Don’t let people’s thoughts and ideas be the reason why you don’t live your life.
Hear me when I say I
get it, we all have them. Now that person may appear in different shapes and
forms….It might be our parents, it might be our best friends, it might just be
the enemy disguised as a friend. I am not telling you to cut those people off
completely, I am requesting that you get clear on who you are, where you want
to go, and who you need to be to get there.
When I was deciding my career path I was struggling with my
identity and whom I thought I needed to be in order to get to where I wanted to
go. I spent about eight years gearing up for law school. I held law school as
the destination rather than a step in the destination. Meanwhile on the inside
I really did not want to be an attorney. I simply wanted to work in developing
communities and do global work addressing poverty. I never had a desire to
argue court cases or push paper work behind the scenes in order to make the
rich richer. My specialty lies in the direct work with people, I am passionate
about people and their development as I am still a developing young woman. I
remember when I had an exit interview with the Dean at SUNY Albany after I was
suspended from school and she said “I am really sorry because now your chances
of going to an ivy league or even another institution to finish your degree is
slim to none”. I literally held what she said as truth at first and it
inhibited my ability to move forward with school at first. One day my momma said,
“Don’t listen to that lady, she is CRAZY! You still have myriad opportunities.
You can go anywhere”. It only took one
person to speak life and I not only got into the BEST CUNY School Hunter I got
into Penn for Professional school. Originally when I decided to go to Penn I
really was headed to the White House for this prestigious job until once again
I sat before God and prayed and asked, “what is my purpose”. I literally could
not see myself going to the white house to push paper work when on the streets
the people were suffering. People thought I was crazy to give up such a
“prestigious” opportunity. However, I didn’t see anything prestigious about
stapling papers, and answering phones for the next two years of my life. Not
when God blessed me with a gift to develop and promote social change.
I had a few people tell me my goals were “not realistic”.
Translation for when people tell you your goals are not “Realistic”: Play small
or more so don’t out do me, stay at my level. See because here is the truth….people
can do one or two things in your life….They can speak life into you or they can
become a roadblock. The only two people who determine your path or your
blessings are you and God. People can really become a roadblock in our lives
and we must be CLEAR about who we are and what role people play in our lives. Last
post we discussed mental bondage….don’t trade in your mental bondage for people
bondage. YOU ARE ENOUGH ....there is a difference between your RESOURCES and your SOURCE! People are your resource but the belief in your self is your SOURCE. The only bondage you should have is with you, your God, and your
purpose.
