A Full Circle Moment
By now, some of you may have seen the podcast interview I did with Black Enterprise at the end of September. The interview speaks for itself so I will not rehash the content here, but I will tell you that getting the call from my content manager that Wednesday evening had me fanning out. Black Enterprise magazine was one of two subscriptions I had in the 90’s. the other was Essence. I read both from cover to cover each month and dreamed of being all things captured between the pages of these publications. One month it was a successful mom entrepreneur in Essence and a young black start-up business in Black Enterprise, and the next month it was a writer of my first novel and trading stocks. Looking back, I think I was imagining the possibility of exceeding any limited expectation that had followed my immediate family to this point. I was not sure how I would get to any of these dreams and to be honest, did not even have a specific dream of my own at the time. I simply drew energy and hope from reading that anything was possible. So, fast forward to Wednesday, September 25, 2024, when I was beckoned to return a call to the host of “Class Is in Session”, a podcast that covers issues affecting America’s Historically Black Colleges and universities. It was after 8pm and I excitedly returned the call and was met with a welcoming and warm sisterly vibe from the host, Ashlei Stevens, who interviewed me and let me tell my story in its entirety. That’s pretty significant as most people think I talk way too much. We would spend over an hour preparing for the interview that would happen the very next morning at 8am.
As I reflect, I cannot help but feel an overwhelming sense of gratitude; not only for the privilege of appearing on a platform where many a famous person has stood, but for the journey. Sometimes, we lose sight of the end goal and get wrapped up in the bumps and bruises that often travel with us as we find our way to purpose. This opportunity reminded me that every step taken, every hurt, every pain, every success, every failure, every victory and every defeat has its role in the final story. That’s what it means to see something come full circle. This was definitely a full circle moment. My story is not all that special or spectacular, it is simply mine. It is just that I have decided to take responsibility for my story, a take charge of the narrative that goes with both the good and the not so good of it. That is what true purpose is. It is not some lost and mysterious thing that should take a lifetime to find, rather it is embracing all of the pieces and parts that shape you on your journey. It is the courage to recognize that even the seemingly worse parts of your story are powerful and impactful. So, what are you willing to do to claim the purpose that has walked with you all along the way?