Making my way towards divahood

Supermodel Iman .... Actress Salma Hayek .... Singer Patti LaBelle .... Singer/Actress Jennifer Lopez .... Actress Sanaa Lathan .... Actress Uma Thurman .... Rocker Tina Turner .... Anchorwoman Supreme Katie Couric .... Media Mogel Oprah Winfrey .... Writer Jackie Collins .... Writer Nikki Giovanni .... Senator and the President's decisionmaker for 8 years Hillary Rodham Clinton .....Congresswoman Maxine Waters ..... Singer Alicia Keys ... The cast of Sex and the City (all of them style mavens) - all of these women have one thing in common .... They Are Divas! Divas come in all shapes, sizes, colors, nationalities, backgrounds. Divahood is as diverse as the United Nations. But haven't you ever wondered how they have even became divas? Well each and everyone of these women have fascinating stories to tell about their lives that have stretched and shaped them to become divas, being a diva doesn't happen over night nor does it happen to only the rich and famous. It happens over time, dealing with life as it comes along. Let me share some examples ....

Did you know that at the height of her career in the 80's Supermodel Iman was in a car accident that broke some of her facial bones? Girlfriend looks and feels better now because of that accident. How many of us remember Jennifer Lopez as a Fly Girl for "In Living Color?" Even though she'd done small roles on television, she didn't break out in Hollywood until her non-speaking and rather very small, but influential, role in "Mi Familia" and the ever popular Vh-1 movie "Selena." Alicia Keys speaks candidly and often about how she worked for 7 years about becoming an overnight sensation in music. I bet you didn't know she had acne that would make a pizza say "Damn! She is blotchy!" Who can forget Oprah Winfrey's climb to the top? Through her start in life in Mississippi as a girl,the battle with her weight, the whole mad cow/Texas Cow Rancher case, and her shooting straight to the top of the Billionaire's List in Forbes, her life is truly for television movie. Hell she's now in the business of making other people's dreams come true! I'm telling you, the stories go on and on and on.

Being a diva is more than about style. It is about the grace, moxie and charisma you carry with you when dealing with life and the things it throws out at you. It's about not taking "no " for an answer. It's about making your life's dreams and ambitions becoming a tangible reality, not just talking about it and not doing anything about it. Divas don't talk in the "shoulda," "coulda" and "woulda." Divas are always present and represent, looking at the end goal as a reality and making it happen.

So what does this have to do with me? I'm rallying up all of my divas in training so that we can join together and become divas. Divas don't become divas alone! We employ our mothers, grandmothers, sisters, cousins, and friends in the journey. We chat with our girls that are also in divahood training. We seek mentorship from those that have already made their way there and are reaching back for us. We get up off of our asses, shake off the haters, reach into our closets and start making room for the Oscar, Grammy and Emmy gowns. We clean our Chrysler Sebrings to shine like the Mercedes Benz we want to own. We chit chat with our girlfriends and family in a Trans-Atlantic way. Although we own Nine West shoes, we walk in them like they are Manolo Blahniks. And we wear our Target/Dillard's/ Macy's/Forever 21/ etc. clothing like it is our own couture line with our names on it! I mean! Who in the hell said that we can't have what want when we want it? So to all of my divas in training, let's get out of the remedial diva classes and enroll in Diva 101: the making of a diva ..