There's nothing more inspiring than a woman, especially a black woman, who is comfortable in her own skin. I don't know when I became obsessed with the stories of self-possessed women, but I think it's safe to say I'm on a roll now. While my last post on self-possession highlighted a handful of women that I felt were self-possessed and the lessons I derived from them, this post is simply to highlight self-possessed women and let them speak for themselves.The following are three women who are extremely self-possessed to me, sharing their background and outlook on life:

Lupita Nyong'o

The stunningly gorgeous Lupita is the queen of what it means to be a self-possessed lady right now. I know her inspiring acceptance speech has already made its rounds since she won her Oscar, but I came across this pre-oscar win interview a few months ago (thanks RitaSpeaks!) and I just had to include it in my list:

Beyond anything Lupita says, I love how radiant and confident she is. You could watch the video on mute and still feel the self-possession emanating through the screen. That said, her thoughts and experiences only serve to highlight just how brilliant she is. I loved that once she got it in her head that she could be an actress, she went for it without hesitation. Her graceful mix of self-assurance, inquisitiveness and boldness is something we can all learn from.

Chrystèle Saint Louis Augustin

I came across Chrystèle maybe a year or two ago on Vogue Italy and instantly was drawn to her self-awareness and casual but poised demeanor. Plus, as I've stated before, I have the biggest girl crush on Afro-French women so it shouldn't surprise you that she's on my list.

Chrystèle Saint Louis Augustin for Vogue Italy - Interview from Thomas Savary on Vimeo.I specifically wanted to post Chrystèle alongside Lupita because they have vastly different looks and experiences as Black women, yet both are fully beautiful and completely self-possessed. Self-possession is not limited to your skin color, what your wear, how you grew up, or even your profession; self-possession, to borrow a phrase from my beloved french girls, is a kind of je ne se quoi that radiates once you fully and completely own what it is to be you, as God made you. Lupita and Chrystèle are visually different but they both possess beauty and an intelligence, casual poise that is the hallmark of what it means to be self-possessed -- I love that!

Cindy Blackman

I discovered Cindy Blackman years ago after stumbling on her CurlyNikki interview, and I've literally wanted to be this woman when I grow up ever since! She has an epic fro, is the wife of guitar legend Carlos Santana, is a drummer, and -- get this -- is in her 50s!

Notwithstanding her enduring good looks and uber-cool profession, I like Cindy Blackman's bravado in never considering that she couldn't do something. She knew what she liked and she just went for it, irrespective of anyone's opinion of whether or not she could drum as a woman. Talk about confidence!

Talk to Me:

Do any of these women speak to you? Do you feel that you are "self-possessed"? Let me know by leaving a comment

(Top photo via: Karlon Kromwell, model: Kivvi Rachelle)