Be Human.

Last week I was honored at the Women’s Empowerment Network’s annual brunch with the Vicki Pat -Sowe (VPS) award for community service which is presented to women who are dedicated to the empowerment of women and girls, who are active participants in organizations that address the concerns of women and girls, demonstrate dedicated leadership among women's organization(s), and/or have founded or run programs that focus on women and girls. 
 
It was such a humbling experience and I'm so grateful that they thought of me for such an honor. The brunch was full of amazing women from all walks of life, different career paths, mothers, wives, singles, divorcees, entrepreneurs, nurses, doctors, computer scientist, realtors, authors, politicians, human rights activists, chef's, tv producers, etc. It was amazing to see the beautiful spectrum of women in the room. I love that the founders of the organization allowed for quite a bit of time for the attendees to get to know one another. I don't really like the word networking much, it was more like connecting…I was able to connect with such amazing women, one of which shared that she considered herself a failure because she hadn't accomplished certain things at this point in her life. It saddened me to hear her say it because as we connected, I saw the brilliance within her. At this point we were just sharing about life so as she spoke she had no idea that I was a coach or the honoree. I was a woman at her table like the rest, sharing. I love it when we get to be human, when the conversation isn't about what we do but just who we are, what we feel, how we think…human.

When was the last time you had a human conversation with a stranger, one that lacked pride or pretentiousness? 

I hadn't prepared an acceptance speech, I prefer to just speak freely from my heart so I took the time to be human, to explain that my bio, read by one of the founders, was a highlight reel and while I'm grateful for the many opportunities I've had to serve, the features, accomplishments, etc., all of that is just a part of who I am and as a woman, I've struggled, made poor decisions, been hurt, felt insecure, just like everyone else. 

The next time you have the opportunity and when it's appropriate, share the human side of you with a stranger. Remind them that they are not alone. Don't let them think for a moment that you're this super human, super woman that has it all together. We completely rob God of all the honor when we do that...share a bit of you, the part that relies fully on God to carry you through.

P.S. Check out the latest LoveLetter here!