Master The Fundamentals
Volume 1, No. 34
I am giving myself one year to make this start to make money or I will have to go back to corporate America. When I was laid off in 2019, I got excited. I had money set aside to do something different than engineering. i was burned out. I relocated to Atlanta and was starting to make connections when Covid hit and my mother had her health challenges. I moved to Florida to help my parents. I naively thought It would take 6 months maybe a year tops to get my mom back on her feet. Covid lasted longer than anyone expected and due to neglect at the rehab center, mom getting back to normal took a longer than expected.
The money that I set aside has been dwindling. The time is now.The one thing I realized that whether this personal brand takes off or if I need to temporarily return to corporate, I have to master the fundamentals. One of the common aspects of successful people is not the extraordinary but mastery of the basics.
I have to be deeply rooted in great health ( physically, mentally, and spiritually). I am going to combine building the brand and building myself. It makes no sense to build wealth and then have to spend it all to regain your health and relationships. My New Year is starting today. For month 1, I will be Setting Intentions & “My Why”
FINDING YOUR WHY
Finding your "why" is about identifying the core that drives and motivates you. It serves as an umbrella for your personal compass in all you do. It can provide clarity, helping you make more intentional choices aligned with your values and long-term goals. Your "why" acts as a source of inner strength, grounding you during difficult times and inspiring you to keep moving forward, even when the path seems uncertain. It’s a personal journey that requires honest self-reflection, but the result is a stronger sense of direction and fulfillment.
Your "why" will reveal itself as a powerful guiding principle that can transform the way you approach life, work, and relationships. Purpose is a what not a why. Your "why" should not be a person like your spouse, kids, parents, etc. What happens when those people are no longer here? One must chose values that fall under the umbrella of your "why."
Golden Circle - from the book, ‘Start with Why’ by Simon Sinek
HERSTORIES: STRONG WHYS
Three Black women whose powerful "why" and purpose guided their impactful work and left a mark on history:
Ida B. Wells-Barnett: In 1892, after three friends of hers had been lynched by a mob, Wells-Barnett turned her attention to white mob violence. She became skeptical about the reasons black men were lynched and set out to investigate several cases. She published her findings in a pamphlet and wrote several columns in local newspapers. Her "why" was to end the lynching and promoting justice for African Americans. Wells was militant in her demand for justice for African Americans.
Anna Julia Cooper: An educator, scholar, and author, Cooper’s why was driven by her belief in the transformative power of education. She became one of the first Black women to earn a Ph.D. and dedicated her life to advancing educational opportunities for Black women and communities, arguing that their progress was essential to the nation’s moral and social improvement.
Mamie Till-Mobley: After the brutal murder of her son Emmett Till, Till-Mobley’s why became about exposing the horrors of racial violence and seeking justice. Her courageous decision to have an open-casket funeral so the world could see the brutality of her son’s death sparked outrage and fueled the Civil Rights Movement, making her a pivotal figure in raising awareness about racial injustice.
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
“It is not the intelligent woman v. the ignorant woman; nor the white woman v. the black, the brown, and the red, it is not even the cause of woman v. man. Nay, tis woman’s strongest vindication for speaking that the world needs to hear her voice”
Until next time.....remember to use your voice and document your stories because they matter!
