9/22/2022 0 Comments Don't Waste Your YesDr. Veidre Jackson - Living Strong Consulting One of my favorite movies (before The Woman King came to the screen) was Wonder Woman. Since childhood, actually, with very few options of brown skinned super women, her lasso, steal look, and strength just resonated with me. “I always loved a good fight!” But, it was a quote from a moment in the remake of the eighties classic that brought a passion filled exchange with one of my mentees to a head. She had come to me crying and frustrated that her desire to impact her struggling, marginalized, and frustrated neighborhood was being met with obstacles and barriers that threatened to have her quit. Through her tears, I think she had anticipated my commissary for her plight as she shook her fists and yelled, “Why does this have to be so HARD?” For a split second, I almost reached out to hold her sorrow. I mean… I got it… She had said yes to the task and JUST wanted to impact the lives of black and brown children who were being left behind in a system more focused on politics than phonics and child development. Her tears and frustration were valid, but a scene from 2020’s Wonder Woman made me rethink the moment. Instead of a hug, I gripped her hand in a warrior stance and shared a line from Diana’s training scene with her mentor. In the scene, Diana was tired and took her eyes off of her mentor to look for approval from on lookers, and her mentor seized the moment to drill home a lesson that has continued to teach me in my fatigued times. In that distracted moment, the mentor fiercely brought on an attack on Diana that quickly shifted her gaze and her mind from the crowd back to the battle. As her mentor struck blows that Diana struggled to catch up with, her verbal lashing hit harder than the sword in her hand. “You expect a battle to be fair. A battle will NEVER be fair!” As the quote escaped from my lips to the ears of my mentee and my grip tightened and our eyes met, I knew this moment required resolve not regret. In the moments that followed, as she wiped her tears, I hoped to not just help her lick her wounds but brace her for the cost of the battle tied to her legacy. What I have learned is that legacy will cost you, so Don’t Waste Your Yes.
Don’t waste your yes and allow yourself to get so exhausted you are too tired to execute. Everyone is not worthy of your tears and every table does not deserve your time. Become strategic about where you place your attention and how much energy you allow resisters to deplete you of. You see, the battle is not about the moves of your opponent but the strength of your endurance. The thing about legacy is that it’s YOURS. It can’t be stolen, robbed or ripped away but with distraction and fatigue you can betray yourself and lay it down. Get clear and stop expecting the battle to be fair, neat, easy, or uncomplicated. Remember the old adage, “If it doesn’t challenge you, it won’t change you.” And that is the more important thing… How will you allow this fight to change you, not discourage you. Not quiet your yes, but discipline your motivation. Don’t waste your yes, by letting doubt destroy your potential. Stop standing at tables that are trying to disguise mediocrity as your permitted portion size, instead create a banquet to showcase the full capacity of your excellence that only your full potential can deliver on. Use the challenge to sharpen the blade of your craft. Make it your calling. Dedicate time to cultivating and honoring the anointing on your life by putting down anything that is slowing down your race. A calling is not about the popular culture’s mantra of hustle, but about building longevity, consistency, and clarity. Training happens in the valley of our lives so that purpose is revealed in elevated places. BUT, if you elevate too fast without doing the work to deal with the stuff you are battling within you… your character, your mindset, and your skillset… the altitude of elevated places will suffocate you. Excellence is not about perfection or comparison but your process of measuring yourself against your full potential to mark moments that define what you are here for. As we demonstrate our ability to meet challenges, we inspire others to give themselves permission to do the same. Know your why, because the battle is never just about you. As DeMarcus Cousins says, “God gives his hardest battles to his strongest soldiers.” Yes, this battle. Your battle… was picked for you, not to crush you but to teach you to silence the noise, steady your gaze and navigate the maze of decisions, demands, desires and plans to offer only your best “YES”. Prioritize your time, boundaries and mindset for a life transformed from the inside out, ready to be used as a weapon to transform the lives of others. “Victory is reserved for those who are willing to pay the price.” - Sun Tzu So, Don’t waste your yes.
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