family and friends, school and careers, body image, and stereotypes. By reflecting on these topics, you will confront the issues that can hold you back from living your best life and discovering your Black girl bliss.

Embrace authenticity and celebrate who you are. Finding the courage to live as you are is not easy, so here’s a journal designed to help you nurture creativity, positive self-awareness and Black girl bliss. This journal honors the strength and spirit of Black girls.

Change the way you view the world. This journal provides words of encouragement that seek to inspire and ignite discussion. You are growing up in a world that tries to tell you how to look and act. MJ Fievre encourages you to fight the flow and determine for yourself who you want to be.

Badass Black Girl helps you to:

• Build and boost your self-esteem with powerful affirmations

• Learn more about yourself through insightful journaling

• Become comfortable and confident in your authentic self