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Gatkekeepers Have Big EGOs But Little Power When You Are Rooted!

Last year, someone thought they could block my progress and prevent me from achieving one of my goals. They thought they had the power to determine my destiny. Wrong!

I know people have also tried to block your process because we all have gatekeepers in our lives. We all have people at our jobs, communities, and families who think they can control our destiny and dictate our futures.

That’s why being grounded in who you are is essential! When you know who you are and what you need, you don’t let gatekeepers stop you from pursuing your goals. You find a way to do what you feel called to do!

So how does being grounded in who you are – BEING ROOTED TO RISE – neutralize dream-blocking gatekeepers?

There are many ways, and I have listed the top 5 ways below.

1. Authentic Self-Presentation: Being rooted to rise helps you feel comfortable in your own skin. Remember, gatekeepers thrive on inconsistency and insecurity. But when you are consistent and comfortable in your own skin, you are more creative, resilient, and courageous. You show up as your fully empowered self, anchored in your identity, confident in your talents, and grounded in your integrity.

2. Confidence in Decision-Making: Being rooted to rise gives you confidence to make choices that align with your values and vision. When gatekeepers challenge your path or try to undermine your integrity, your confidence enables you to stand firm in your convictions and be stable in your pursuit.

3. Resilience in the Face of Rejection: Being rooted to rise helps you deal with rejection. It reminds you that rejection does not determine your worth or reflect your competence.  And when you don’t view rejection as a roadblock, you appreciate that rejection is only redirection to something better and greater.

4. Clear Sense of Purpose: Being rooted to rise provides a clear sense of purpose. With a strong sense of purpose, you will have the strength and motivation to persist despite the odds.  Remember, gatekeepers have big egos but little internal power. So, when guided by purpose, you will always have the courage and ingenuity to find new routes and create options to achieve your goals.

5. Genuine Connections: Being rooted to rise helps you build genuine connections with mentors, advocates, and allies. Having confidantes and colleagues to support and sponsor you is a powerful strategy to limit the impact of gatekeepers.  Remember, genuine relationships can open doors that gatekeepers can’t block.

The bottom line is this: when you are armed with self-knowledge and empowered by your innate wisdom, you can create a life that aligns with your values, needs, and aspirations…..despite the gatekeepers, naysayers, or haters.

REMEMBER: Stay Rooted & Watch Yourself Rise!

Have a great week!

Blessings,

SharRon

Rooted To Rise: A Journey Back To Yourself

Do you realize since birth, you have been gradually “un-rooted” from your true identity?

Instead of being supported into becoming your highest authentic Self, you have been shaped into what people felt you should be or could be. Little by little, you were molded to be more socially acceptable, predictable, and controllable, with little regard for how you were divinely wired to win or destined to live.

“Un-rooting” you wasn’t always malicious or intentional, but it was constant.

Education, religion, traditions, culture, gender norms, and social expectations…. all forced you into cultural boxes and disconnected you from your wisdom, gifts, and truth.

And now, even though you may be successful or accomplished, you still may not be YOU — your whole, undiluted you! You still might feel at odds with your true nature and out of alignment with your soul.

I know that being rooted and getting re-rooted can be difficult. Removing and identifying the habits, beliefs, and patterns blocking you from being “at home with yourself” is a process. But by reconnecting with your intuition, strength, and beauty and honoring your values, feelings, and dreams, you can live more honestly and freely. You can feel firmly anchored in your inner authority and truth, giving you the power to follow your conscience and your calling, not the crowd.

I realize I am NOT telling you something you don’t already know. Even when your mind doesn’t know you are out of sync, your body and soul know you are not aligned. Your inner champion knows when you need a change, a renewal, and a reclamation to root into your own innate wisdom and selfhood.

That’s why in Rooted To Rise: A Journey BackTo Yourself, we provide the safety and support you need to return home to your true Self – a self you left behind to fit into society’s boxes. We give you new tools and deeper insight on re-rooting yourself so you can return to the truth of who you are  AND make decisions that honor the real you, not the curated you.

For decades, I rejected the truth of who I knew I was. However, once I reclaimed and honored the parts of myself that society told me to throw away, I created a life of meaning, peace, and a sense of freedom.  Most importantly, my health improved, and I renewed my spiritual practices, which helped me experience inner peace.

The authentic YOU is waiting for you to RISE and SOAR in every dimension of your life. Are you ready?

We start on Feb. 24, and I hope to see you there!

Blessings!

 

SharRon

What An Ex-Priest Taught Me About Being Honest & Free!

First, thank you so much for reading last week’s newsletter. I am so grateful that it resonated with so many of you. I received many comments acknowledging that what I shared spoke to your heart! I also received copies of journal entries, pictures of vision boards, and soul-enriching poems! Hearing from you made my heart sing and nourished my soul. Thank you!

Today, I want to share a story about one of my clients because he is a courageous cycle-breaker, self-advocate, and visionary like you.

I can’t share his name yet, but he’s an ex-priest. What’s interesting is that he never really wanted to be a priest. Never! As a child, he enjoyed the Catholic Church, the pageantry of rituals, and learning about God. He was also active in the community and the local diocese but never saw himself as part of the clergy.

However, since he was deeply involved in the church, his family thought he should become a priest. Even though he complied with their wishes, he instinctively knew that being a priest was the wrong career decision for him. But he didn’t know how to say no. Also, saying no was difficult because he was conflicted. On the one hand, he loved how the community affirmed and praised him for his decision. On the other hand, the validation and expectations made him feel like a prisoner trapped by the community’s needs.

So, for years, he dedicated his entire life to training for a profession he didn’t enjoy and felt ill-suited for. He went to the seminary, got mentored by older priests, and was ordained. But the closer he got to taking his final vows for the priesthood, the more dread and trapped he felt.

Eventually, his anxiety became too overwhelming, and he realized that going against his intuition was starting to negatively affect his spiritual and physical well-being. And with all the courage he could muster, he told his family he had changed his mind and was leaving the church. And boy, his family was furious about his decision. They questioned his faith, his mental soundness, and his commitment to God. My client’s family also told him that he was an embarrassment to the family and community and that leaving the priesthood was shameful.

Despite not being consistently active in the Catholic Church themselves, his family strongly criticized his decision to leave the priesthood. According to my client, how his family responded was cruel, judgmental, and hypocritical…his words, not mine.

Thankfully, my client left the priesthood and is now restructuring his life. His relationship with his family is still a bit strained, but he’s happy and relieved.  He’s dating, starting a business, and considering starting a support group for ex-clergy members.

I share this story to encourage you to look at your own life to see if you are living authentically and to ensure you are deeply rooted in your selfhood. Because when you are deeply rooted in who you are, you won’t erase parts of your identity or abandon your dreams to fit into roles that rob you of fulfillment. You won’t choose professions you are ill-equipped for, date people you are not compatible with, and allow others to dictate critical life choices. You will stay “near to yourself,” never neglecting or betraying your dreams, intuition, needs, and purpose.

Thankfully, my client was able to reclaim his life, and he continues to journey back home to himself. And if you need to return home to yourself or re-fortify yourself in your truth, please join me for Rooted To Rise: A Journey Back Home to Yourself.

Because when you are at home with your truth and when you reclaim all of who you are, you will live a happier, more honest life. You will have fewer regrets, enjoy more peace, and experience more fulfillment personally and professionally.

I share my client’s story and 4 key insights that may help you on your journey. Click here to listen to the community podcast or YouTube. After you listen, share your thoughts.

I hope to see you in Rooted To Rise: A Journey Back Home To Yourself.

But if you can’t attend, please stay close because I look forward to sharing more stories and tips to help you be who you were uniquely created to be so you can DARE TO SOAR HIGHER in every dimension of your life.

Please reply to this message and let me know your thoughts.

If you missed last week’s blog, please click here. 

Blessings!

SharRon

You Are NOT Out Of Place, But In Position!

If you are reading this message, you are probably a cycle-breaker, leader, visionary, pioneer, or truth-teller.

You are most likely a brave person who intentionally resists the status quo, norms, and conformity.

You probably live life on your own terms, honor your boundaries, have courageous conversations, don’t invest time in shallow relationships, and believe in taking inspired action.

You are not a person who sits on the sidelines either, because you realize that feeling “safe” is something you create inside your heart; it’s an inner feeling.

Does this sound familiar?

I also know that people like you sometimes feel isolated because you don’t fit into conventional places or traditional groups. And that makes sense because you don’t automatically accept what society says or legitimizes. You realize that living an authentic, fulfilling life exists outside of what’s socially accepted and deemed appropriate.

And because you prefer purpose to popularity, people rarely appreciate you or understand how intentional you are about your life. They don’t appreciate that you are discerning, focused, and have a highly developed BS meter. In fact, you are often criticized for going against the grain and prioritizing your values, desires, and perspectives.

Because you don’t let gatekeepers, narratives, and social protocols confine you, you are admired and gossiped about at the same time. That’s right! People simultaneously like you and dislike you because you don’t follow social playbooks, adhere to cultural assumptions, or comply with outdated scripts. You refuse to succumb to delusions of domination or standards of selfhood that require you to cower and curtsy. You reject narratives that expect you to beg for scraps instead of wearing a God-given crown. You know your worth and your worthiness.

If I am describing you, email me and let me know I am speaking to you.

Why?

This year, I am committed to living MORE outside of societal and cultural boxes. And I want to provide the support, topics, and resources you need to live MORE outside of boxes, too.

I want to intentionally laser-focus on growth by helping you challenge old beliefs that keep you stuck in fear, doubt, and indecision.

Why?

Since the pandemic, people have realized that they are living unfulfilling lives, and they want to DARE TO SOAR HIGHER….they want something different, rejuvenating, and wholesome.

So many people want to experience personal and professional success in ways that heal, transform, and elevate their lives.  They don’t want to stay in relationships or organizations that drain their energy or undermine their wellness.

Most big-hearted people want to embrace abundance and expansiveness. They want to live a life of “why not” and “what if” and not “should not.” They want to use their imagination, take risks, and contribute to humanity.

I like to call this courageous mindset being “in position.”

TRUTH: Because you know who you are and what you believe, you are “in position” to create what you desire! YOU are “in position” to start a new career, build a lifestyle-friendly business, regain your health, create a non-profit, challenge injustice, protest for peace, and love again.

And the way to maximize where you are is to honor your unique path. To cherish, cultivate, and optimize what’s already inside you. To do what’s most true for you even if you are still figuring everything out.

For me, being “in position” in 2024 feels like loving myself and others differently. It means offering and lavishing myself and others with the empathy the world withholds and tries to weaponize to control and disrespect those deemed less valuable. It feels like creating safe spaces for self-discovery, connection, and transformation where people can experience miracles and acknowledge the “messy” without judgment or shame. It feels like creating a space where YOU can reclaim parts of yourself so you can see your own beauty, brilliance, and options. A place where you can celebrate your complexity, duality, and multi-dimensionality so you are never reduced to one part of your identity or history.

My definition of being “in position” feels different this year because I realize that people like you – visionaries, leaders, and truth-tellers – often feel out of place in society. But I believe we are in the RIGHT POSITION to be paradigm shifters, soul-connectors, heart-healers, dream-makers, business-builders, and freedom-fighters. We are “in position” to change the ethos of the world and the trajectory of our lives.

I am saying to you with all my heart: You are NOT out of place but IN Position!

To stay in position, here are some questions to consider:

  • What needs to be recentered or prioritized to help you stay in position for your dreams and destiny?
  • What do you hunger for that will feed your soul, so you can help feed the souls of others?
  • How can you give yourself more freedom to be many things and easily take many paths?
  • Where do you feel most at home with yourself, and how can you reside in that special place more consistently?
  • How can you celebrate being courageous without needing to judge others, delegitimize the realities of others, or denounce others?
  • What does being free feel like, and how can you experience more of it in new places?

My friend, YOU ARE WHERE YOU NEED TO BE ME!

You are in position, not out of place. And I am excited to see what the future holds for you in 2024.

I look forward to working and sharing with you in 2024.

If you are on social media, let’s connect.

Blessings!

SharRon

P.S. Remember to download your 2023 Year-End Review Booklet. It will only be available for 2 more weeks.

Embracing MORE in 2024!

What a year!

2023 was a year of paradoxes.  Up and Downs! Contradictions and Consistencies! Set-backs and Set-ups!  Joy and Pain! Mountaintop Moments and Valley Lows! Inclusion and Exclusion! Happiness and Horror!

But despite the individual and collective polarities we have experienced and witnessed in 2023, I am still convinced that goodness will prevail. I believe we ALL still have the power to change the world for our common good. I still know that we ALL are bright lights, and we can illuminate the darkness that robs us of our shared humanity.  Even though I am shocked, angry, and grieved about some of the trauma happening in the world, I am also STILL resolved, empowered, and committed to work for change.

Why?

First, I am grateful for my life!

Also….I still believe in US – you and me!

So, as we embark on a new year, I hope and pray that:

You can keep making the right choices for yourself even when the choices feel risky.

You keep speaking up for yourself and others even when finding the right words is difficult.

You keep standing up for yourself and others even if you stand on shaky legs.

You keep seeing the best in yourself and others, even if you must strain to see beyond your biases, constant propaganda, and great complexities.

You keep raising your hand to advocate for yourself and others, even when others act like they don’t see you or hear you.

You keep walking your own path even if the path is unclear, uncharted, and unconventional.

You keep listening to your heart and the wisdom of your ancestors even if you must ignore the crowd and leave long-term relationships.

You keep holding onto your faith even if you must cling tighter than you’ve ever clung to an unwavering hope in a Higher Power.

You keep protecting your integrity even when you are tempted to compromise who you are and what you believe for perks, power, and privileges.

You keep saying “no” even when saying “yes” is more comfortable, convenient, and profitable.

You keep establishing boundaries to protect and promote your health, healing, and wholeness, even when others call you divisive, selfish, or standoffish.

You keep making rest and restoration priorities, even though society keeps telling you that rest is earned and reserved for others who don’t look like you.

You keep learning history so you can appreciate the lived experiences of others, courageously confront your assumptions, and value differences in ways that honor and restore the humanity and dignity of others.

You prioritize your total health so that your mind, body, spirit, and soul get the nourishment you need to be the happiest, healthiest, and highest version of yourself.

You stay rooted in your truth while remaining open to new ideas so that you can evolve and transform without guilt, pressure, or fear.

You keep loving yourself even when your mistakes and memories fill you with shame, feelings of inferiority, and crippling doubt.

You keep choosing and working for justice even when the world keeps misleading you to believe in the policies of “JUST-US.”

You keep creating ways to generate income and financial freedom for yourself and your family so you don’t have to subject yourself to the soul-draining effects of assimilation, code-switching, microaggressions, and other types of corporate trauma.

You keep dreaming even when your current reality convinces you that your dreams are pointless, too big, or beyond your ability.

You keep hearing, prioritizing, and honoring your intuition, insight, instincts, and inner voice so you know what to do and when to do it.

You keep taking value-inspired action, so you don’t have to live with the pain of regret.

You keep reclaiming, reconnecting, and remembering parts of yourself that you left behind to fit into unwelcoming and unsupported places.

I hope you can keep DOING YOU – courageously, unapologetically, and effortlessly because you believe in YOUR FREEDOM, identity, humanity, and joy.

I am praying….

I am praying, dreaming, and hoping for all of us. I am praying because we – YOU AND ME – are essential to the world. The world needs us, and we need the world. We need each other to be more human and humane.

What I know for sure is that there is so much more in store for you.

There is so much more in store for me.

There is so much more in store for the world.

And if we dare to soar higher than everything we have been taught, told, seen, or experienced, we can create a safer, saner, more equitable world. And when we do that, we can create spaces to thrive and experience a little heaven on Earth.

Blessings to you!

I wish you a Happy and Healthy New Year!

SharRon,

The Dare To Soar Mentor and Strategist

P.S. Remember to download your 2023 Year-End Review Booklet.

 

Rediscovering Dreams, Nurturing Growth, and Embracing Authenticity

Yesterday was the first time in 20 years that I spent Christmas with my parents. Celebrating and enjoying the holidays with them was such a blessing.
While there, I saw this wonderful picture of me when I was 7. It made me ask myself:
👉🏾 What did this little girl want?
👉🏾 What did this little girl believe about her potential and purpose?
👉🏾 What did this little girl hope for and believe about her life?
👉🏾 When did this little girl STOP dreaming big?
I don’t know the answers, but this morning I am asking myself those questions because the little girl in the picture has wisdom that the adult ME needs.
The little girl in the picture has divine insight… insight that God protected from the unconscious, ubiquitous effects of cultural and social indoctrination.
Wisdom that God protected to ensure she stayed equipped, enthusiastic, and empowered to fulfill her divine calling. To do something significant, transformative, and legacy-producing in the world.
So, the adult ME is staring at the photo, straining to see beyond the social brainwashing and conditioning to see what the little girl wanted and needed so that I CAN give it to her.
The adult ME is resurrecting and reclaiming those childhood buried dreams – the dreams that society tried to kill – so I can be the changemaker that God ordained me to be.
The adult ME is revising narratives, identifying lies, and debunking myths that tried to make me settle for the status quo and a “toxic” normal that is making the world a scarier, sicker, and sadder place to live.
Questions:
  • What did your little person need?
  • What buried dreams do you need to resurrect?
  • What must you remember and reclaim to walk in your authentic authority?
Our childhoods hold clues about our greatness. And when we look under the pain, trauma, historical narratives, systematic oppression, cultural domination, and gender norms, we will uncover who we were divinely created to be!
As my elders used to say: You are higher than what you heard.
Let’s Dare To Soar Higher!
Blessings.

 

Success Is A Personal Thing!

Success is such a personal thing. Yes, it’s personal!

Success is what YOU want for your life, and you must CREATE it.

Now, it won’t be easy because sometimes, success requires you to tear down or strategically quit something you spent time, money, and energy making or cultivating.  And leaving something you invested in is hard, even when you know happiness and relief are right around the corner.

Sometimes, success also requires you to analyze and compare incomes with outcomes.  Or demand that you compare inputs to outputs. Or require you to make additions and subtractions. Success, however you define it, requires you to take inventory of your choices and make adjustments to advance.  Whew!

The truth is that creating something new or more satisfying is not easy; it’s a layered process that requires wisdom and a plan. And the plan has to be agile enough to allow pivots, pauses, and changes in perspective because the “success” journey is about self-discovery. You will learn more about your gifts, talents, and intuition with every new step you take toward your dreams.

So….despite the discomfort, when it is time to move, shift, and restructure parts of your life, you must take action. You must take small steps in the direction of your dreams and vision. If not, you will forfeit your ability to express your essence. And most of all, you will delay your own happiness and fulfillment. Yes, YOU!  Remember, you are in charge and responsible for creating the life you want to live.

Just for the record… Everyone will NOT be happy when you make changes to pursue your dream. Some folks will even gossip about you.

But trust me, the people who will have the most to say about your choices never really supported you, anyway. Not really!  Why? People deeply invested in your happiness encourage and support you when you take risks. Also, people who really know you realize when you are not happy or playing small and anticipate you making changes to enrich your life. That’s a fact!

So, as a new month starts and another year comes quickly to a close, look at your life. Evaluate your relationships. Assess your business. Examine your career. Think about how you treat your body, your most important asset.

And, then, change what no longer works for you so you can position yourself for your future.

Change whatever needs to be changed to align your body, mind, and soul so you can:

  • Produce more fruit in your career, business, & purpose.
  • Be more faithful to your goals, values, vision, and health.
  • Have more focus on the things that matter.
  • Love and spend time with friends and REAL supporters.
  • Create a deeply-connected family that provides unconditional acceptance and support.
  • Experience deeper fulfillment in ways that feel nourishing.
  • Stay fluid so you can change when your circumstances or needs change.
  • Deepen your faith so you have a higher and closer relationship to a Higher Power.
  • Strengthen your foundation so you can weather storms and “hold” success without faltering.

Remember, success is personal! It’s not just about achievement, accolades, positions, money, or status. Sometimes, success is about YOUR peace, rest, purpose, and deep-bellied laughter with loved ones.

If creating success on your own terms resonates, join me and other brave souls in 2024 for a few life-enriching, soul-nourishing events.

You’ll not only gain life-transforming strategies and profound insights to craft your own definition of success, but you’ll also leave with an unwavering determination to fulfill your soul’s deepest desires.

Click here to get on my mailing list.

In the meantime, keep making success personal, so you can live a life that makes YOUR heart sing.

Blessings to you!

SharRon

The Dare To Soar Higher Strategist

Do What You MUST Do NOW!

“What are the things that if I don’t do….I will die inside?”

That was a question that the late Toni Morrison asked herself when she felt her dreams slipping away.

For years, Toni Morrison, who became one of the most celebrated authors in the world, dreamed of writing books. However, her job as an editor – the job she needed to care for her family– gave her little time to pursue her God-given passion.

But one day, she realized that being a mother and writing books were the only things she HAD to do to live meaningfully and purposefully. That courageous realization changed her life and led her to write 11 novels, 2 short fiction books, 3 plays, 13 non-fiction books, and countless articles. And in 1993, she became the first African-American woman to win the Nobel Prize for literature.

When I think of Toni Morrison’s story, I think about you and me. Because, like Ms. Morrision, I know there are things you must do to live with joy, enthusiasm, and meaning. There are some passions, dreams, and social causes that you MUST focus on to stay connected to your highest self. There is something deep inside of you that MUST be expressed to energize you and propel you forward.

So, over the next few days, reflect on what you must do to express and experience who you uniquely are.

Determine what you must shift or release to create what you need or want.

Determine what you must try so you don’t become resentful or regretful.

Determine what you must focus on because it matters, motivates, and means something to you.

Identify your “MUSTs.”

Be honest with yourself!

And then, be bold.

Be brave.

Take action.

“What are the things that if I don’t do….I will die inside?”

Pondering this soul-clarifying question with my clients has changed the trajectories of their lives. It has helped them peel off the layers of societal assumptions, family expectations, and social conditioning to define and pursue their truth.

This question can help you, too.

I look forward to exploring this life-expanding question during the Now What?” Retreat.

If you want to explore this question with other big-hearted thinkers, join us on December 7th and 8th. Click here.

In the meantime, please ask yourself this question, trusting the answer will come to you with ease: What MUST I do to live and not die inside…. and do it openly, unapologetically, and purposefully?

Blessings to you!

SharRon,

The Dare To Soar Higher Strategist

Don’t Let Your Village Cloud Your Vision

There will always be people in your life who will NOT and cannot SEE you!

Even if they work with you, live with you, worship with you, or train with you, they may overlook or minimize your brilliance because they are so tethered to stereotypes, labels, or their own understanding of who you are.

Do you know the type?

You tell them what you were called to do, and faster than a New York minute, they will attempt to discourage you.

They will provide reasons why your vision is too large, too unattainable, too risky, and too beyond who they think you are, to be realized.

When you continue to pursue your purpose without their approval and support, they will up the ante. They will use guilt to dissuade you, rejection to coerce you, and the fear of abandonment to intimidate you.

When you are not deterred by their mean-spirited antics or their empty advice (which is really thinly disguised envy), they start smear campaigns to discredit you or to discount your ideas.

👉🏾 Don’t be alarmed. Don’t retaliate. Don’t despair.

Recognize that your current village may not have the capacity to appreciate your future vision.

Recognize that you have changed and your desires and aspirations no longer align with the places that reared you.

Recognize that your birthing place has become a prison and that you MUST leave in order to bloom and build your new life.

Remember…you have a vision, which may require a new village.

Your newfound creativity may demand new comrades, collaborations, and colleagues.

That was and is my story. I bet it was your story, too.

That’s why in I DARE TO BE ME, we talk honestly about friendships, connections, and mutuality.

We honestly and courageously explore the importance of aligned partnerships that support your purpose.

🔗 Join the “I Dare To Ne Me” Waitlist by clicking here.

I look forward to sharing more about how fruitful friendships provide the safety, sustenance, and support you need to soar.

It’s your time to SOAR Higher, and having the right relationships will help you easily take flight.

Thank you, Pastor Dr. Kenneth Lee Samuel, for helping us understand the critical connection between villages and visions.

Bet On Yourself, Not A System!

Therapist: Why do you keep betting on the system more than you bet on yourself?

Me: What systems? How am I betting on them?

Tears still come to my eyes when I think of this painful conversation. I still feel sad when I remember struggling to prove myself in an unsupportive corporate environment.

For years, I did everything to demonstrate my competency, creativity, and proficiency. And I knew people saw my value because they consistently stole my work, ideas, and strategies. But despite being trusted to train and unofficially lead others, I was repeatedly told I wasn’t “ready” for leadership roles. In other words, I was good enough to “labor” but not lead.

After being overlooked for yet another leadership position, I emotionally crashed. And during one of my therapy sessions, my therapist — a powerful Black woman – asked me a critical question that changed my life: Why do you keep betting on the system more than you bet on yourself?

For years, I had been in therapy with white counselors (they accepted my health insurance) but had never been asked about the impact of systems on my well-being. Never! There were no conversations about bias, being excluded, being overlooked, being talked over, being dismissed, or being disrespected. Even though I shared many details of my work environment, I was never asked questions about systems, racism, sexism, or any other isms.

Thankfully, I finally found a Black therapist who deeply connected with me. Tenderly, she asked me questions that made me feel genuinely heard and understood. Because of her own experiences, she never questioned my experiences or realities. She didn’t ask for painful examples or embarrassing details that made me feel more ashamed. She didn’t pepper me with questions to devalue or discount the effects of ongoing corporate abuse. She KNEW!

During my sessions with her,  she gently explained how I unknowingly colluded with harmful historical systems and narratives that robbed me of my agency, health, and self-respect. And through her wisdom, love, and spiritually infused strategies, I started a powerful healing journey. I began to learn and unlearn messages that made me doubt my value, ability, and brilliance. Most importantly, I began to remember and believe in the power of MY story, identity, and ancestral wisdom.

The healing process was painful and layered, yet soul-nourishing. Gradually, I started regaining my confidence, joy, and self-respect. I regained my agency and began working differently and more courageously with colleagues and saboteurs.  I also began reimagining my future as a Black professional and realized I had enormous potential that didn’t need to be validated by corporations.

My life-changing experience with a therapist who understood oppression and the sting of microaggressions – which are NOT micro at all – was one reason I started creating safe places for other Black women and women of color. I wanted to provide loving sanctuaries where women could grieve without judgment and grow without fear. I wanted to create spaces where women felt honored, celebrated, and affirmed—places where women didn’t need to compete or spiritually exhaust themselves to be seen or witnessed.

The truth is, when I entered corporate America, I unknowingly bet on a system because I didn’t know any better. For the first 10 years of my career, I played by the written rules of success, not the unspoken paths.  Why? I was the first person in my family to work in corporate settings and didn’t know what it meant to bet on myself in corporate environments. Honestly, I just didn’t know how to navigate or advocate for myself; I wasn’t taught the political games.  In the early 1990s and even today, there were few mentors, sponsors, or allies willing to extend a hand to support people who looked like me.

If you feel you are betting on a system instead of seeing your brilliance, I would love to help. For over 25 years, I have worked with some amazing women and have helped them rethink, retool, and reimagine their careers in ways that honored their souls.

I am still in corporate America and doing work I enjoy. But because I see myself differently and fully – I see myself BEYOND the limitations of systems –  I have also been able to build a successful business, write books, coach executives, serve as a minister in a progressive congregation, and help some big-hearted people DARE TO SOAR HIGHER in every aspect of their lives.

Bet ON YOURSELF!

You have everything you need encoded and loaded in your DNA to create a soul-nourishing career inside and outside organizations.

BET ON YOURSELF!

You got this!

Blessings!

SharRon