How to Become an Inspirational Leader

Most people don’t set out to become an inspirational leader; I sure didn’t. What I wanted was to create a meaningful life and find my way to my true purpose. If you’ve read any of my prior blogs, you know that I’m a single mom and for most of my life I focused my attention on raising my daughter. As a young woman and mother, I worked hard and struggled, sometimes juggling two or three jobs just to make ends meet. I was also searching to figure out my true identity. I wanted the answer to the questions: who am I? And who are my biological parents? These were questions that I needed answered. I didn’t think I could be an effective parent if I didn’t have myself together and getting these answers was a huge part of me figuring myself out.

When my daughter was young, I talked to her at an age-appropriate level to help her better understand me, while helping her to better appreciate her own life. You see, I didn’t want my daughter to repeat the mistakes and missteps that I had made. I shared my truth with her; the good, the bad, and the ugly. I told her about the questions in my mind and how important finding out the truth was to me. I wanted to protect her from the evils of the world, but I also didn’t want to shelter her from the realities of it either.
If you’re a mom, you know that parenting isn’t easy. We don’t get a manual to guide us through the steps and stages of raising our children. Furthermore, no two parents are exactly the same and no two children are either. We must learn by trial and error. We must learn to trust our intuition, try and fail, try and succeed, and keep on trying to be the best we can be.

I am grateful for my journey now, but it wasn’t always that way. You see there was a time when I was insecure, doubtful, and very uncertain about my ability to manage my own life, let alone be someone’s parent. I came up on the rough side of the mountain (as they say), through trauma, lies, deception and self- inflicted abuse but I never gave up. I had issues and I had to change the conversations within myself in order to come into the realization that I am worthy of success. I am enough. I am beautiful, loved, and blessed. I also had to keep pressing forward to create the life that I wanted not only for my daughter but also for myself.

We tend to get stuck in our challenges instead of facing them and getting the lesson. Have you ever found yourself thinking that things will never change, that a situation will never get better? Believe me, I’ve been there. And I’m here to tell you that “trouble don’t last always.” Things will get better when you make the decision to make them better. Focus on what you want and don’t give up on your dreams.

According to Webster’s Dictionary, inspiration is something that makes someone want to do something or that gives someone an idea about what to do or create: a force or influence that inspires someone: that makes someone want to do or create something: a good idea.

When you or anyone pulls herself up and out of poverty, it inspires others. You become a living example of what is possible. When you overcome abuse, illness, addiction, or any type of tragedy, you become an example of what is possible. That is how you become an inspiration. Lead yourself first and others will follow. Most people like being around winners, overcomers, doers, and achievers because they give us hope. I encourage you to master yourself. Become a good person. Achieve the goals you set for yourself. Start there and then help someone else along the way. Lift as you climb!

“To the whole world you may be just one person; but to one person you might be the whole world.” ~ Pablo Casals