Pain to Purpose

I've failed countless times in every area of my life. I bet you didn't expect me to start a book like this one with that phrase. It's true though, I have.

I don't get to write a book like "How Passion + Purpose = Profits" without having an incredible story to share. I know you do too. Otherwise, you wouldn't be here.

I wanted you to know that right upfront so you know two things.

1 I am no different than you. 2 I am a girl who chose to create, transform, and inspire.

I am a woman who believes I am limitless, I am resilient, and I am priceless. That you are too if you choose to be. I am leading myself and others to transformation and inspiration.

Most importantly of all, I am a fighter. A fighter for freedom. In all forms. Expression, time, location, and financial. A fighter to take a stand to help you learn How Passion + Purpose = Profits for you. To help you create a life and business you love.

It is because of that, and the divine desire from our creator of LOVE for myself and YOU, that I have fought. I have fought for passion and purpose with ALL that I am.

Our Creator would not leave me alone.

I have been bruised, beat down, sacrificed so that you KNOW without a shadow of a doubt that is is possible for you. Possible to create a life and business you love.

It's this tapestry of faith, hope, and love that joins us all together in this human experience. Along with the doubt, discouragement, and hate we've all experienced or created. This life of ours that connects us all.

When I look back, the biggest failure I had was not listening to God about who I am created to be. Instead, for years I did the opposite.

I listened to people that have a different version of the world than I do. Instead of playing full out, I played small. There was a deep desire to fit in. At different points in my life, I didn't realize each one of us is born to stand out.

Thank God the story doesn't end there.

Thank God He wouldn't allow it to.

All of us have experienced success and failures.

Perspective in the Pain

I believe they all serve a purpose if we shift our perspective. Nothing is ever wasted if we choose to use each experience. Sometimes success in one area causes us to fail in another area of life. At the moment, pain may be unpleasant. Yet, we may choose to turn pain into purpose.

I started to transform on many levels in 2010. Although I reinvented myself in the past, this time I co-created a new me.

I started to look backward in my life. I asked myself a simple question. When did I experience a time when I felt successful in every area?

Immediately, college popped in my mind. I remembered feeling alive as I walked aligned to my purpose. I loved the feeling of who and how I was then. I wanted to recapture that feeling.

Let me explain so it reminds of a time in your life you felt that too if you don't now. This way you can recreate, magnify or amplify your life.

In college, I spent time daily dreaming about how I wanted life to be. I wrote down my goals daily and took action. I practiced being healthy and learned. I learned new things all the time. I thrived in school with a 3.6 to 3.8 GPA.

I excelled at serving people in finances at a credit union. I received awards for results. My family supported me in my dreams.

The friends I had were amazing - Janelle, Angela, and Isabel. Angela, Janelle and I started a non-profit together. We traveled the world.

These were my successes at the time. At the same time, things were missing.

Although I didn't realize it at the time, I was missing my God-given dreams. I missed dreaming of what I wanted. The seeds showing my desires were there. Instead, I settled for the dreams that others wanted or projected onto me. I played it safe for me.

People Pleasing

I valued man's opinion over my own and God's. I chose some of the things I loved, but not all of them. Although I didn't realize it at the time, I shrunk my faith to make others feel comfortable.

In college and for years after, I experienced major FOMO (fear of missing out). I didn't like missing parties or events for fear of disappointing others.

For years, I chose foods that didn't serve my mind or my health. I ate unhealthy food to fit in. I chose to drink to fit in.

I allowed people or chose friends that were not the best for me. I allowed a boyfriend in high school to early college abuse me in every way. I went from an abusive relationship to running from investing time in a relationship at all. I didn't believe love was possible for me. So, I self-sabotaged. I did that a lot in case you can't tell.

It takes a lot of courage to look at ourselves with eyes wide open. I practice courage daily and my journey is nowhere near over. I made the choice to face myself head-on.

This time around, I became determined to take all the things I loved about that time and refine the others. In reviewing each experience in my life, I dug deep.

I thought about what resonated with me and what didn't. I stopped apologizing. Sometimes this comes easy, sometimes it doesn't. It's a muscle and we get to choose to exercise it.

Transformation from the Inside Out

I began to shift my beliefs step by step from:

Fear to Faith

Devaluing to Purity

Self Hate to Love

Corporate to Calling

Bondage to Freedom.

With God's help, I learned to believe that I am worthy. I began to believe in my dreams and desires. I developed the strength to fight for freedom.

My spirit helped lead me to know that I am worthy of love. I accepted that I am worthy of the love of my life and all the love God gives. It took years to get here to say that.

I find it interesting that I get asked a lot if I feel fear. Of course, I do. People will sometimes say to me "you look like you have it all together". Keep in mind you see 1% of any person's life unless you are around them a lot.

In general, we see 1% of other's lives. It's incredible to have the audacity to form an opinion or judge off of the 1% we see. Yet, we do it. People will say "you make it look easy". I tell you and I tell "them" it isn't easy at all.

Yet, I choose growth. I chose to go all in. Because I embrace the vision, I focus on faith. I choose faith over fear because I know that I am capable of limitless possibilities. I know who God is.

You are capable of anything I am capable of. Anything anyone can do, you can do it too. If you want to do something brand new, do it. The sheer fact that you imagined it means it is for you. Don't let anyone talk you out of it. Not even you.

Pursuing Passions

On your path to pursuing passions, you will discover new things. Failure will be part of your experience. I've failed countless times in health, wealth and business. The mindset I live by is I win or learn, so I never lose.

Reconsider how you view failure. In new areas, think of yourself as a baby learning to walk.

Sometimes we experience doing something we don't love to know what we do. Other times, we stay persistent and discover we do love something we didn't realize after all. We have a choice to become the person we fall in love with the process.

When you encounter failure, ask yourself how could you turn pain into purpose. It isn't easy. It is worth it.

As humans, the majority of us avoid pain at all costs. Our brains are even wired to help us avoid pain. At the same time, pain is unavoidable. Sometimes we allow or invite pain, Other times, it happens and is out of our control.

Passion is many things. What passion is to me may be different for you. There may be some overlap between us. To know where you're going, it helps to know where you've come from. I'm going to share my story and would love to have you start reflecting on yours.

For example, I love God, and the pursuit of passion, purpose, and potential. I love the future love of my life. I love health, wealth, and business. I love Herbalife Nutrition and competing. I love to dance. I love creating a life and business I love with my future partner in purpose. I love helping others do the same. I love traveling the world. I love the ocean. I love adventure. I love to give back.

My friend, the life and the business you love is possible. Step by step, you have the choice to have faith and fight for your freedom in all forms. Will it be easy? No. Are you worth it? Yes.

Wake Up.

What I know is this - all you and I truly have and know is this moment right now. Yesterday is gone. Tomorrow is not promised. Yet, we choose to spend so much time living in the past or future vs. at this moment.

Forgiving Ourselves and Others

What if we released the past and forgave ourselves and others? After all, we are all human. What if we became focused on creating the future we want vs. projecting our past and fears into our future?

I say this to you and as a reminder to myself. I have struggled with beating myself down for repeating the same beliefs and habits creating a vicious cycle. Repeating the cycle into my future happened for years in my mindset, health, business and wealth.

I practice reframing my mindset daily. When we choose to see this moment right now and the chance to be alive as a gift, our perspective shifts.

The chance to smile at a stranger. An opportunity to post something positive on social media. A choice to give back with time and money, or both. We begin to open our eyes.

Our eyes are open to the pain on our planet. And the choice to turn our own pain into purpose for the planet. Open your eyes. Look within and around you.

You, like I, have experienced pain in various ways. So have others. Put your pain in perspective. I am in no way discounting your pain. I know you have real situations and circumstances that you wish you could change.

Yet, we can't change the past or snap our fingers all the time to instantly change a circumstance of our own. What we can do is open our eyes, hearts, and hands.

Look around.

The World We Live In

There are over 7,000 homeless people in Atlanta alone.

Millions in the United States, and countless around the globe alone.

The majority of households are 1-2 paychecks from being homeless. The average household is over $20,000 in debt and bankruptcies are on the rise.

Over 800 million people on the planet do not have food to eat or are malnourished.

Human trafficking is a pervasive and billion-dollar business.

Atlanta had the largest sex trade between 2003 and 2007 and 2018. I don't believe I was planted on accident in this city at all.

There are estimated cases of cancer of 1.8 million in the United States alone globally. Each year over half a million die from cancer in the US alone.

My Heart Hurts

One of my best friends, Janelle passed away from cancer in 2013. I've seen first hand what cancer does through her life and when I worked at an Oncologist's office in high school.

1 in every 4 women has been a victim of domestic violence, and a woman is beaten every 9 seconds around the globe. I lived through an abusive relationship in my late teen and early 20's. I allowed it not realizing my identity, worth, and value, and it almost killed me.

Over 20% of military vets who have selflessly served our country have PTSD (post-traumatic stress syndrome). That's not counting the far-reaching and traumatic implications of war and conflict, and the people that die leaving loved ones behind.

Someone deeply important to me is impacted as well.

My heart hurts.

How Passion + Purpose = Profits

How have we as a people allowed ourselves to be so consumed by our own circumstances that we have somehow accepted or allowed the problems on our planet to reach these levels?

That we allow our own bubbles to consume us vs. opening our eyes to not only wake up to How Our Passion + Purpose = Profits, but how we impact others.

I hope that your heart yours too. For you, and for others. That you choose to create, transform and inspire so that you too pursue your purpose to transform the problems on this planet. Our hands and feet are desperately needed.

Wake up. You, your story, and your service matters. We need you.

If you love this post, you will love Fear to Faith: Fighting for Freedom.

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