I have had breakdowns each time I have taken on a new challenge. It happens! It is NOT easy when there’s a breakdown and it does not feel good. Sometimes, it even hurts! However, when I stay focused, new doors open. Some of the breakdowns have caused team members to leave and I realize that they have done their part (usually they have done an amazing job in some way). I have learned to accept that it is their time for something new. I wish them well. What’s interesting is that many times their absence makes way for the next amazing person! If you are having a breakdown, just wait, your breakthrough is just around the corner, so just stay focused!
Breakdowns are Breakthroughs
When you take on a big vision, you will have breakdowns. Count on it!! You see, I have always wanted to help people, especially children. Even as a child, I believed that, if we all worked together, we could make the world a better place. I have always believed we all have innate gifts and talents that we are born with, and, if we focus on those gifts and talents, we will find our purpose in life. I wanted to eradicate poverty so everyone could have a better education and better opportunities. That’s a bold and big vision!!
As a young woman and budding entrepreneur, I began my dream to help others by starting a dance school to teach self-esteem to children from low to middle income families. I added a cultural center school and I got the best professionals I could find to teach the students. We added acting, modeling, dance, gymnastics, fine arts and music, tennis, and more.
But, after 20 years, I decided to focus on women because I saw how parents wanted to do more with their lives but were stopped by circumstance. I figured if women had all they needed and wanted, they would be better able to help children. Men would help too. That way, we would all thrive.
Disaster - Hurricane Katrina
By the time I started my empowerment program for women in New Orleans and ran it for about nine years, the unthinkable happened, Hurricane Katrina! Talk about a breakdown! Although I was out of town at that time in 2005, I lost all I had except my overnight bag containing two pairs of jeans.
However, I never lost my focus to help make the world a better place. I still firmly believed that focusing on women was vital to change the world because of a woman’s natural nurturing ways.
After Katrina hit, I did not know what else to do and had nothing to go back to in New Orleans. Most of my family and friends had been displaced all over the United States. I ended up going to San Francisco on an invitation from a friend. I had never been to San Francisco before, but it sounded exciting. I had nothing to lose since I had already lost everything! Once I got to San Francisco, I began working for Landmark Education’s headquarters and loved it! I still wanted to work with women and I still wanted to change the world.
Motivation plus Perseverance
While taking the Self Expression and Leadership course at Landmark Education, I was able to start my project again to work with women and Powerful Women International (PWI) was born. After the course ended, PWI kept going and growing. We helped women worldwide to fulfill their dreams! It was great.
Then, in 2012, I recalled my childhood dream to change the world so that everyone would have all they needed. I realized it was bigger than helping women to fulfill their dreams. My vision included all people being safe, healthy, and happy. My vision was about our children growing up to know they are special. I wanted children to know that they are all born with innate gifts and talents. I wanted the world to be a better place for everyone to have education and opportunities. No person, no people left behind.
Revised Vision ~ Higher Purpose
I talked with the PWI team and we decided to rebrand as Powerful Women International Connections (PWIC). We started working with women leaders who were making a difference to make the world a better place. Our vision: “We envision compassionate women leaders using their innate gifts and expanding their leadership roles to be catalysts for positive changes in society resulting in a better world especially for children.”
Members’ projects include stopping human trafficking and domestic violence, empowering at risk communities, putting clean water in developing countries, reducing recidivism, building schools and communities, working with military deployment, advocating for burn survivors, and more.
Powerful Women International Connections also has two main projects of its own. Our global project is to rebuild a school/orphanage in Nairobi, Kenya that we adopted. Our National Project is to enact prison reform and reduce recidivism, which is chaired by Carrie Nikitin.
Our Global Impact Conference August 18-19, 2016 will be a collaborative conference with men and women leaders working together on all the projects that are featured (and perhaps creating new ones!). By next year’s conference in 2017, we will show the growth and progress of the projects. The goal is to work together and track our success to make an even Bigger Impact!
My big vision is to connect with every major city worldwide and have leaders working together to expand humanitarian projects around the globe.
Your Vision
What is your dream? You can achieve it. Do not let breakdowns stop you. Remember, your breakthrough is just around the corner – all you have to do is to stay focused!
Remaining focused saved me and my vision. In spite of all of the challenges faced, I am proud to be leading an organization of women leaders who are making positive changes all around the world. And now we are collaborating this week to make an even Bigger Impact! Join us at the Global Impact Conference in San Francisco, CA August 18-19, 2016.
Join us by attending in person or by live stream!
If you miss attending this year’s conference, join us for next year’s Global Impact Conference August 10-11, 2017. Mark your calendar now.
To Make the World a Better Place, Especially for Our Children
