Run that back! #Day4 #2minutegems

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Anytime this year, have you come home after a long day of work, put your feet up on the couch, and thought to yourself, "Ahhhhh, I just want to sit here and think about everything I've done wrong today..."

No.....

Me neither....

Today Im going to ask you to do something you may not be used to doing.

Before we move forward, let’s talk about our biggest failures and mistakes in 2022. I know they don’t usually put that on the jumbo screen but we need to get comfortable billboarding our weak spots so we can blaze over them in 2023. -

Transparency moment of the day!!!!!

Steve Harvey surveyed 100 people around Lia in 2022. "What area did Lia struggle with the most in 2022?"

Survey says!!!!!!!!

She couldn't shut up! eeeeeek!

Yes it's true!

There were specific times I said one word too much and I can still vividly remember them all in this very moment. Keep in mind this is referring to me in professional settings. Here is a girl who went through so much trauma and abuse, where she was silenced, ridiculed, lied on, talked about, judged.....and the silence grew louder.

So after counseling, healing, and much courage, I began gaining my voice back. I began to understand and exercise the power of my voice. I began to advocate, and speak up about things that mattered most when it came to the future of students, especially students of color. Or about broken systems in education. As an educator of color I felt like they deserved that....and still do!

It wasn't necessarily that speaking up was the problem..... it was that I was speaking up around the wrong people. The people who no matter what I said- were already set on gossiping about me, judging me, twisting my words, and the like thereof.....

I could say Mary had a little lamb...... and even though EVERYONE KNOWS MARY'S LAMB IS LITTLE, someone would be ready to go tell Mary what I said in confidence and truth about her lamb.

So as I began to dive deeper, and it began to be revealed..... Lia use discernement...

I have some PHENOMENAL women around me!!! And as I began to confess this area where growth was needed, they would say things like this...

"Lia, know better do better"

"Lia, not everybody is your friend"

"Lia in those moments when its burning inside for you to say something... ask yourself- does it need to be said right now? Does it need to be said by me? Am I speaking out of emotion and maybe I need to revise my words before I speak?"

In humility I began to rally my accountability... I stopped hanging around people who I knew I couldn't trust...or agreeing to going to places with coworkers where I might be guilty of saying one word too many and feeling this gut wrenching punch of regret once I got home.

Then my prayers changed from "God use my voice to make change... to God put a guard around my mouth...give me the gift of hush... sharpen my discernment..and when I fall short, convict me quickly, so I can move on with even more grace and wisdom."

Now maybe you don't have the loud mouthed East coast blood running through your veins....maybe over speaking at the wrong times, with the wrong people aint your issue....

Im not even going to survey what your weak spots have been for you...

Im just going to simply ask you to take a moment, before you exit out of this webpage and just be real with yourself.... What was it for you? Have you ever surveyed your mistakes or did you just tell yourself I’ll get it right next time? Why are you waiting for next time?

-Over spending

-your eating habits

-Letting un-forgiveness lead your decisions

-not prioritizing your family and friends and valuing their time

-not taking the step to just go/ try out counseling because you know you have years of turmoil and trauma that needs to be torn down

-Drinking and using other substances to mask the real issues that you're not facing

-walking around aimlessly with no dreams, or goals, or visions from day to day

Today.....billboard to bulldoze, so we can start this journey with a clean slate!!!

We're pulling up on another 365

Forgive yourself and move on!