The Wait is Over!

A lot has changed since I last posted. I was so determined to make my own pathway with this work that I never imagined that such amazing opportunities were headed my way. In the last two months I have had time to reflect on my motivation for why I do what I do and it all comes down to a desire to change the status quo. I am no longer satisfied with sitting on the sidelines watching when I am a change maker. Diversity, equity, and inclusion are worth fighting for, not to tear people apart but so that everyone has the necessary space to breathe and grow and thrive. This is not easy work, it comes with anger and resentment and yes, sometimes hate. The good news is that I never cared much about what people thought about me. It is lonely work sometimes and you have to be okay with being in your own lane but anything worth having is worth fighting for and I am committed to change.

I think the greatest misconception that we hold is believing that we have to wait for someone else to generate the kind of change that we want to see but that is a trick to keep us stagnant. We are the change that we want to see but it takes courage on a level that some of us may not be prepared for. On this journey, I have come to acknowledge some truths about myself. I am an introvert that has spent most of my life in the shadows. I never quite fit in and I have always been okay with that. I was a wallflower, waiting for someone else to speak for me, always making myself small so that others could feel big. I allowed fear and other people to silence me for the first 30 years of my life. Eventually, the silence became deafening and when I opened my mouth to scream, I realized just how loud my voice could be. I realized that I did not need anyone to speak for me because I could speak for myself.

Over the years I came to realize that speaking for myself was not enough. I wanted to speak for all those that could not speak, wanted to provide a voice for the voiceless. That is where this work began and that is my motivation to keep going. I found my voice and no one can ever take it from me. However, there are those who don't know how to use their voice or who don't yet realize that they have one. For them, I am a champion. For the girl that hid in the shadows always thinking that something wasn't quite right for those 30 years, the woman that I have become will always use her voice so that other little girls feel empowered. I will use my voice so that they will not have to wait 30 years to understand the power behind their words. So that they can live and thrive in spaces that encourage them to SPEAK! This is my calling, my purpose, the time for change is NOW.

Diverse Perspectives

@2021