Power to Persevere

Finding the Power to Persevere

It took me quite some time to figure out what it is I was supposed to be doing in life and how to do it. I struggled for years as to what to do with my life. I started out working in fast food and retail. Then I worked my way to the position of a collector at a large telecommunications company call center.

I worked for this company for almost a decade and became good at it. I won awards, bonuses, implemented new programs that helped further the agenda of the company and also helped train other employees on new techniques. Needless to say I HATED it. After a while, I grew tired of trying to force people to pay, the call center bureaucracy and their not so flexible schedule. Yes I loved the pay and the benefits were good and I also loved my work family, but in no way did I enjoy the work that I was doing.

I didn’t feel like I was making a difference in my life or anyone else’s. I was becoming convinced that I was nothing more than a warm body with an ID to the company. But what was I to do?! At that time I couldn’t think past my life there so I applied to numerous positions within the company. I managed to secure myself a site visit as well as a tentative start date, only to be notified that once again the company had put a freeze on departmental promotions and hiring. So I was stuck again.

The entire time I was going through all this with my job I was also attending courses at the local community colleges; at nights, weekends and even online. I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do later but I just believed what I had been told which was, “In order to better my chances on making a better wage I needed a degree.” Contrary to what I had been told, the earned degree didn’t put me in a better financial position, but that is a part of my story we will get into later.

I felt stuck and I became sad and unsettled. I continued to take classes here and there but work was becoming more difficult for me to manage. I acquired carpal tunnel, anxiety and depression. It wasn’t JUST the job, every aspect of my life I was living was unbalanced. I was the common denominator in all of it, with nobody else to blame.

Eventually I was fired for not seeming to be committed to the job. Although I was part of the union, their attempts couldn’t regain my employment. My initial reaction was to be upset. Then I was overcome with relief. I had an opportunity to finally be in control of what happened to me and why. I went on to obtain my associates degree in Liberal Arts and boy did I feel liberated! I also earned a Bachelors and Masters degree in Social Work.

I have held several positions in the social work field with my last positions providing mental health and drug rehabilitation services to individuals with dual diagnosis as a Licensed Masters Social Worker. Currently I am providing life coaching services and products to women on their journey to make changes in their life and need support, encouragement and accountability while doing so.

I am an author as well and started writing while I was working at the call center but, because of all the things that were going on in my life I never did anything with it. Years later, after college, moves, another child, work on self and many other events I was able to self publish my first novel. I have sense published two more books along with a planner and journal with prompts.

I share just a few of my struggles not only to give you some insight on my journey but to let you know that you can make it as well. There were a few things I have learned along the way and I share them with you below. They have allowed me to see the world differently and overcome so much so that I am able to continue forward.

I realize now that life is a war and that we sometimes fight against ourselves. We look for ways to win this war instantly, which is impossible. We must constantly win the small battles and use these wins as encouragement to persevere. Victory shall come to those of us who not only fight with everything we have, but constantly look for ways to win, and to add to our arsenal.

Here are five things that I did to help me find my Power to Persevere:

1. I had to look at the situations I was in and evaluate if I was a victim or volunteer. I had to hold myself accountable for what I was doing and what I was allowing to happen to me and to my life.

2. I decided what “I” wanted in life. I stopped waiting for direction from others and followed the vision that was placed in me. I had to learn that only the lord could lead me. I had to go after what I wanted and do it even if “they” advised against it.

3. I began to do some self love work so that I could love me and not look for others to do that job. It was my responsibility. You show others how to love you by the way you love yourself!

4. I learned to accept an apology that I would never get. I had to learn to forgive others and do it for me. It was so that I could move on with life and not be bitter. Bitterness is deadly.

5. I learned and am still enhancing the skill of discernment. I learned to distinguish the difference in what I could change and what I couldn’t. Using this energy only on what I could change.

I hope you enjoyed this blog and me sharing a little of my story with you. I would love to hear your thoughts and comments on this, so I would greatly appreciate it if you could please leave a comment about it. Also, like, share and tag anyone you think would enjoy this read as well.

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LaTeisha Williams, LMSW

Life Coach and Founder,

QUEEN BRAND ENTERPRISES