I stopped writing…

Why??? you may ask.

I couldn’t write without being my true self. I was in search of my core being. For most of my life, I spent validating who I was to others not having a voice. I was not accepting of my own authenticity. It felt good for the moment to be lost in someone else’s world. I showed up at events having an imposture syndrome, hiding my true gifts and talents. It wasn’t until a Small Group leader at my church asked me to lead the group. Say What??? Me? It felt unreal. In the past, I always felt most comfortable being in the background letting others go ahead of me. Although, I did not realize that I was already a leader. I was a mentor, a tutor, a mother, a sister, and an aunt. In these settings, giving the best of myself the way I knew how.

Being a leader taught me the importance of true leadership such as caring for others. Wanting to see individuals develop and grow to reach their true potential. Also, teaching them to value themselves to be effective leaders for others and their communities.

When I was able to be my authentic self this gave me a sense of peace. And by sharing my own story, people were able to see the real me.

Your voice is what lights up the world. Lives can be transformed through the power of your conviction when you Lead with Your Story.

Leadership begins the moment you decide to be the kind of leader you would follow. We all come from different walks of life with our own stories. Our journeys give others hope and a promise for a brighter tomorrow.

Being the youngest of six siblings, I often listened intensely as my parents spoke about growing up, ‘back home,’ as they would call it coming from the Caribbean. The stories appeared so real you can almost see them in colour. Like the African folklore of ‘Anansi’ made into a children’s book about a spider which has quite a bit of wisdom turned into a lot of fun and laughter. My father knew all of them by memory. It was as if it happened yesterday. We can learn a lot from the ‘Elderly’. Some had to go to war to fight for their country, their rights and their freedom. My mom has since passed away and my father is now in his eighties, but boy did, they know how to tell great stories before the digital age set in. The simple times… weren’t they the best though? We hear about it but they got to experience it in real-time. Now, we are lost in a world of microwave popcorn and tv dinners. I’ll take a breakfast sandwich with my cell phone, please.

But, all stories are good stories. Yesterday, today and the ones we will tell tomorrow to our children and grandchildren. It is not so much about what you say that matters, it is how you helped others along the way. I now can write comfortably because I’m not starting from scratch. This time, I’m starting with my experiences and sharing my story with no expectation, except to share the lessons I’ve learned, hoping this will impact those who read it.

Follow me on Instagram @ christineg_inspires for upcoming Memoir Writing/Story-Telling and Purpose Workshops.