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Women Over 50: You Are NOT Starting Over — You Are Starting With Experience and Hard-Earned Wisdom

Written by SharRon Jamison on . Posted in Blog, Soar Higher Blog. No Comments on Women Over 50: You Are NOT Starting Over — You Are Starting With Experience and Hard-Earned Wisdom

We are living in a culture obsessed with youth, trends, and constant innovation.

And unfortunately, many people are quietly absorbing the message that newer is better, younger is more valuable, and experience somehow matters less than innovation and technology.

But after decades of leadership, ministry, coaching, and navigating corporate spaces, I have come to believe something very different:

Wisdom still matters.

Discernment still matters.

Emotional intelligence still matters.

The ability to lead people through uncertainty still matters.

And the ability to rebuild after disappointment still matters too.

That is why I want to remind anyone standing at the edge of a new beginning — especially women over 50, 60, and 70, as well as people navigating reinvention, healing, recovery, or transition — of one important truth:

You are not starting from scratch.
You are starting from wisdom.

You are starting from wisdom because you already carry invisible assets.

What are invisible assets?

Invisible assets are the strengths developed through living life courageously and honestly.

Resilience.
Insight.
Discernment.
Adaptability.
Leadership capacity.
Emotional intelligence.
Creativity.
And the ability to navigate uncertainty without collapsing under pressure.

These strengths are often developed quietly through surviving difficult seasons, rebuilding after disappointment, navigating uncertainty, and continuing to evolve through life’s transitions.

And yet, many people overlook those strengths because they do not always appear on resumes, performance reviews, or social media feeds.

Recently, I explored this idea more deeply on the podcast Deciding to Soar: Living Life Your Own Way, where I discussed five powerful assets many people already possess as they begin a new chapter.

🎧 Click here to listen: Women Over 50: You Are NOT Starting Over — You Are Starting From Experience and Hard-Earned Wisdom

I call them the 5 E’s:

  • Experience.
  • Expertise.
  • Enjoyment.
  • Equipping.
  • Education.

1. EXPERIENCE — What You Have Lived Through

Experience is far bigger than employment history.

Experience includes difficult conversations, seasons of rebuilding, moments of uncertainty, and every time someone had to keep moving forward while carrying grief, exhaustion, responsibility, or fear.

Experience develops perspective.

And perspective allows people to lead with greater wisdom, steadiness, empathy, and discernment.

2. EXPERTISE — What You Naturally Do Well

Many people dismiss strengths that come naturally.

People often assume:
“Everybody can do this.”

But not everybody can.

Not everyone knows how to calm a room, build trust, navigate conflict wisely, encourage people effectively, or help others feel valued and seen.

Expertise is not arrogance.
Expertise is awareness.

3. ENJOYMENT — What Brings You Alive

Many people were raised to prioritize responsibility over fulfillment and productivity over alignment.

Entire generations learned how to survive while remaining disconnected from joy.

But enjoyment matters.

Joy provides information.
What energizes us often reveals where purpose, curiosity, alignment, and gifting intersect.

People who ignore enjoyment frequently drift toward burnout, resentment, or emotional exhaustion.

4. EQUIPPING — What Life Has Prepared You For

Every difficult season develops capacity.

Every setback.
Every betrayal.
Every recovery.
Every transition.
Every moment, someone had to continue moving forward despite uncertainty.

Some experiences build resilience.
Some build discernment.
Some build courage.
Some build adaptability.
Some build emotional steadiness.

The goal is not to romanticize suffering.
The goal is to recognize capacity.

5. EDUCATION — What You Know Deeply

Education extends far beyond degrees and certifications.

Some of life’s greatest lessons emerge through caregiving, leadership, rebuilding, recovery, observation, spiritual growth, collaboration, and community.

In fact, most people have spent decades teaching, mentoring, organizing, guiding, and leading without fully acknowledging the depth of their knowledge.

So, one of the most important things people can do in midlife is stop minimizing the wisdom they have to build something new.

———————–

I will leave you with this: midlife is often the season where people have already developed exactly what they need to build the life they desire.

So before dismissing yourself, pause long enough to take inventory of the 5 E’s.

And when you do, I believe you will discover you already possess exactly what you need for your next chapter, your new season, or your fresh beginning.

Not because life was easy.
But because life has been preparing you.

And perhaps one of the greatest forms of wisdom is finally learning how to recognize the value you already carry.

 

My blessing for you this week is this:

May you honor the wisdom you earned in seasons no one applauded.
May you stop dismissing gifts that came naturally.
May you trust that what you carry still has value.
And may you continue building forward with courage, clarity, wisdom, and self-respect.

Because the best is still yet to come.

Blessings,

SharRon

🎧 Listen to the podcast and subscribe here: Deciding To Soar: Living Life Your Own Way!

📩 Join the newsletter community for deeper reflections, leadership conversations, and encouragement for navigating reinvention, healing, purpose, and becoming.

✨ And if you are looking for community, consider joining the Reclamation Circle, where brave souls gather to navigate this season of life with honesty, courage, wisdom, and support.

P.S. If this message encouraged you, share it with someone beginning a new chapter and remind them that they are not starting from scratch either.

You Are Not Done Until You Are Dead: You Are NOT TOO Old To Begin Again!

Written by SharRon Jamison on . Posted in Blog, Soar Higher Blog. No Comments on You Are Not Done Until You Are Dead: You Are NOT TOO Old To Begin Again!

“You’re Not Done Until You’re Dead.”

There’s something my elders used to say.

They didn’t say it to pressure me.

They said it to remind me that life is always asking something of us: to grow, to evolve, to heal, to contribute, and to honor our purpose.

Why?

Our purpose does not disappear with time.

Purpose also does not stop because we have gray hair, grandchildren, or weariness.

My elders wanted us to remember that, as long as we are on this earth, our divine purpose can always be cultivated, expressed, or reclaimed, because it never goes away.

And lately, their wisdom has continued to challenge me and shape how I live and navigate my own life.

So much so that a couple of weeks ago, I recorded a podcast and led a workshop about owning your strengths, about knowing what gifts you carry, and understanding how important it is not to shrink or abandon yourself during seasons of transition.

I was excited about both experiences. The conversations were honest, healing, and well-received. Women shared openly. People felt seen, nourished, and encouraged.

But afterward, a few women, especially women over 50, quietly shared something deeper with me.

They said things like:

“I think I’m too old to start over.”
“I don’t know if I can begin again.”
“I feel like I missed my time.”

And if I’m honest, I understood exactly what they meant.

Because there have been moments, especially in midlife, when many of us begin questioning our relevance instead of recognizing our refinement.

And as a woman in her 60s, I know this feeling with deep clarity and deep certainty.

I also know something else.

Women in their 50s, 60s, and 70s can still be seasoned, still vibrant, still sexy, and still becoming.

Not becoming who the world expects us to be.

Becoming who we feel called to be. (Link to the podcast)

More honest.
More aligned.
More courageous.
More ourselves.

But before we can fully embrace that truth, I think we have to ask ourselves an important question: Why do so many women believe that getting older means they are finished?

I believe part of the answer is cultural.

We live in a world that constantly celebrates what is new, fast, trendy, and visible. We are surrounded by messages that glorify youth while quietly dismissing depth. In that kind of environment, something subtle but powerful begins to happen.

Experience gets overlooked. Wisdom gets questioned. Depth gets minimized.

And if we are not careful, we begin to internalize those messages. We start questioning ourselves. Our relevance. Our timing. Our ability to grow, evolve, contribute, or begin again.

Sometimes, some women even stop seeing themselves as expanding and start seeing themselves as expiring.

But what I know now, both personally and professionally, is this: What you carry did not expire. It evolved.

Your gifts evolved.
Your perspective evolved.
Your understanding evolved.

Time did not erase you.

It refined you.

And this is what I know for sure about the midlife moment. ( I share more in the podcast.)

1. Technology Does Not Supersede Truth

Yes, the world is changing rapidly. Technology is evolving. Artificial intelligence is becoming integrated into nearly every aspect of our lives and work. Entire industries are transforming before our eyes.

But technology cannot replace wisdom.

It cannot replace discernment. It cannot replace emotional intelligence. It cannot replace lived experience. It cannot replace the kind of insight that only comes from surviving disappointment, rebuilding after loss, navigating uncertainty, loving deeply, leading imperfectly, and learning through time.

That matters.

Especially now.

Because while tools may evolve, human beings still need wisdom. They still need grounded people who know how to navigate complexity, relationships, transitions, grief, uncertainty, and change.

And what that means for you is simple:

You are not obsolete because the world has changed.

You may simply need to learn how to apply your wisdom in a new way.

That is very different.

2. Traditions Are Not Always the Truth

Many of us inherited beliefs about aging that were never designed to empower us.

We were taught that getting older meant slowing down, stepping aside, becoming less visible, less desirable, and less valuable.

But traditions are not always the truth.

Sometimes traditions are simply inherited limitations r cultural scripts that no one questioned long enough to challenge.

Thankfully, many women are courageously beginning to challenge them.

Because the truth is:

You can still create.
You can still lead.
You can still learn.
You can still pivot.
You can still evolve.

You are not required to sit on the sidelines of your own life simply because you have reached a certain age.

In fact, many women become more powerful with age because they stop living for approval and start living from alignment.

And what that means for you is this:

You do not have to spend the rest of your life “performing” and accepting limitations just because the culture feels more comfortable when women shrink.

You can still become a change-maker instead of a bystander in your own story.

3. Time Uncovers Truth

One of the greatest gifts of aging is clarity.

Time has a way of uncovering what truly matters. It reveals what aligns and what doesn’t. It reveals what drains us and what nourishes us. It reveals which dreams were truly ours and which ones we inherited from expectation, survival, fear, or performance.

Time also teaches us something else:

We do not just grow older.

We grow wiser.

And wisdom changes how you move through the world.

It deepens your perspective.
It strengthens your resilience.
It sharpens your discernment.
It softens your ego.
It clarifies your values.

So let me say this clearly: Growth is not based on age. Growth is based on desire.

If you still desire to grow, evolve, create, heal, learn, contribute, or begin again, then you still have the capacity to do so.

And what that means for you is this: You are not too late.

You are simply being invited to grow differently than before.

4. Truth Is Transferred

Every generation carries wisdom that another generation needs.

Younger generations have perspectives, innovation, and insights that matter deeply. They understand concepts  many of us did not have access to at their age.

And older generations also carry something equally valuable: perspective, endurance, context, resilience, emotional wisdom, and lived understanding.

When generations respect each other rather than compete, wisdom flows.

And that matters because none of us are meant to navigate life believing that one generation holds all the answers.

Real growth happens when experience and a new perspective meet with humility, creativity, and respect.

And what that means for you is this: Your age is not a disqualification.

Your lived experience is part of your contribution.

As I have reflected on all of this over the last few weeks, I keep returning to one question:

Perhaps the question is not: “Am I too late?”

Perhaps the better question is: Where can what I carry live now?

Where can your strengths be expressed more honestly?
Where can your wisdom be used more intentionally?
Where can your voice be heard more authentically?
Where can your experience create something meaningful?

Because fulfillment is not found in pretending to be younger.

Fulfillment is found in becoming more fully yourself. In becoming more honest about who you are and what you need.

The biggest blessing is to remember this: you are not starting from scratch.

You are building from experience, wisdom, resilience, insight, courage, and strength that have already been tested and refined.

So if you are in a season where things feel uncertain, unrecognizable, in-between, or unclear, I want to encourage you not to give up on yourself.

Not now. Not ever.

Not after everything you’ve survived.
Not after everything you’ve learned.
Not after everything you still carry.

You still have something to offer.

You still have something to build.

You still have something to become.

And perhaps this season is not asking you to disappear. Perhaps it is asking you to reclaim yourself in ways that honor the truth of who you are.

👉🏾 If this message resonated with you, I invite you to subscribe to my YouTube channel. Over the coming weeks, I’ll be sharing more conversations about the power of the midlife moment, the importance of reclamation, and what it means to use your strengths to create a life that honors your soul instead of abandoning it.

👉🏾 If you know a woman who needs this message, forward this article to her. She may never say she needed it, but something in you will know.

👉🏾 And if you are in a season where you are ready to stop carrying everything alone and want to explore what reclamation could look like in your own life, you can send me an email at SharRon@SharRonJamison.com with the word RECLAIMING. I would love to share more with you about the Reclaiming Circle and the deeper conversations we are creating there.

👉🏾 And while you are here, I invite you to subscribe to my newsletter as well. Click here to join. The blog allows me to share ideas, but the newsletter gives me space to have more intimate conversations about healing, leadership, reinvention, purpose, grief, growth, and becoming.

One door or all four.

Come as you are.

My Blessing for You This Week:

May you trust what you carry.
May you honor the wisdom you’ve gained with time.
May you remember that your growth is still unfolding.
May you have the courage to use your strengths fully and unapologetically.
And may you never confuse aging with ending.

Because you are not done.

You are still becoming.

Blessings,

SharRon

The Day I Stopped Pretending I Was Fine

Written by SharRon Jamison on . Posted in Blog, Soar Higher Blog. No Comments on The Day I Stopped Pretending I Was Fine

There is a kind of tired that has nothing to do with sleep.

My elders called it being “bone weary.” And I always thought I understood what they meant.

I did not. Not really. Not until I came home from church one Sunday, walked through the door, and something in me just… gave way.

I took off my clothes, sat down on the edge of my bed, and cried.

Silently.

The kind of tears that have been waiting for a quiet moment when no one is watching.

And when they finally slowed, I told myself the truth.

I was not okay.

Not depressed — I want to name that distinction clearly because it matters. I know what depression feels like. Depression is not a stranger to me. I have navigated its particular kind of darkness before.

This was something different.

Something quieter. Something that had been settling into my bones for months, even as I kept showing up, producing, encouraging, and performing fine.

This was spiritual depletion.  I discuss this topic in this week’s episode of Deciding To Soar: Living Life Your Own Way. Click here to listen.)

Now, I want to pause here — because when I first put those two words together, something in me resisted.

My religious upbringing made me feel guilty even placing those words side by side. As if admitting that my spirit was depleted meant I had somehow failed God. As if I should have been able to pray through it, serve through it, praise through it,  worship through it, and work through it.

But here is what I now know: Naming “spiritual depletion” was not a crisis of faith. It was a courageous act of faith.

Why?

Because spiritual depletion is not the same as burnout.

Burnout is about doing too much….for too many… for too long….without any support, joy, or purpose.

Spiritual depletion is what happens when a woman has been giving from her deepest self — her spirit, her core, her truest identity — for so long, to too many, and in so many directions, that she loses access to herself.

Of course, she is still succeeding according to how society defines success.

She is still functioning.

She is still showing up.

She is still looking good and well-dressed.

She is still leading her team, achieving milestones, and effectively executing strategies.

Yes, she is still building her business, seeing patients, advising her clients, teaching her students, and raising her children.

 But something essential is gone. And she knows it, even though she cannot name it.

It looks like:

  • Going to church out of  obligation instead of spiritual renewal
  • Work becoming mechanical — parts of you present, other parts quietly withdrawn
  • Being physically present but emotionally distant
  • Code-switching, shifting from feeling like a survival strategy into something that feels like slow self-erasure
  • A bone-deep weariness that sleep does not touch
  • Relationships with people who need you but never feed you — emotionally, intellectually, or spiritually
  • A quiet desire to stop. Not to disappear. Just to finally, finally rest, even though you can’t clearly articulate what type of rest and respite you crave or need. 

That Sunday after church, I realized I had run out of places to hide.

Not from other people.

From myself.

And so I had to do the one thing I had been avoiding.

I had to come back to myself.

As uncomfortable as that was — and it was deeply uncomfortable — it was also sacred.

Because that moment marked the beginning of one of the most honest seasons of my life.

If you are reading this and something in you just exhaled…

If something whispered, that sounds like me…

If you have been calling it burnout, or stress, or just being tired — because spiritual depletion felt too big, too tender, too much to admit…

I want you to know: what you are feeling is real.

You are not weak.

You are not ungrateful.

You are not failing.

You are not less accomplished.

You are depleted. And there is a difference.

Here is where I would invite you to begin. Just three things. I call them the 3 N’s.

Name it. Tell yourself the truth without softening it. Without comparing it. Just name where you actually are — honestly, without apology.

Notice it. Look compassionately at where your energy is actually going. Not to fix it overnight. Just to see it clearly. Clarity creates space even before anything changes.

Nourish it. Each day, allow yourself to admit one true thing. Not positive. Not polished. Just real….For example, I am tired. I miss who I used to be. I am still here, and that is enough. Those small truths begin to reconnect you to yourself in ways that performance never could.

What I know for sure: You cannot outrun your own depletion. Eventually, the depletion will sit you down. The only question is whether you sit down on your own terms, or whether life does it for you.

For me, it was a little bit of both that eventually forced me to sit down on the edge of that bed.

And it was the most sacred thing that had happened to me in years.

 I want to leave you with this….

This week, please remember — you matter.

What you are feeling matters.

What you are carrying matters.

And the most holy action you can take right now is to take care of yourself.

Not tomorrow. Not after you finish everything on your list. Not after everyone else is okay.

Now.

So name it. Notice it. Nourish it.

It is time to SOAR.

This Week’s Blessing:

May you have the courage to tell yourself the truth — even when the truth is tender.

May you honor what your spirit has been trying to say.

May you Name what you are carrying, Notice where your energy is going, and Nourish yourself back to wholeness — one true thing at a time.

And may you trust that even here, in this honest and sacred space, you are still becoming.

Blessings,

SharRon 💛

I explore this more on this week’s episode of Deciding to Soar. Listen on Apple Podcasts, YouTube, and wherever you get your podcasts.

And join me for more conversations — subscribe to A True Word, my weekly letter. Join here.

Your Reputation Is More Important Than Revenge

Written by SharRon Jamison on . Posted in Soar Higher Blog. No Comments on Your Reputation Is More Important Than Revenge

Many years ago, my elders shared a piece of wisdom with me that I didn’t fully understand at the time.

They said simply, “Your reputation is more important than revenge.”

Like many lessons that come from elders, the words sounded wise but distant. They felt like something meant for someone else’s life—someone else’s circumstances. At the time, I had no idea that life would eventually place me in situations where those words would become not just meaningful, but necessary.

And that’s exactly what happened!

About 15 years ago, I experienced a betrayal that forced me to confront the depth of that wisdom. Someone I trusted deeply began spreading falsehoods about me. These were not small misunderstandings or careless remarks. The statements were damaging and deliberate, and they reached into areas of my life that mattered deeply—my work, my reputation, my family, and the trust I had built with others over many years.

The experience was painful in ways that are difficult to describe. It affected my business. It affected my health. It shook my confidence and forced me to question whether the truth about who I KNEW I was would be strong enough to withstand the vitriol of someone’s lies.

If you have ever had someone gossip about you, misrepresent your character, or distort the work you have done, then you understand how destabilizing that experience can be. In moments like that, the instinct to retaliate can be very strong. We want to correct the record. We want people to see the truth. Sometimes we even want the person who hurt us to feel the same pain they caused us.

Yet over time, I learned something that completely changed how I respond to betrayal, public attacks, and misrepresentation.

I learned that …. Protecting your reputation requires strategy, not reaction.

That realization eventually led me to develop what I call The Five A’s of Protecting Your Reputation. This framework has helped me move through many painful experiences with greater clarity, dignity, and intention. I share more about the subject on the Deciding To Soar Podcast: Living Life Your Own Way.  (Click to listen)

Below is the process I now use whenever I find myself facing situations where my reputation, work, or character may be at risk.

Step 1: Acknowledge the Wound

The first step is honesty.

When someone betrays you, spreads misinformation about you, or misrepresents your work, the pain can be very real. Many people try to skip over this step by pretending they are unaffected. They tell themselves they need to “be strong” or “move on.”

But healing cannot begin until we acknowledge what actually happened.

Suppressing pain does not make it disappear. Instead, it often resurfaces later, distorting our judgment and affecting our emotional well-being.

Acknowledging the wound might look like journaling about the situation, talking with a trusted friend, or simply admitting to yourself that what happened was painful, embarrassing, disruptive, or just low-down.

Naming the hurt is not weakness. It is clarity.

Reflection Question: Where might you be minimizing a wound that deserves to be acknowledged?

Step 2: Assess the Impact
Once you have acknowledged the emotional reality of the situation, the next step is to assess the impact.

What actually happened?

Did someone misrepresent your work? Did someone spread misinformation about you? Did someone attempt to damage your credibility or reputation? Did someone steal sensitive or divulge sensitive data?

It is important to examine the situation carefully before responding. Emotional pain can sometimes magnify our perception of events, but clarity helps us move from reaction to strategy.

Assessment also allows us to understand the difference between perceived harm and actual consequences.

This step helps ensure that our response is thoughtful rather than impulsive.

Reflection Question: Am I responding to the facts of the situation, or to the emotional shock of the moment?

Step 3: Arrange Your Response

This is the moment when wisdom begins to shape action.

Once you understand what has happened and how it may affect you, the next step is to arrange your response.

And here is something many people overlook: sometimes the most powerful response is silence.

Not every situation requires immediate confrontation. Sometimes, allowing time to pass reveals more truth than reacting quickly ever could.

At this stage, it is helpful to ask a critical question: Will my response escalate the conflict, or elevate my integrity?

Escalation often happens when we react from a place of anger or humiliation. However, elevation happens when we respond in ways that protect our dignity, affirm our values, and position us favorably for our future.

Arranging your response may involve seeking counsel from mentors, trusted advisors, or people who understand the broader context of the situation.

Remember, the goal is not simply to defend yourself in the moment. The goal is to protect your long-term reputation and minimize the impact on your career, family, and spirit.

Reflection Question: Am I choosing escalation or elevation?

Step 4: Activate the Plan

Once you have arranged a thoughtful response, the next step is activation.

Activation means implementing your plan with intention, courage, precision, and clarity.

For some people, activation may involve addressing misinformation directly and correcting the record. In other situations, activation may involve documenting the truth, strengthening professional boundaries, securing legal representation, or allowing your body of work to speak for itself.

Activation is NOT about proving someone wrong. It is about standing firmly in what you know to be true about yourself and the situation.

And, activation should also include an important element that many people overlook: healing. Why? When betrayal affects your emotional well-being, ignoring that pain can lead to decisions that compromise your peace or integrity.

My friend, healing may involve reflection, spiritual grounding, counseling, or reconnecting with supportive community.

Remember, spiritual and emotional healing is not separate from your strategy. It is part of the strategy.

Reflection Question: What action would allow me to stand in my integrity without sacrificing my peace?

Step 5: Continue Healing and Stay Open

The final step may be the most challenging.

When someone harms you, your natural instinct may be to protect yourself by becoming guarded or withdrawn because betrayal can make us suspicious of others and hesitant to trust again.

Yet closing ourselves off from possibility creates another form of loss.

So, even though it’s difficult, try to stay open. Just to be clear: Remaining open does not mean ignoring what happened. Instead, it means refusing to allow someone else’s behavior to define your future or dictate how you move in the world.

Also, staying open allows you to maintain your confidence, your creativity, and your willingness to engage with new opportunities and relationships. That’s key!

More importantly, staying open is a powerful way of reclaiming your identity and your voice.

Reflection Question: What would it look like for you to remain open while staying anchored in your truth?

 

Looking back now, I realize that the wisdom my elders shared all those years ago carried far more depth than I understood at the time. And, I am so glad I listened with my heart, and not just with my ears.

Remember…..

Revenge is fleeting. It may feel satisfying in the moment, but its effects rarely last and can ruin your life.

Reputation, however, is built slowly over time. It is formed through integrity, consistency, and character repeated across many seasons of life. And when your reputation is rooted in those qualities, it will speak for you in places where you may never be able to speak for yourself.

That is why the lesson still holds true today.

Yes, your reputation is more important than revenge.

Not because revenge is impossible, but because YOUR reputation—when built on integrity—has the power to stand the test of time.

Please listen to the podcast and subscribe to my YouTube channel while you are there. I would really appreciate your support. Click here.

Blessings,

SharRon

What My Elders Taught Me About Work and Worth: How A Fork Almost Cost Me My Future

Written by SharRon Jamison on . Posted in Blog, Soar Higher Blog. No Comments on What My Elders Taught Me About Work and Worth: How A Fork Almost Cost Me My Future

Over 40 years ago, early in my career, I found myself sitting at a formal dinner table in a professional setting that felt far beyond anything I had ever experienced.

The table was set with more forks, spoons, and glasses than I knew how to navigate. The setting was so unfamiliar that I questioned whether I was worthy of having a seat at the table. The truth is, the extravagant place setting made me feel out of my league, and I feared that one small mistake would confirm others’ belief that I did not belong at that table, in the company, or in the industry.

And my fears had nothing to do with my performance. I knew I had the experience, education, wisdom, and expertise to succeed. What unsettled me were the unspoken rules of the room—the customs no one explains—and the fear of making a common mistake or a CLIM, a career-limiting move.

Because when you are the “first or the only”, making any mistake feels scary. Knowing that your missteps will not only influence your own opportunities but also unfairly impact the perceptions and future possibilities of others who look like you makes even ordinary moments feel heavy and risky.

Because my confidence was waning, I knew I needed help. I didn’t need correction or criticism; I needed care.

That care came from elders in my church—people who never had the opportunity to sit at corporate tables themselves, yet possessed the knowledge I deeply needed.

Without my knowing, they set up an entire formal table setting in the back of the church and patiently walked me through the different utensils. They taught me what to use, when to use it, and how to move through meals with confidence. Their love and concern not only prepared me; it strengthened my confidence and reminded me that I was capable of navigating unfamiliar settings with grace.

That one small act—helping me feel comfortable at the table—became a life-changing moment in my career and encouraged me to enter new rooms and accept new challenges. Most of all, it convinced me that I belonged.

As I reflect on my career journey, I’m reminded that it was often my elders who quietly equipped me for the rooms I was called to enter. Unfortunately, after we earn degrees or gain some social status, we too often overlook those who have helped us the most because we assume they have little to offer.

As you reflect on your career –

1) Who helped you feel ready when you were not sure you belonged?

2) Who provided the wisdom you needed so that work wouldn’t undermine your feelings of worth?

3) Who might be waiting for you to show up for them in a life-changing way?

Our elders teach us so much about success, and I am so grateful that those lessons continue to ground us today.

My prayer for you: May you recognize the love that shaped you, honor those who prepared you, share the lessons they gave you, and extend that same care to those you meet along the way.

Blessings!

SharRon

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What My 10-Month Illness Taught Me About Friendship and Wholeness

Written by SharRon Jamison on . Posted in Blog, Soar Higher Blog. No Comments on What My 10-Month Illness Taught Me About Friendship and Wholeness

Sometimes, you learn more about your relationships when you are sick than when you are well.

During my 10-month health challenge, that’s precisely what I learned. After months of pretending that everything was fine, I had to be honest about what was happening to me. And what became crystal clear was that I was extremely fortunate to have folks who could accept me and sit with me when I was “raw”—scared, without makeup, doubtful, and physically weak.

Honestly, I wasn’t really surprised that my friends were so wonderful because I am extremely selective and intentional about my inner circle.  In fact, years ago, I created a framework to help me assess relationships. I call the framework the CIA Framework, which stands for Courage, Integrity, and Authenticity.

The CIA Framework was extremely helpful when I was unwell. It also showed me that courage, integrity, and authenticity could be expressed in many ways. For example, during those 10 painful months…

  • Courage looked like truth-tellers who loved me enough to be honest, even when it was hard. They told me when I was not following the doctor’s orders and how I was prolonging my illness. They also reminded me I had the internal resources and medical insight to make strategic decisions about my healing journey.
  • Integrity looked like consistency because my friends kept showing up when I had nothing to offer. They kept calling and texting me when I could not call them back or when I was unwilling to provide updates. They balanced honoring my boundaries while providing emotional, spiritual, and physical care.
  • Authenticity looked like people who made space for the real me, not just the “strong” me. They were people who didn’t weaponize religion, guilt me into rushing my healing journey, bombard me with empty platitudes, or make cruel comments about how I looked.

Even though I was blessed to experience these traits while I was ill, the CIA framework applies to every part of our lives.  For example, courage helps you speak up at work when something is unjust. Integrity allows you to lead without compromising your values. Authenticity allows you to build businesses, relationships, and identities rooted in who you are, not who people want you to be.

My friend, the CIA Framework is not just a friendship filter; it’s a life framework to ground you and guide you so you can SOAR while experiencing soul-nourishing, life-enriching support.

Also, the CIA framework is both a mirror and a magnet. In the same way we use the CIA to evaluate others, we must use it to examine ourselves.

Why?

When we embody the traits we desire in others, we develop aligned, anchored, and wholesome friendships. And as I learned, when you have aligned friendships, you won’t have to chase support because it will find you. It will find you and be beside you in your deepest valleys, and it will celebrate loudly in your greatest victories.

I share more about the CIA Framework in the Deciding To Soar Podcast: Living Life Your Own Way. You can listen to the full episode: What My 10-Month Illness Taught Me About Friendship and Wholeness on  Apple Podcast or YouTube.

If you have a friend who may benefit from this message, please forward it and encourage them to listen to the podcast.

Thanks so much for reading. I appreciate your presence and your prayers.

Let’s continue to soar higher because the best is yet to come.

Blessings,

SharRon

Sacred Seasons: The Journey to a Purpose-Filled Life

Written by SharRon Jamison on . Posted in Blog, Soar Higher Blog. No Comments on Sacred Seasons: The Journey to a Purpose-Filled Life

Life doesn’t always unfold in a straight line.

Life often moves in seasons—sacred, shifting seasons that shape how we grow, how we lead,
and how we live.

Over the past few weeks, I’ve been talking with many visionaries, leaders, and purpose-seekers about life seasons.

We have discussed how seasons help people rethink their lives, values, and missions.

Why?

If we are open-minded and open-hearted, seasons help us bloom, heal, and align.

For example, when we feel stuck, seasons can push us forward, help us learn, and clarify our vision.

When we are courageous, seasons help us challenge, confront, and change societal paradigms that support our own humanity and the humanity of others.

If we are reflective, seasons help us shift and adjust so we can ride the waves of change without drowning.

If we pay attention, seasons inspire us to grow and ask ourselves new questions that expand our lives.

If we study our personal or political history, seasons help us affect change and prevent us from passing laws that rob ourselves and others of their identities, dignity, and humanity.

If we are observant, seasons help us be grateful for what we have and thankful for what we don’t have.

When we lose something or someone we cherish, seasons allow us to mourn.

If we permit ourselves to process the loss, seasons open our hearts to grieve and remember the love we had and the love we still need.

However, if we are not intentional, seasons cause us to regress and cause pain and disruptions in our lives and the lives of others.

Though some seasons are more challenging than others, each season’s goal is the same: to Help us Live Purpose-Filled Lives.

On the newest episode of the Deciding to Soar Podcast: Living Life Your Own Way, I discuss the five distinct seasons we all go through in our lives. Click here.

The seasons that we experience are never linear. You may be in more than one at the same time, in different areas of your life. But each season is sacred. Each is necessary. And each season is part of your soul’s curriculum to prepare you to do what you were created to do.

I share the seasons below. Which season most resonates with you?

1. Revelational Season: The Awakening

  • This is a season of enlightenment and divine inquiry when you question everything you have learned about life.
  • It’s when hidden truths are revealed or hidden talents are discovered.
  • It’s a season where family secrets may be revealed, or real intentions become known.
  • It’s often sparked by discomfort, frustration, or divine nudges that urge you to open your eyes, hearts, and minds.
  • This is the season that reminds you that you can’t UN-know what you deeply know.
  • It’s when you admit that something is no longer working or fulfilling.
  • It is also when you acknowledge that you can’t return to who or what you used to be. However, you may not be entirely sure how to proceed.
  • This incredible time in our lives is about untying, untethering, and untangling us from mediocrity, stagnation, and inferiority.
  • Vital because: It breaks illusions and brings truth to light. It starts your soul’s realignment.

“Revelation is where the soul whispers, ‘There’s more.’”

2. Educational Season: Learning

  • This season, you gather the tools, wisdom, and skills needed to address your revelation – your new truth or dream.
  • You go back to school, take a course, or begin training through formal study to gain the needed expertise or knowledge to activate your new vision and architect your desired life.
  • This is a period of many mistakes, mentors, and moments that provide real-world, on-the-job training so you can maximize your moment.
  • This season will challenge you to keep your mind and heart open so you can consider new thoughts, meet new people, and experience new places.
  • It’s a period of learning HOW to fail so you can acquire the critical lessons you need while you are down and use them on your way back up.
  • During this period, you may apply old knowledge in new or creative ways because you will recalibrate or re-use what you already know.
  • It’s a time of disruption, dismantling, disconnecting, decolonizing, and deconstructing, which allows you to rebuild, reinforce, and rekindle.
  • Vital because: It prepares you with the knowledge, strategy, and spiritual maturity you need to build. It’s where you implement your newfound insight, solutions, and strategy.

“Education feeds the vision that revelation uncovered.”

3. Directional Season: The Clarifying

  • This is a season about soul-inspired movement.
  • It doesn’t always mean significant shifts or making massive changes; it could mean boundaries, pivots, pauses, or purposeful action.
  • This season is a time of testing, trying, and timing as you discern how to proceed to fulfill your calling, dharma, or destiny.
  • This period is dedicated to progress, often requiring you to let go of old plans or paths that no longer serve you.
  • During this season, you align your inner life with your outer truth to experience congruency and harmony. For example, you make decisions about your career that align with your conscience or re-configure your relationships so they align with your deepest needs.
  • This season requires courage because you are taking steps without knowing the path to your ultimate destination.
  • It is a time of liberation—sometimes fragile freedom—when you gain strength in your sovereignty and agency.
  • This season requires you to be a champion, crusader, creator, and collaborator because success never happens in isolation.
  • Vital because: Without direction, movement, or trusting your intuition to guide you, you drift.

“Direction comes when you’re ready to walk in what you know.”

4. Aspirational Season: The Dreaming

  • This is where you dare to believe, try, love, and hope again.
  • This period requires you to own, trust, unleash your imagination, and see yourself bigger than ever.
  • During this season, your desires re-emerge, often with new depth, understanding, and purpose.
  • This is a season of profound innovation because your vision expands, your creativity flows, and your courage increases.
  • Risk-taking, chance-making, and legacy-building are embraced and welcomed.
  • This season will remind you that dreams are not distractions but are divine directions to your destiny.
  • This is a season when others will often misunderstand you but will feel the most inspired, resilient, and courageous.
  • You will finally realize your capacity to stretch, create, and lead based on how you are divinely wired and NOT what society has indoctrinated or threatened you to be.
  • Vital because: It restores possibility, breathes life into your calling, and confirms your identity.

“Aspiration reminds you that your dreams are divine data.”

5. Enjoyable Season: The Living

  • This is the season where you taste the fruit of your journey and your labor.
  • This season nourishes your spirit and refills your cup for the next journey ahead.
  • You allow yourself to feel good, rest well, and receive joy.
  • You no longer feel guilty for ease, pleasure, success, or happiness.
  • You allow yourself to ask for and receive help.
  • You honor prayer, presence, and peace as spiritual practices.
  • You prioritize and protect your wholeness, wellness, and your health.
  • Vital because: Enjoyment is not a reward—it’s a requirement for sustained purpose.

“Joy is sacred. Pleasure is part of your purpose.”

Seasons.

Wherever you are on your journey, trust that your season is not a mistake; it’s a message. And whether you’re awakening, learning, discerning, dreaming, or delighting… trust that you’re precisely where you need to be for this specific time.

Click here to listen to the episode.

Remember, don’t rush the season. Receive it. Reflect on it. Rest in it. Rise with it.

Because the best is yet to come!

SharRon

3 Ways to Empower Yourself—And 1 Mistake That Keeps You Stuck

Written by SharRon Jamison on . Posted in Blog, Soar Higher Blog. No Comments on 3 Ways to Empower Yourself—And 1 Mistake That Keeps You Stuck

Do you feel empowered?

With everything happening around us—politically, personally, and professionally—feeling empowered is more important than ever.

Why?

When we feel empowered, we make decisions that protect our wellness, uplift our communities, and support our loved ones. We use our personal power with courage.

So today, I want to explore what self-empowerment really looks like because self-empowerment is about living with permission….SELF-Permission.

Self-empowerment also ensures we don’t surrender our lives to fear, expectations, bullies, or outdated beliefs.

So, let’s break self-empowerment down into four essential practices that will help you live an empowered life.

Self-Advocacy: Using Your Voice with Confidence

Self-advocacy is recognizing, communicating, and claiming what you need without guilt, hesitation, or waiting for validation. It’s about courageously owning your voice and trusting your inner-knowing.

⇒ When We Do It Well:

  • We command respect in relationships and workplaces.
  • We live our values without caving in or conforming to the status quo.
  • We set boundaries that prevent burnout and resentment.
  • We reinforce our self-worth by treating our voice as valuable.
  • We ask for support, resources, assistance, and grace.

⇒ When We Fail to Self-Advocate:

  • We feel invisible, unheard, or taken advantage of.
  • We let fear of rejection silence us or compromise our integrity.
  • We over-extend, over-give, over-promise, and over-serve in ways that deplete us.
  • We become resentful, expecting others to read our minds.

I provide examples of self-advocacy in the latest episode of Deciding To Soar: Living Life Your Own Way.

Self-Definition: Choosing Who You Are on Your Own Terms

Self-definition is the ongoing process of deciding who you are based on your truth—not what society, family, traditions, or past conditioning has taught or told you to be.

⇒ When We Define Ourselves Authentically:

  • We are aware of our talents, gifts, identities, and values.
  • We feel at peace because we are living in alignment.
  • We stop shape-shifting or hustling for approval and validation.
  • We attract relationships and opportunities that align with our truth, values, and destiny.
  • We feel respected.

⇒ When We Let Others Define Us:

  • We burn out and become bitter because we are living a lie.
  • We feel lost or disconnected from our true selves.
  • We live on autopilot and let others make decisions about our careers, faith, politics, or money.
  • We feel like fakes, frauds, and failures because we live without integrity.

I provide examples of the latest episode of Deciding To Soar: Living Life Your Own Way.

Self-Determination: Walking in Your Truth, Boldly

Self-determination is the power to act on your self-definition—to control your life, choices, and future.

⇒ When We Live with Self-Determination:

  • We feel powerful and in control of our lives. We control the controllable.
  • We move with intention, not regret, reaction, or restriction.
  • We stop waiting for permission or consensus and start leading our way.
  • We feel clear, courageous, and committed to ourselves.

⇒ When We Lack Self-Determination:

  • We drift through life, reacting instead of acting.
  • We struggle with consistency and follow-through.
  • We let external forces dictate our path, pace, people, and perspectives.
  • We blame others or our circumstances for not exploring options and moving forward.
  • We constantly make up excuses for not taking action.

Self-Sabotage: Self-Empowerment in Reverse

Self-sabotage is self-empowerment in reverse. It occurs when we unconsciously or consciously disrupt our own growth, success, or happiness. It is when we divert energy away from our dreams, destiny, and hopes.  Due to fear, doubt, or limiting beliefs, we acquiesce and give up without trying or without trying long enough.

⇒ When We Overcome Self-Sabotage:

  • We reclaim our energy and use it to follow through on our commitments and dreams.
  • We don’t run from fear; we embrace it.
  • We allow ourselves to receive success, love, and happiness.
  • We stop making excuses and start making moves.
  • We don’t settle for mediocrity; we step into our greatness.
  • We know self-sabotage often disguises itself as procrastination, perfectionism, avoidance, overthinking, fake humility, or negative self-talk.

⇒ When We Stay in Self-Sabotage:

  • We stall or remain stuck in toxic places and relationships.
  • We create unnecessary obstacles that block our own success.
  • We avoid hard work, we lack resilience, and we cancel out our dreams.
  • We never know how talented or capable we are.
  • We prioritize rationalizing – which means we tell ourselves “rational lies.”

My friend,  self-empowerment is the key to living life on your own terms. And it’s not a one-time thing—it’s a decision you make every day, especially in challenging times.

So, as a reminder:

  •  Advocate for yourself, so your needs will NOT be overlooked.
  • Define yourself, or others will define you.
  • Determine your path so you will not drift or feel coerced into making decisions that don’t support or suit you.
  • Recognize sabotage so you won’t hold yourself back from pursuing your dreams or activating your hope.

JOURNAL: How are these self-empowerment practices showing up in your life? How could your life change if you stepped more fully into self-empowerment?

If this message resonated with you, hit reply and share your thoughts with me. I would love to hear from you.

Please also forward this message to someone who needs a reminder of their power.

Remember, you can listen to the podcast on Apple Podcast or YouTube. And while you are there, please subscribe.

Let’s keep rising—together – as we empower ourselves so we can also empower others!

Blessings!

SharRon

Happy Black History Month

Written by SharRon Jamison on . Posted in Blog, Soar Higher Blog, Uncategorized. No Comments on Happy Black History Month

My parents didn’t have much. They were just teenagers when they had my sister and me.

Yet, they gave me something valuable. They taught me to love myself and reinforced my self-worth in a culture that insisted that I was nothing, dirty, and worthless.

They exposed me to the power, the brilliance, and the beauty of Black people. They made sure that I knew Black people were not just slaves. And most of all, my Dad made sure that I understood that history books strategically and willfully omitted the truth about Black contributions to perpetuate the myth of white supremacy and superiority.

I am so grateful to my parents. Because even when White teachers told me I was dumb and even when white kids bullied and degraded me, there was a sweet knowing in my soul that I was royalty.

My parents made sure that I knew I was powerful, valuable, and worthy of respect. They shared stories that challenged the many lies I learned in history books so that I would remember that I was the descendants of a royal people who were inventors, innovators, leaders, and wisdom-givers.

That sweet knowing gave me the power to endure adversity, violence, and abuse from teachers and students. From kindergarten through second grade, I was kicked in the back, spat on in the face, hit in the head with a chair by a teacher, pushed down steps, punched in the stomach, and consistently called nigger by my classmates…..all before I entered the 3rd grade.

I was humiliated daily, and at times, I found it difficult to learn. Even today, I still cry for the younger me who was forced to endure so much pain while adults – teachers, school nurses, and principals – looked the other way. To White adults, constant violence and abuse were warranted. Why? Because my parents enrolled me in “their” schools.

I was wounded, but praise God, my wounds didn’t win. Praise God that my parents gave me the ammunition to neutralize and challenge the lies that tried to confine me to a life of mediocrity, misery, and marginalization. Praise God for the Black Churches that taught scripture and Black History side by side so that Black children would know that we had a place in God’s Kindom ( not kingdom…patriarchy has no place in my life).

Happy Black History Month!

And during this precious but short month, I pray all people will take the time to learn, discover, and remember the truth about the wealth, brilliance, beauty, tenacity, diversity, and love found in the histories, experiences, and lives of Black people.

Blessings!

Hurray For New Beginnings!

Written by SharRon Jamison on . Posted in Blog, Soar Higher Blog. No Comments on Hurray For New Beginnings!

It’s benediction time!

When you think of the word benediction, you probably think of religious rituals.

But benedictions are not only for religion; they are also expressions of appreciation and respect delivered at significant endings to signify the beginning of another sacred journey.

Benedictions are holy and cherished because they allow us to acknowledge all the pain and trials we have endured and the triumphs and successes we have enjoyed.

And as we reflect and review all we have experienced, we celebrate and offer praise. We open our hearts and minds with great anticipation, knowing that whatever is being birthed in us and through us will catapult us into a higher dimension of destiny.

A few days ago, I offered a few benedictions in my life. I offered prayers of gratitude and said a few goodbyes over several identities that served the old me. I thanked those identities for helping me navigate some tumultuous times in my life and honored the power, perspective, and promotions that those identities helped me achieve.

I also offered benedictions over a few relationships that had run their course so I could SOAR unencumbered by the weight of performing, proving, and people-pleasing.

I said some farewells to some outdated beliefs that I needed to retire because they no longer offered guidance, truth, or illumination.

I also gave some Holy Ghost sendoffs to some old wounds that kept me triggered, hypervigilant, and constantly agitated so that I could enjoy more peace.

Offering those benedictions was a powerful “spiritual shedding” that commemorated a rebirth, called for spiritual reclamation, and served as a sacred closure.

And now I feel more empowered to dare to soar higher, fortified by a new awareness, a fresh spiritual anointing, and a bolder inner advocate to make my dreams come true.

So this weekend, look at your life and identify what needs a benediction, a sacred closing.

Determine if your career, job, relationship, identity, belief, or faith tradition no longer serves you, and say goodbye for good.

By offering words of thanksgiving and sincere gratitude for what went right, what went wrong, and what didn’t go as planned, you can release the past and walk into your future EMPTY, waiting and willing to be filled and fulfilled with goodness, greatness, and grace.

The good news is, when you offer heartfelt benedictions, they don’t need to be deep or complicated.

You can say something like….Thank you for what you taught me, brought me, and gave me. Or……May the strength of God sustain me as I go forth with the lessons I gained, the wisdom I earned, and the power I reclaimed.

Whatever you say from your heart is enough because benedictions are deeply personal.

A few days ago, after I gave my benedictions, I was inspired to create a workshop to address the power of fresh beginnings.

This workshop, Creating A Path to More Freedom, Fulfillment & Flow with Ease, is definitely for you if you know you need to say goodbye to a few things but need help discerning what needs to be released so you can soar. Click here.

During the workshop, I will share seven key questions that will help you determine what needs a benediction so you can welcome all the life-nourishing opportunities that God has in store just for you!

Click here to register.

Remember, offer a benediction so you can walk through 2022 with great expectations of peace, joy, love, ease, and abundance.

Blessings,

SharRon