God has a sense of humor and I discovered it today while making breakfast. Yes, during breakfast! I was recreating a delicious and healthy breakfast that I had in Reston, Virginia this past weekend in my own kitchen in Providence. While preparing my breakfast, I was talking to myself and of course to God. I uttered my infamous and most common question to myself and God, "What is my purpose and who do you want me to serve?" As soon as I asked my question loudly, three individuals were revealed to me. Two of my friends from undergraduate and graduate school and one of my dear friends here in Providence.
Now let me give you the commonality of my three friends and myself. First, we are all college educated with at least a master degree, we are all within our late twenties and early thirties, young professionals, and African Americans. My three friends live in various places, one live in Birmingham, AL, one in Houston, Texas and the other in Providence, Rhode Island where I reside as well. I also forgot to mention that all four of us have or currently experiencing underemployment, unemployment or over-employment (over-qualified for one's person). Let me remind you that none of my friends that I have mentioned know one another but we are interconnected through our friendship, education status, and employment status. Let me digress and stick with the subject matter!
Yesterday, two out of three of my friends called me for some coaching, conversation and comedy. I call it the three Cs from Drea. In both conversations, I went into both blindly not knowing that both conversations with two friends who only connection they have are knowing me was the same story of the struggle of unemployment. *Disclaimer* Both conversations, I had yesterday were with my guy friends. Men usually don't discuss their emotions and feelings centering around losing something. They usually withdraw or deny their feelings. I must commend these two guys because they allowed me in their hearts and explore their vulnerabilities.
Both of my friends were both laid off from their well respected jobs within this year. Both dealing with the loss, picking up the pieces and receiving moral support from me. Yesterday, was the most I ever talked on the phone in a while to two people. LOL! While talking to my friends, I realize that these guys are so courageous, strong, and resilient for telling me their struggle in regard to being laid off. I even disclose to them my battle with chronic unemployment within the last five years which led me to starting my first business as a professional resume writer in 2010 while living in Chicago. I encouraged them both to start thinking of alternative ways to generate income in the meantime to sustain their livelihood.
The moral to the blog post is that I went through my experience for a reason. My purpose in life is to assist women and men of color who are young professionals, over achiever, college educated to maximize their potential to live out loud and boldly by recognizing their God given talents, gifts and strengths. We are not taught in college nor in society to go after our dreams and passions. We are taught to be conformist and think instead the box. I realize that I had to get out of my own way, stop over-analyzing, and share my story to people who are going through a temporary, tough time. I am thankful to God because without asking him the questions of "what's my purpose", I wouldn't have recognize my purpose nor realize that I am serving people my tribe of people already.
"Be still and know that I am God." -Psalm 46:10
Thank you for reading Brown Girl From Boston! Please feel free to comment, share your aha moment, or simple say hello. Look forward to hearing from you all.
Drea,
XOXO
