Melrudo06 - MELZIMSTAR

Stunning! 😍

Ari Lennox

Black hair is beautiful, embrace it!

Harsh truths we need to accept to move forward?

It doesn't take much to reach the top.

If you decide to get on your floor right now and do 10 push-ups, you will have done what 80% of women will refuse to do. If you turn off your phone 20 minutes before bed tonight, you will have done what 90% of young people in the modern world refuse to do. Most people are addicted to self-sabotaging behavior. We all know that eating crap and not exercising is bad for our bodies. We all know that scrolling on social media for hours each day is bad for our mental health. We all know that buying items we don't need isn't going to make us truly happy. Yet we choose to continue these habits because we don't want to feel uncomfortable. And there's actually a neurological reason for this: when we try to break a habit we've grown used to, our brain literally does everything in its power to stop us as a self-protective measure. So we have to work really hard to do what we know is good for us.

It's harrowing to understand that most people are willingly ruining their chances of success and happiness, but it's also a powerful realization. Why? Because you can use that knowledge to your advantage. If you commit to making really small changes every day to become just 1% better than you were last week, you will propel yourself MILES ahead of the curve. Stop trying to force yourself to change your entire life today. It's not going to work because your brain will reject it and you will be left feeling distraught. Instead, try to implement a single change into your life every week. It can be turning off your phone 5 minutes before going to bed instead of scrolling through reels for 30 minutes in the dark. It can be watching a 3-minute guided meditation every morning. It can be only drinking water instead of soda. Whatever that thing is, just stick with it and trust that by taking really simple and small actions, you will surpass the vast majority of the population.

This is why you're struggling to change your life.

How many times have you seen a video that offered advice that you committed to taking in order to change your life? How many times have you actually followed through and implemented those changes? We live in a world that gives us access to some of the best and most revolutionary information out there. In this day and age, we can go on youtube and learn EXACTLY how to become an entrepreneur, get a six-pack, meet our dream partner, and make millions of dollars. And while we don't have any issue watching these videos and being inspired by them, seldom do we actually make a move. The reason is that, once again, our brains like to play games. We subconsciously accept that if we are cognizant of the things we need to do to change our lives, our lives will magically change without us actually having to do those things.

So just understanding that we need to be in a calorie deficit to lose 15 pounds makes us believe that we have the power to lose 15 pounds. I mean how many times have you heard someone say "I know I have to lose weight, I just have to get started" and subsequently lose no weight at all? How many times have you told yourself you have to start meditating and yet never started or failed to meditate more than a couple of times? It's easy to learn how to change, but it's incredibly difficult to actually do something with that knowledge. But here's the thing: In order to actually change your life, you have got to get off your ass. Just knowing that you have to make a change is not going to cause that change to take place. You have got to take action.

Stop being a victim.

Playing the victim isn't just saying things like "I can't trust men because my father never showed me love", but it's also saying things like "I'm single because the men out there are trash" or "No one takes me seriously because I'm a Black woman." Whenever you say things like this, you're disempowering yourself immensely. And guess what? The world doesn't care that you've had a hard life. The market doesn't care. No one is going to give you an award or a bag of money because your life isn't fair. Yes, many of the men out there are gaslighters and cheaters. That's not the reason you're perpetually single. YOU'RE the reason you're single. Yes, people are racist. That's not the reason you can't find a job. YOU'RE the reason you can't find a job.

The people who can acknowledge their setbacks and move forward regardless are always going to be the ones who win in the end. I know women who are fat, objectively unattractive, and downright unintelligent who STILL ended up with the love of their lives. I know of people who are dyslexic and have incredibly low IQs who STILL ended up becoming CEOs. How did they do it? They stopped making excuses, accepted the fact they would have to work a bit harder than everyone else, and got to work. You need to look at yourself in the mirror and admit that every failure in your life is a result of your actions (or inactions). You need to STOP blaming others. It's you. It's always been you. And you know what? Understanding that is a beautiful thing. After all, the first step to self-improvement is self-awareness.

Lovingly,

Elle

Another natural hair appreciation post. 🤎✨ I just LOVE our hair so much.

Zendaya at the 2023 SAG Awards

Jasmine Tookes, 2024, via Instagram.

“God is not intimidated by the enormity of our requests. God honours bold requests, because bold requests honour God.”

✨I am the Best Series✨

Finance Month: Investing Pt. II

Introduction:

This week we're diving a bit deeper into the world of investing. Now that you guys have a solid understanding of what investing is and how to start doing it, I want to discuss what one should look for in a competitive stock, and share an example stock analysis. My hope is that by the end of this lesson you guys not only will be able to discern the difference between a bad and good stock but will also leave feeling comfortable picking out a couple of stocks for your own portfolio. So let's get into it:

What should you be looking for in a stock?

A company/industry that you resonate with: It's much easier to research an industry you're genuinely interested in, so look to stocks that are a reflection the things you actually like. For example, if you're interested in socially responsible investing, look for companies that focus on ESG (Environmental, Social, Governance).

A good price-to-earnings ratio (P/E Ratio): A P/E ratio determines whether a company is a good value compared to others in the industry. In more basic terms, a P/E ratio determines how much investors are willing to pay for each dollar of annual earnings. So if a ratio is 20, that means investors are willing to pay $20 on every $1 of annual earnings. Stocks with P/E ratios below 15 are considered cheap (which is good) and those with ratios above 18 are considered expensive.

Checkpoint: As you can see from the AAPL's stock chart, its P/E ratio is 38.82. What does that mean?

A Low Beta: Generally, beta measures a stocks volatility compared to the S&P 500. Generally, beta above 1 is considered volatile (not good) and below 1 stable (good). When looking at beta however, it's good to have perspective. A stock that has a high beta that has been outperforming the S&P 500 will likely yield higher returns over a shorter period of time. So while this could be good for your portfolio in the short-run, it could cause issues further down the line. So if you're risk-averse like me, you want to go for a lower beta.

A High Dividend: Basically, Stocks that pay dividends will give you an extra payout on top of the potential depreciation price. Therefore a high dividend yield will likely give you more solid income from a single stock. However, there's a balance to strike. Yields that are too high are often temporary because often times companies that are facing financial challenges will issue high yield to attract investors. So look for stocks with dividend yields of approximately 5% to 8%.

Checkpoint: Based on this graph, which stock would you be most willing to invest in based on it's 2020 dividend yield?

A balanced chart: It's very important to understand how to read a stock chart. A stock chart will tell you basically everything you need to know about a particularly stock, so being able to navigate one is essential. Stock charts appear in the form of line, bar,  and candlestick charts and are used by both fundamental and technical analysts.

Checkpoint: Take a look back at Apple's stock chart above. Looking at it's P/E ratio and Dividend Yield. Based on these numbers, would you say it's a viable stock?

Example stock analysis (what I look for in a stock and how I assess it):

**Before going into my stock analysis I want to make it very clear that I am by no means encouraging anyone to invest in the LULU. Please do your due diligence and research your own stocks. This is just an example of how I go about assessing a "good stock" and what I look for.

Lululemon Athletica Inc. (NASDAQ: LULU):

Industry Overview: Health and fitness equipment industry revenue has more than doubled, to $2.3 billion, from last March to October, according to NPD retail data. Sales of treadmills soared 135 percent while those of stationary bikes nearly tripled, depleting inventories.

Low vertical cost capabilities: Cheap production offers higher margins for LULU. LULU’s 21% profit margin vs NKE’s 12%.

Strong Brand Reputation: The brand has cemented its reputation and prices as just as fixed.

International Opening: LULU has only started to establish the international component of its business. Overseas presents less image challenges regarding gender.

Financials: LULU has a very healthy balance sheet primarily financed through equity with 4 billion worth of assets and 1.2 billion in working capital.

Business Overview: As of June 2021, LULU allows customers to resell their clothing back to the brand at a discounted price. These clothes are in turn resold back to the consumer with all profits being investing into circular design and renew and recycle programs. With no dividend yield, the company is focusing on strong growth which has been exceedingly successful. The past 4 quarters, LULU has beat earnings expectations even with the struggles retail stores have faced.

Competitive Advantage: The field of athleisure is extremely dense. While companies like Nike, Gap, and Under Armour dominate the field, none of them have seen revenue growth like Lululemon. The main drivers of their boom come from the relatively low cost to make their products. Vertical distribution allows their products to be moved without drawing additional cost within the movement process.

Recommendation: BUY.

Conclusion:

I hope you guys enjoyed learning a bit more about investing this week! While the stock analysis may seem daunting, you certainly don't need to go that deep. As long as you understand your stocks' chart and what's going on with the company in the news (like if the CEO just got fired for sleeping with his secretary, you probably shouldn't buy that stock), you should be fine. Understanding how to pick and analyze a stock is not easy and takes a good amount of time to get used to (I have years of experience, which is why I'm able to do so pretty quickly), so don't get discouraged by the process. Take it in strides, and of course, if you have any questions feel free to reach out! Next week I'll be discussing some of my favorite financial literacy/investing resources!

Lovingly,

Elle