Category: Life

Life

5 Signs You’re Maturing in Your 20s

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You’re getting older, but are you growing up? The older we get, the more we have to examine ourselves, not only physically, but also emotionally and spiritually.

It may not be the best feeling in the moment, but the longterm benefits are priceless and the older you will thank you. If you’re not sure where to start, here is a list of five signs you’re starting to make self progress in your 20s.

1. You Practice Self Reflection

How will you know you’ve grown if you never reflect on your character or personal life? Thinking about who you are and how far you have come is a great way to measure progression. 

2. You Know Your Areas of Improvement

It’s okay to not know everything, to not have everything completely mastered. In fact, if you do believe you have everything perfected, you may want to go back to number one. Make a note of the areas you want to work on and develop a plan for turning rough spots into talents.

3. You’re Less Judgmental

By a certain age, it’s most beneficial for you and others to understand that life has not been the same for everyone. Many have had unique obstacles that impact their everyday life and being. Show grace and remember everyone is created in the image of God.

4. You Consider Others

Selfishness will leave you with only the first four letters of the word. The people in our lives that support us and love us are a blessing. Life can change at any moment and when it does, you’re going to want reliable people around you.

5. You Think and Process Before You Respond

When you live in purpose, you realize every word you speak holds weight. In a day and age of constant disagreement, debate and outrage, it’s easy to fly off the handle about the things you’re passionate about. Practice processing your feelings and emotions about what makes you upset before you express them. Consider whether they are worth expressing at all or if they are better shared with a smaller group.

Like you, we are also working to be our best selves, balancing life and navigating our beginning post college graduation years. You are not alone. 

Let’s continue to help one another! Share this with someone on a journey of growth and maturity. 

Sincerely,

Your Friends at Post Graduate

Life

6 Black Literary Classics for Black History Month 2022

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Literature is one of the greatest ways to amplify underrepresented voices and understand someone else’s point of view. Black culture and history can be seen, heard and felt through the words of Black classic novels and other literary works.

We’ve compiled a list of classic, Black literature written by some of the greatest authors and poets of all time to do just that. Here are six Black classics that are sure to inspire.

Maya Angelou: I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings

In this autobiographical classic, Maya Angelou chronicles her journey from a tumultuous childhood to an adult life transformed by talent. Angelou offers a rare authenticity inviting readers to grieve her most challenging experiences, including abuse, and celebrate her proudest moments, like the launch of her writing career. Readers experience second-hand liberation and are empowered to persist no matter what life throws their way.

Langston Hughes: The Negro Speaks of Rivers

Hughes penned this reflective poem on a train ride to down to see his father in Mexico. The Harlem Renaissance writer, who was only 17-years-old at the time, had moved around often as a child and seen life from many different perspectives. This work pays homage to his experience as an African American and reminds readers of the importance of culture itself.

Toni Morrison: Beloved

Based on the real life story of former slave Margaret Garner, this Pulitzer Prize winning novel chronicles the psychological road to freedom post slavery. Main character Sethe has successfully escaped, but must now confront the trauma that still lords over her mind. Sethe is plagued with memories of the child whose life she saved from slavery through death. It had no name, but on its tombstone is written a single-word truth, Beloved.

W.E.B. Dubois: The Souls of Black Folks

20th Century Global African American Scholar W.E.B. Dubois intellectually fought racist stereotypes about African Americans just a few years after slavery was officially banned in the United States. The sociology scholar speaks on unacknowledged privilege and makes the case for humanizing Black Americans. His 1903 literature is used to this day in universities around the globe as a basis for understanding inequality in America.

Zora Neal Hurston: Their Eyes Were Watching God

Harlem Renaissance Writer Zora Neal Hurston follows a young, Black woman’s rocky quest for love in the mid-1800s in this critically-acclaimed novel. Considered controversial at the time of its publication, Huston’s contemporary love story is filled with female resistance. It’s main character refuses to marry for security or appearance and eventually gets the love she always wanted, though it’s not exactly what she expected.

Ralph Ellison: The Invisible Man

Unlike anything before its time, Invisible Man shines a light on the difficulties of simply living life unbothered as a young, Black man in the early 20th century. The book’s main character tells his story in a series of flashbacks that help create an understanding of what life is like when you’re seen as just a concept, and not a person. This thrilling literary work is a bird’s eye view into the life of someone unseen and unheard.

We hope you enjoy these Black literary masterpieces and are encouraged to celebrate the history, accomplishments and contributions of Black people all year around. 

Happy Reading!

Post Graduate

Life

5 Conversation Starters for Making Friends After College

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For those of us who have a longtime circle of friends or struggle with social anxiety, meeting new people can be nerve-racking. What do we say and what impression will they get? 

The most important thing is to remember that you are both human, both imperfect and both just trying – no need to be afraid. After getting over this fear, here are a few interesting questions you can ask to get the conversation going!

1. Tell Me About Yourself.

Whether we like to admit it or not, it’s scientifically proven that we all love talking about ourselves. Believe or not, everyone’s story is pretty interesting. You’re the only one who has ever lived the life you live and people want to hear about it.

2. What’s Your Favorite Social Media Platform?

Are you more of a Facebook gal or the Twitter guy? Over 3.6 billion people have some form of social media and most of us have lots of opinions about it. This is a great opportunity to learn about people’s likes and dislikes and can give clues on what other things may interest this person.

3. Stream Anything Good Lately?

You know that series everyone’s talking about? Yeah, that one – talk about that. What we watch sticks with us, and in a way, we become experts on it. Give ideas, opinions and other similar suggestions.

4. What Are Some of Your Favorite Hobbies?

Bring out feelings of joy by discussing what people like to do. You’ll be surprised by how they light up. Talking about hobbies is always fun and can create an avenue for deepening the relationship through quality time engaging in that hobby together.

5. How Are You Enjoying the Weather?

It’s pretty standard, but it works. People’s reaction to the weather can give insight on their life context and upbringing. Why do you love the cold? Have you always enjoyed Autumn?

Making friends after college can be difficult, but it’s not impossible. Use these conversations starters and research more if needed. Let us know how it goes!

Kindly,

Post Graduate

P.S. Don’t forget to follow us on Facebook and Instagram!

Life

3 Personal Fears to Overcome in Your 20s: How to Be Courageous

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Remember that thing you used to be afraid of when you were little? The unidentified noise under your bed, the 9-year-old bully in the cafeteria, the neighbor’s dog that was just a little too intimidating?

They’re all laughable now and it’s hard to understand your reasoning behind why you were so afraid in the first place. The older we get, the longer this list gets.

All types of unreasonable fears, even some we forgot about, are now behind us. There’s probably something you’re afraid of right now – and in ten years – it will seem foolish, simple even.

Fear is normal, but we don’t have to let it rule over us. Here is a short list of irrational fears that try to push us around as (young) adults.

1. Other’s Negative Opinions

When I was a child, I used to think that at a certain age, everyone would just grow up, that immaturity by some act of nature just left our bodies, and that drama could only exist in “childish” spaces. 

I was wrong. Some people get a kick out of judging, bullying and inappropriately criticizing others well into their adult years. It’s an unfulfilling attempt to heal a hurting wound in many cases, whether they realize it or not.

Negative opinions will always be out there. The way to overcome them is through a healthy understanding and solid memory of self. Some negative opinions are completely bogus, while others may hold some truth.

Perhaps there is something you struggle with or used to struggle with. What’s important is who you are today and the direction you’re headed in now.

2. Failure

Usually fear of failure is linked to meeting others’ expectations. You’re afraid of messing up a legacy or a reputation that you worked hard to build. You don’t want to be looked at as less than you have in the pass, and you don’t want people to see you mess up.

Is what people think more important than the vision that has been pulling on you heart strings and the impact it will make? The people who really care about you won’t see you any different anyway. The cliche is true, “if you fail, at least you tried.”

3. Greatness

Actually accomplishing your goal is one of the least popular and lesser talked about fears. Sometimes we know we can do it and do it amazingly, and that scares the heck out of us.

Our talents may get us into rooms that make us uncomfortable and around people who are considered VIPs. It can be intimidating, but remember you’re there because it’s where your talents naturally took you. 

You belong and you have something that someone needs.

We hope you’re pumped up and ready to laugh at whatever is trying to make you afraid in your twenties. Don’t wait until the future to look back and laugh. Laugh now!

With Courage,

Post Graduate

Life

5 Reasons You’re Not Enjoying Life After College or Your Twenties

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After the applause dies down and the crowd disperses, what’s left? Life after college, your first few years of true adulthood, there’s more responsibility, yet more freedom, and more time to do what you actually love.

But why does it feel like this? Your early twenties sound like the ideal scenario, but they can present a unique array of challenges. The truth is, there will always be something, even when you’re in complete control, but if you’re waiting for everything to go well before you start enjoying life, then you’ll never enjoy life.

Feel your feelings, of course! But enjoy your blessings as well. Here are a few reasons why your twenties may not be enjoyable. 

1. A Lack of Patience

Sometimes we’re so focused on getting that thing we’ve always dreamed of that we forget to enjoy the journey. It’s possible to be so wrapped up in accomplishing goals that we forget about everything else. Do you have goals or do your goals have you? Besides, we’re much more successful when were holistically happy. 

2. Ungratefulness

Take inventory of all the good things in your life, even if they seem small and insignificant. There are instances where life is not enjoyable because we simply choose not to enjoy it, but usually we don’t know we’re making this horrible decision. Don’t be that person who doesn’t realize how good that have it until it’s gone. While striving for greater, be grateful for what you have.

3. Living for Others

Could the reason why you’re not enjoying your life be that you’re attempting to live someone else’s? It’s easier than you think to live a life that someone else created for you, especially if you love them. Their wants may have automatically become yours without you even noticing it. Living to meet other’s desires can also happen on a societal level. Making decisions to be who the world says people who look like you, who come from where you come from, should be can dim the soul.

4. Befriending the Wrong People

Our friends shape our experience of the world. You can go down the exact same path as someone else, but have a completely different experience because of who you went with. Examine those closest to you and your relationships with them. What do they look like? How do they make you feel?

5. Disregard for Mental and Emotional Health

Mental and emotional problems don’t just go away. In fact, if you ignore them, they can get worse. Although you may feel resilient, mental health challenges can affect us in ways we do not realize. Prioritize your mind and your feelings so that you can be the best version of you. You owe it to yourself.

It’s okay not to feel okay about your twenties. Life is full of highs and lows, but don’t forget to celebrate the good times. Have any other suggestions? Share them with the Post Graduate Gang in the comments or on our socials. 

Don’t forget to follow us on Facebook and Instagram!

Count Your Blessings,

Post Graduate

Life

Just Because Gifts for Mom

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Mother’s Day is less than a week away, but there is still time! Send your mom or mother figure a thoughtful digital gift that you can get right away and she can begin using immediately. Here are a few functional and lasting digital presents that you can grab right off Amazon!

Amazon Prime Membership

Let your Mom in on the secret to getting Amazon packages more quickly for less! You can give the gift of Amazon Prime and everything that comes with it, like free one- and two-day shipping and Ultrafast Grocery delivery. With the gift of Prime, you Mom will also have full access to Prime Video featuring thousands of popular TV shows and movies, plus Amazon Music Unlimited which contains over 70 million songs and millions of podcast episodes.

Kindle Unlimited Membership Plan

Is your Mom constantly downloading eBooks? Consider getting her a Kindle Unlimited Membership Plan. Unlimited Plans come in 6, 12 and 24 month increments and give members access to over one million eBooks and audiobooks. 

Personal Shopper by Prime Wardrobe

Get your Mom ready for reopening with her very own personal stylist! Personal Shopper by Prime Wardrobe allows customers to choose from selections they like, submit their choices and then get personalized suggestions from fashion professionals. Your mom can try on the clothes she is recommended and only has to purchase what she likes! The rest, she can send back.

Your mom deserves to feel special this Mother’s Day and every day! Have any additional ideas? Let us know in the comments. 

Wishing Your Mom A Wonderful Mother’s Day!

Post Graduate

Life

2021 Graduation Gift Ideas

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After years of late night study sessions, emotional breakdowns, trying to find forever friends, and figuring out what it means to be an adult, your loved one is finally graduating!

Graduation season is a joyous time for many. Feelings of pride and accomplishment are shared between graduates and their loved ones, and the energy is unmatched. 

Looking for a gift to fit the celebratory mood? Here are a few ideas.

Celebration Tumbler

Glasses and mugs are classic keepsakes. They can be functional or kept on display in a special location. Your loved one will always remember you by it.

Message Jewelry

Simple yet elegant, message jewelry is a wearable reminder of how proud you are. It does not have to be expensive as long as it is symbolic.

Vintage Music Box

For those who enjoy sentimental, old-school trinkets, a music box is the perfect gift. Handmade and engraved with kind words of congratulation, when wound up, this box plays the melody to “You Are My Sunshine.”

2021 Makeup Bag

Nothing says, “I love you,” to a makeup lover like new supplies. Ingrained with an inspirational message, this trendy keepsake will be with your loved one for many early mornings and just before many other special occasions.

Amazon Gift Card

Not sure what to get? Give the gift of retail liberty. A gift card is a perfect gift for the loved one that’s hard to shop for. You can get a graduation cap themed physical gift box, a print-at-home version or a gift card that comes inside a graduation card.

Fresh Flowers

Flowers are a happy gift for a happy day! Add to the beauty of the moment with a gorgeous arrangement. Pick your loved ones favorite colors or their school colors.

Decorative Graduation Dish

Is your graduate moving into a new place? Get them a dinning keepsake that they can hold onto forever. Personalized plates have the first initial of the graduate’s name, plus an inspirational message.

Personalized Glass Jewelry Box

A personally engraved jewelry box is great for graduates who enjoy quality pieces. Get them something to store their precious metals and fine jewelry in that simultaneously commemorates their special day.

High Fashion Wristlet 

Does your loved one have a favorite designer brand? Find a piece that they don’t have to add to their collection. 

Smart Watch

Gen Z has officially started graduating from college (queue TikTok dance). Get them a device that’s both technologically advanced and a rite of passage.

Journal

A journal is a great tool for planning the future, releasing complex emotions or just keeping up with daily tasks. Gifting your loved one a journal shows that you support their personhood and their dreams.

Congratulations to you and your loved one! Download one of our free “Congrats Graduate” backgrounds if you’re having a virtual gathering and don’t forget to follow us on Facebook and Instagram.

With Graduation Season Joy!

Post Graduate

Life

5 Signs You’re Starting to Settle in Your 20s | Quarter-Life Crisis

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The 30-something jokes become a little less funny after you reach 25. Getting older is now a reality and not just a something you post about to get a few laughs and retweets. When your birthday comes around, you contemplate whether you want to include your age in your Facebook birthday post.

Of course you’re still what many consider “young” but the reality that you soon will not be becomes more potent. Not everyone feels this way, but when they do, they probably won’t tell you.

Let’s break that taboo today! You still have so much life to live, and even when you’re “old” you can still experience everyday fully. You are awesome, powerful and still have so much to offer the world.

Here are five signs you’re subconsciously starting to settle in your 20s.

1. You’re Starting to Feel Too Old.

Have you caught yourself saying, “I’m too old for that,” lately? Jokes about getting older will never go out of style, but sometimes we find ourselves saying this a little too seriously. This can especially be true if you’ve had to take on traditional adult responsibilities earlier than usual. You are older, but you’re not too old. You still have great ideas, gifts and talents to offer, and now you can execute them with even more wisdom.

2. You’re Indifferent About Your Dreams.

I hope you haven’t given up already! It’s not too late. Try again! So many of the world’s greatest had late starts. What if they thought there was an age limit to what they had always dreamed and imagined? We would lack so many of the things we now enjoy!

3. You Don’t Care As Much About Excellence.

Every detail used to matter, but now, it’s whatever. After a certain age, we begin to realize just how hard life can be, and sometimes it makes us question, “why does it even matter?” So many have built in privilege or what seems like a never-ending winning streak, but it’s true, you reap what you sow, maybe not as fast as others, but eventually, your vision will come to fruition.

4. You Don’t Care About Presentation.

Appearance it NOT everything! It’s what’s inside that really matters. You don’t need to fixate on your looks, especially not to please others, but having zero concern about your presentation could be a sign that you place less value on you. 

5. You Never Try New Things.

It’s possible to become set in your ways in your 20s, especially if, for the most part, everything is good. Why not aim for great? Try a new menu item, take a different path on your daily run, visit another state or take up a new hobby. New things give us fresh inspiration and keep us hungry for greatness.

How do you avoid settling in your 20s? Share your ideas with the Post Graduate Community! Try making something new. Take baby steps!

With Hope and Expectation,

Post Graduate 

Life

5 Throwback TV Shows and Films for 2000s Kids

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Do you ever wish you could go back in time? See what things were like, how people lives and what they talked about? With throwback films and television, you can!

Since we are in the 2020s, films and TV from the 2000s and 2010s can now be considered old-school. The 2010s were the last era before streaming really took off, so as you may or may not remember, whatever came on TV or hit the theater had to be good.

If you’re on an old school, throwback binge, you’ll definitely want to add these series and films to your watch list!

1. SpongeBob Squarepants Season One

When some of us were kids, and the topic of SpongeBob came up, we would make a clear distinction between the “old SpongeBob” and the “new SpongeBob.” You may not be old enough to remember, but for a time, the popular children’s series took a break and came back with a host of new episodes. If you’re a new-timer, you may want to check out the season that started it all. Can we get an, “I’m ready?”

2. Glee

Those who lived through the Glee era will never forget the passionate, largely offline fandom behind this hit musical series. Now a modern-day historic classic, Glee captured the hearts of many with relatable life stories told from the perspective of a group of misfit teens who just wanted to sing their stress away. Watch this if you’re in the mood for a heart-felt high school tear-jerker!

3. The Great Debaters

The Great Debaters was a big deal when it came out back in 2007! Everyone remembers the adult figure from childhood who pushed hard and helped them achieve greatness. In this movie, that figure is Denzel Washington who plays a 1930s HBCU debate coach. Through various rigorous training exercises, the predominantly Black team went on to challenge Harvard in a championship debate. 

4. Teen Wolf

Back in the day, it was all about vampires and werewolves. Teen Wolf is one of the last major TV series from that 2000’s era frenzy. It’s a classic supernatural teen drama in which an average 16-year-old boy gets bitten by a werewolf and then becomes one. The teen must balance saving his town from threats they can’t even see with the daily hassle of high school.

5. Survivor 

Before reality TV was ever really a thing, there was Survivor. It’s not the first reality television show, but it definitely counts as one of the most popular of the early 2000s. It’s kind of like the old school conversation starter, “if you were stranded on an island with nothing more than the clothes on your back, what would you do?” The show’s contestants, also referred to as castaways, answer this question throughout the series, and whoever is tough enough to stick it out to the end wins!

If you enjoyed this blast from the past, and would like to watch any of the series or the film listed above, try Amazon Prime free for 30 days using this link!

Cinematically,

Post Graduate 

Life

How to Stand With Women

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Our mothers, our sisters, our daughters, our aunts, our grandmothers, our wives, our friends — where would we be without them? Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune says, “Next to God we are indebted to women, first for life itself, and then for making it worth living.” 

Women have played a crucial role in the development of society since society came to be. Whether young or old, single or married, shy or sociable, all women have blessed those around them in some unique way.

Despite advances in women’s equity, women are sometimes still treated less than in the spaces they occupy. No matter who you are or how many people know your name, you can contribute to the uplifting of women. 

Women are fully capable of standing up for themselves, but you can stand with them. Here’s how. 

1. Listen to them.

When women talk about adverse experiences they are too often labeled as whiners and sometimes just completely ignored. Great trauma ensues from being silenced in the middle of dangerous situations. Even if you can’t change the situation itself, be a listening ear. That in itself hold so much power. 

2. Ask yourself if you would do the same thing to a man.

Sometimes it’s really that simple. Would you taunt a man that way? Would you use that tone, that language, those words? Unfair treatment can be so nuanced that it’s sometimes hard to notice, even within yourself.

3. Give them credit for ideas.

We’ve all seen thoughts that were initially introduced by women not be acknowledged until much later when a man says it. If you experience this, redirect credit and praise to the woman who first gave the suggestion. Mention her name. Bring her back into the conversation.

4. See them as humans.

Women are people just like you and want to be treated as such. Don’t think of them as just a solution to a problem you have, but look at them holistically and embrace every part of who they are. 

5. Speak up.

Using your voice for a group who is often silenced can make a world of a difference. Don’t be ashamed to stay speak up when you see a woman being mistreated. Say something to someone, even if it’s anonymously.

You won’t regret taking the time to learn how you can stand with women, you will be better because of it. Support women-owned businesses throughout the month of March and beyond.

Happy Women’s History Month!

Post Graduate