Authors Posts by Monet Brown

Monet Brown

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A true Gemini, Monet Brown is a woman with many interests who pursues them all. From writing to makeup artistry she has many loves and is unapologetic about pursuing each of them. Having strong interpersonal skills Monet worked in corporate sales for over 5 years. After being laid off of what she though was a stable job she decided to pursue her true passion in the beauty industry. She has been a makeup artist for the past 5 years and in the summer of 2015 became a licensed esthetician. Her specialties include chemical peels, facials, waxing, and makeup application. But it doesn't end there. Wanting to utilize all of her talents and not putting all of her eggs in one basket again, she uses her Bachelor's degree in communications to write. She currently uses those talents towards her skin care/makeup blog as well as resume writing, biographies, and media kits.

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May is Mental Health Awareness Month. It’s something that has, in the past, been very taboo to speak about, however, in recent years has been brought to the spotlight as more and more people suffer from some sort of mental illness. No one is exempt. Even celebrities suffer from mental illness and have resorted to taking their own lives.

Most recently in the headlines is the suicide death of two Cincinnati teenagers who committed suicide just days between each other. Bossip was the first to report that pregnant 18-year old college student Mercedes Shaday took her life in her dorm room; not even two days later her 17-year old boyfriend Markeice Brown took his life. How each of them did it has not been specified. According to a Facebook live video Markeice posted before he killed himself he did it because he couldn’t live without Mercedes. Apparently they both talked about how they didn’t like living life and always felt they had nothing to live for. With Mercedes being away at college they weren’t able to see each other as often. As he sat outside wearing a hoodie, crying uncontrollably he talked about how her parents (who banned him from the funeral and blamed him for her death) didn’t really know what was going on with her. He then said goodbye to his friends and family via Facebook Live and left a lengthy status explaining that he’s going to see Mercedes since her parents won’t let him see her at the funeral.

People live every day with mental illness; the case of Markeice and Mercedes is a case of untreated mental illness and what can happen if left untreated. Having been diagnosed with anxiety myself, I suffer from similar feelings of inadequacy, having negative thoughts and feelings of anxiousness over the most minute thing. The illness makes you feel as if you have no one and no one understands or cares what you feel.

This is a long overdue conversation that needs to be had in the African American community. It’s something most don’t know a lot about but trust me when I say several people you know have some sort of mental illness because a lot of us suffer in silence. That same silence is what can lead to what happened to Markeice and Mercedes. The more people who understand and can empathize, the more people who suffer will feel comfortable asking for and seeking help.

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The first thing that needs to be done is recognizing that mental illness is a real thing and those who have it should not be judged. It’s something that is not the fault of anyone; it’s a biological brain disorder. The Health and Human Services Office of Minority Health reports that our community is “20% more likely to experience serious mental health problems than the general population” due to things like experience to violence and homelessness. Those disorders include depression, ADHD, suicide and PTSD.

Unfortunately there are a few reasons why African Americans don’t seek help/treatment:

  1. Faith/Spirituality – The topic is not talked about and most don’t know what it means. We’re always told to just pray about it (and anything for that matter) and give it to God. While I go to God about everything, prayer alone will not help a mental disorder. It needs to be diagnosed and treated by a professional. Saying “Just pray about it” is one of the most dismissive things you can say to someone with a mental illness.
  2. Lack of information & misunderstanding – Lack of understanding or the inability to realize that mental illness is a real thing leads to underestimating the effects of how big of an impact it can have on everyday life.
  3. Access to healthcare – Some African Americans are very reluctant to seek help from a professional either because of a lack of benefits and/or distrust of medical professionals. NAMI reports that “only about one-quarter of African Americans seek mental health care, compared to 40% of whites.”

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A few symptoms of anxiety, depression, and other mental illness include feeling sad, confused thinking, being unable to concentrate, withdrawal from friends and family, extreme mood changes, feeling sluggish/sleeping more often than normal, excessive anger or hostility. If you or anyone you know show signs don’t be ashamed or embarrassed to reach out for help. I was in denial for a couple of years before I realized that getting help would make my life much easier and more enjoyable. You’d be surprised at how many people also have mental illness. Since I’ve been more open I’ve learned of so many people who go through exactly what I go through. And it’s ok. There’s nothing wrong with you. You deserve to get help. You deserve to be happy. You deserve to live a healthy life.

To get help reach out to your primary healthcare provider. There are also support groups in local areas as well as online groups on platforms like Facebook. Whatever you do, don’t suffer in silence because it could cost you your life one day.

A true Gemini, Monet Brown is a woman with many interests who pursues them all. From writing to makeup artistry she has many loves and is unapologetic about pursuing each of them. Having strong interpersonal skills Monet worked in corporate sales for over 5 years. After being laid off of what she though was a stable job she decided to pursue her true passion in the beauty industry. She has been a makeup artist for the past 5 years and in the summer of 2015 became a licensed esthetician. Her specialties include chemical peels, facials, waxing, and makeup application.

But it doesn’t end there. Wanting to utilize all of her talents and
not putting all of her eggs in one basket again, she uses her Bachelor’s degree in communications to write. She currently uses those talents towards her skin care/makeup blog as well as resume writing, biographies, and media kits.

Finding that special someone can sometimes be very challenging. For singles who want to be in a relationship part of the issue becomes where to meet people and how to find love. In a time where the Steve Harveys of the world write relationship books telling women how to get a man and give advice through letter submissions, Troy Spry has taken a different approach on teaching both men and women how to love.

“There is a lack of narrative about positive relationships and marriages and I want to help create a healthy outlook on marriage. I’ve built a platform to make people better. My mission is to first inspire people to become better people so that they can become better mates, which will foster an environment for better relationships and ultimately help build better communities,” says the certified relationship coach.

His focus is on dating and how to choose a good mate. He wants to help people expand their social circle and choose more wisely in the beginning stages of dating. For the married folks his motivation is to teach how to best love your mate through actions.

When asked how he got started and why he wants to have a platform centered around relationships, Spry says even as a child he liked expressing himself, mainly through writing. “When I was a kid I wrote poetry and would write poems for my friends to give to their girlfriends.”

Writing has helped him get through some of the toughest times of his life, including when his mother passed away when he was 27. “My first blog was called ‘A Mother’s Love’ and it got a lot of feedback.” From there he kept writing about what came natural to him, which was relationships. Having graduated with a bachelor’s degree in psychology, he naturally has an interest in human behavior and why people do what they do.

The response he got was so well received he decided to write a book about it. “Teach Me How to Love” teaches people how to get out of their own way and make relationships work, whether its a potential relationship, new relationship, a long-term one, or a marriage.

So how does Troy bring people together outside of his writing?

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He has what he refers to as conversation parties that were birthed from his Twitter lunchtime discussions. He would ask a question and interact and converse with his followers on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. The response was great and a follower suggested doing it in person. That’s exactly what he did.

In the spring of 2014 he hosted his first conversation party with both males and females, ages 22-40. It’s an environment for like-minded people to have an open discussion about relationships in a comfortable environment. The majority tend to be female but Troy says he makes it a point to recruit men so the atmosphere and conversation can be balanced. “People who come to these events may be looking for answers but also may be looking to meet someone,” says the relationship coach. The parties have a one-hour meet and greet where attendees can get to know one another followed by a 2-hour discussion led by Spry. This year there will be guest speaker and Match Maker Julie Wadley to help host and facilitate.

The 2nd conversation party will be on Sunday, May 7, 2017 in Charlotte, NC. For tickets to the event, called “Where is the Love?”:Click here

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A true Gemini, Monet Brown is a woman with many interests who pursues them all. From writing to makeup artistry she has many loves and is unapologetic about pursuing each of them. Having strong interpersonal skills Monet worked in corporate sales for over 5 years. After being laid off of what she though was a stable job she decided to pursue her true passion in the beauty industry. She has been a makeup artist for the past 5 years and in the summer of 2015 became a licensed esthetician. Her specialties include chemical peels, facials, waxing, and makeup application.

But it doesn’t end there. Wanting to utilize all of her talents and
not putting all of her eggs in one basket again, she uses her Bachelor’s degree in communications to write. She currently uses those talents towards her skin care/makeup blog as well as resume writing, biographies, and media kits.

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It’s no surprise that millennials are far different from the previous generations, especially that of their baby boomer parents. According to CNN.com baby boomers are those born between the mid-1940s and 1964. During their era they were taught to get an education, get a job, start a family and that’s it. African American baby boomers especially were thankful to have a job and be able to support the family. That is not the case with millennials.

Raised in the technology era, millennials have had the power of knowledge literally at their fingertips. Having just a job is no longer acceptable; they want a career that they are passionate about. Building a family is nice, but isn’t a priority. Having children seems more of a burden than a goal, mainly because they are still being raised by their parents. Although adults themselves, millennials continue to live with their baby boomer parents, who moved out of their parent’s houses when they were about 18.

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CNN reported that more than 32% of millennials lived at home with their parents in 2014, compared to 1960 when people of the same age group were more likely to live with a spouse or partner. Millennials are also more likely to have a college degree but make less money than Gen X-ers in the 1980s.

So why are millennials still living at home with their parents, even though they have access to so much more than previous generations? According to several young adults in their late 20s and early 30s they feel like they are still being raised themselves.

In speaking to a millennial female she gives her answer to that question, “I’m 32 and I don’t feel like a real adult. I’m single with no kids and I’m still working on building my career. I want a family but I’m not where I want to be in life. I also want to travel and see the world. I work a full time job but honestly still feel like my parents are still raising me.”

Latoya, who has a successful career with a nice salary and lives on her own, simply does not want children and has never wanted them. “They’re too much responsibility. I want to do what I want when I want without having to worry about anyone else.”

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It seems as if millennials either don’t want or aren’t ready to be “real adults.” Adulting includes settling down and not necessarily always doing or getting what you want. For people who have had access to so much since childhood not getting what they want hasn’t ever been their reality. Previous generations have more of a selfless outlook because times and social norms were different. Making sacrifices was necessary for survival.

Millennials have a more selfish outlook, focusing more on what they want and how to get the most enjoyment and fulfillment out of life because of what has been available to them.

There’s nothing wrong with enjoying life and living it to the fullest. Who better to learn that from that millennials.

Souce: CNN

A true Gemini, Monet Brown is a woman with many interests who pursues them all. From writing to makeup artistry she has many loves and is unapologetic about pursuing each of them. Having strong interpersonal skills Monet worked in corporate sales for over 5 years. After being laid off of what she though was a stable job she decided to pursue her true passion in the beauty industry. She has been a makeup artist for the past 5 years and in the summer of 2015 became a licensed esthetician. Her specialties include chemical peels, facials, waxing, and makeup application.

But it doesn’t end there. Wanting to utilize all of her talents and
not putting all of her eggs in one basket again, she uses her Bachelor’s degree in communications to write. She currently uses those talents towards her skin care/makeup blog as well as resume writing, biographies, and media kits.

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