When I was a child I had all the promise in the world and not because my life was easy or because I came from a great family. Both were the furthest from the truth.
But, I poured everything into my studies and was focused on being the absolute best and I almost always was, academically. I tutored my friends and I hated being called “the teacher’s pet”. I just wanted the best education and I knew the teacher had the best answers.
At 15 1/2 I became a pregnant teen. My dreams of being a doctor or a lawyer or an archeologist were gone. I literally thought my life was over and I had flushed everything down the toilet, not because I didn’t love my children, but I had prepared and planned and was focused on success and this thwarted my plans. Sound familiar?
How did I lose sight of it?
Now, I can say at 48 years of age, I never did lose sight of success and my nightmare of a life made me someone that is a powerful voice of grace, hope and strength. I am a voice for girls, women and all people who are broken, the worst of the worst by societies standard. Many have given up and think they’re worthless and no one cares about their story. We have forgotten that at one time they were a child that had promise too. I totally identify with that.
Where do I lead now with my “broken” story? I lead on the streets, on the stage or anywhere else where God tells me to go. I still have to be taught by the best Teacher and my education never ends.
I’m an avid student of truth and miracles and love and now I am not the teacher’s pet, I am a beloved daughter of Jesus the King. I am a highly honored and educated woman and my life’s journey, as ugly as it has been has made me a voice to reckon with.
I am relentless at being me and I will never stop teaching people to be relentless at pursuing their greatest identity, their deepest dreams and their most empowered legacy.
I lead brave and I pour everything into teaching other leaders because I am seriously on fire for seeing love transform the face of culture and bring healing to the nations.
3 Rules I have for becoming an extraordinary leader:
- Believe in the power of your story so much that you share it.
- Let your greatest investment be in growing your ability to love everyone without judgment so you can see clearly who a person is. Judgment clouds the truth and makes discernment impossible.
- Raise your leadership bar every day by being braver today than yesterday. Understand that brave is not necessarily bold, but it is full of courage, obedience to God’s voice and a willingness to say what others are unwilling to say. . .
Even if, the haters tell you to f— off, the religious judge you unfairly, and the world persecutes you for trying to spread love. It’s still better than being dissatisfied by telling someone else’s story and living someone else’s dream.
Be a truth teller and start with you. Tell yourself “I was made for something bigger than myself.” You may have a movement inside you that is waiting to be birthed. If that’s the case, you’ll need to focus on becoming the leader whose capable of carrying that mandate.
