The end of the year always feels heavy. Whether or not we make New Years Resolutions, there is often the promise of a new year, and the weight of making it matter. Societal expectations, career aspirations and familial obligations are just a few pressures that make living life authentically a hefty challenge.
I’m the girl that usually puts up the Christmas decorations just days after our holiday merry-making. The old year just seems to hang around weighing me down in the same way the ornaments pull on the boughs of a tree that becomes more brittle with every passing day. I can’t ring in the new year with the old still adorning my space, and I neurotically clear the clutter that only a month before twinkled with life.
And as I sit in my new space, anticipating the new year, I often spiral into the metaphysical. What does it mean to be authentic? How do we keep it real? Heck, what IS real? It can get deep and even a little dark as I tumble down that rabbit hole.
And so, with the new year peeking around the corner, I knew I could not only get some wisdom but also some laughs from Shemeka Michelle, author of Keep It Naked. In facing some of her own struggles, she decided to let it all hang out. She didn’t just keep it real, she got naked. When you’re naked, there is nothing to hide. No pockets to store our little secrets or tuck away our uncomfortable truths.
With this naked aspiration, and some lamentations that we weren’t born with pockets, I wish you all a Happy New Years and raise a glass to a year of authenticity and a new lightness of being.
In the Hold my Drink — navigating culture with a chaser of civility, and Counterweight podcast, Episode 62, we speak with Shemeka Michelle, author of Keep It Naked and co-host of the Cut the Bull podcast. Shemeka helps us to ring in the new year with wit and a raw authenticity that goes beyond “keeping it real” to getting naked. From divorce to Facebook jail to politics, she navigates it all with humor and a refreshing transparency. All discussed with a chaser of civility, of course, and another pinot noir in a holiday cup.
Hold my Drink welcomes all people with all kinds of beverages to join us as we explore the truths of a chaotic and beautiful world, together.
Find us on Apple Podcasts and Spotify, or watch the conversation unfold on YouTube, and follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Shemeka Michelle has encouraged thousands worldwide to break free of shackles and live transparently. She continues to bend all the rules in her book, Keep It Naked, an aggressive self-help book based on her real life experiences. She also co-hosts the Cut the Bull Podcast with Wilfred Reilly & Charles Love, and co-hosts Fearless on Blaze TV.
Ep. 62: Keeping it Naked | Shemeka Michelle