“Teach girls bravery, not perfection” Reshma Saujani
As a woman on the cusp of the millennial generation, I could relate so much to Reshma’s #TEDTalk. Imagine if we were socialized to be brave? I was socialized to be independent which I suspect comes with some form of bravery but I was always hesitant to try new things, afraid to fail, afraid of what the repercussions would be if I didn’t do something well.
As I got older, I realized that it was only in being brave that I could grow in all areas of my life.
I watch and listen to my GenZ students and they talk boldly but I am not so sure they are brave enough to make choices that are in their best interest. Many of us, despite our rebellious nature, just want to “fit in” or “be accepted,” in my opinion, there is nothing wrong with that; it is human nature to have a sense of belonging. The challenge arises when we seek to belong in the wrong places.
The Bible contains many verses about bravery, including passages that encourage people to be brave and passages that offer reasons to be brave.
"Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong" (1 Corinthians 16:13). In this verse the Bible encourages us to be brave, telling us to be on our guard which to me means to be careful of who and what we allow to influence us. Stand firm in our faith, be courageous and strong….. what do we value? In a world where we are consumed with “noise,” with so many grey areas, we have to know what matters to us to stand firm. What are we trusting in? What grounds us and guides our choices?
The very first job I got when I left high school came from me being BRAVE. I entered a model competition in Jamaica because some of my friends were entering. On the day of the first round of public eliminations, it dawned on me that I had to walk on a stage in a swimsuit in front of hundreds of people. That was NOT my life. LOL
The next day, I went to Pulse, the agency that was staging the competition, and asked to speak to Kingsley Copper, the owner. I apologized for not fulfilling my obligation at the eliminations and told him I realized it wasn’t for me. He understood and asked me if I wanted to come to work with him that summer. I knew NOTHING about how a model agency ran, or how to do events… or anything really. One BRAVE YES changed my life forever. I gained so much knowledge about entertainment, marketing, fashion, and sponsorship, I developed relationships that are for a lifetime, and I gained a mentor, advisor, and an entire family because of one BRAVE YES. I worked for Pulse on projects for over 12 years while I was in school and living in Florida. Mr Cooper used to fly me to Jamaica to help produce events like Caribbean Fashionweek, Miss Universe Jamaica, Reggae Superjam, Fashion Model of the Caribbean among many more.
My life is a testament to God doesn’t call the equipped, He equips the called.
I got a call from a man I had never met but I knew who he was, the Head of Marketing at Pepsi in Jamaica, the brand manager was going on maternity leave and they wanted someone to fill in for three months, apparently several people recommended me to him. I had never worked in a corporate environment, I had no formal training in marketing, I was also living in South Florida for about 12 years at that time. I went through 2 rounds of interviews via phone and then I was offered the job.
Another BRAVE YES led to me turning those three months to five months, getting a permanent offer but I didn’t think it was the right opportunity for me. God opened another door to restructure a sales and distribution team at an ice company (another BRAVE YES), then God re-opened the door at Pepsi with a role that was on the same level as the Head of Marketing, I was being asked to start, structure, build and run the Trade Marketing division. I knew NOTHING about trade marketing but that BRAVE YES led to me being the first Trade Marketing Manager for Pepsi Jamaica, the first to be the brand manager for juices for Latin America and the Caribbean and getting a promotion every single year that I worked at Pepsi.
God is with us (Isaiah 41:13; Luke 12:7; Revelation 2:10). God gives us power, love, and self-discipline to overcome fear (2 Timothy 1:7).
Did imposter syndrome kick in? MANY TIMES, but I focused on giving my best, walked through all the doors that opened, learned every day, built many meaningful teams and relationships, helped others to grow and develop, and grew so much.
God promises, "Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand" (Isaiah 41:10). "Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you" (Deuteronomy 31:6).
Comments