PURPOSEFUL IN STILETTOS
First Friday Blog
By
Michelle P. Jones
SHACKLES
What is holding you back from living the life you desire? What excuses are you telling yourself that keeps you stuck? What shackles have you placed on yourself or allowed others or even society to put on you that says, ‘you can't'? Growing up the word 'can't’ wasn't allowed in our home nor in the conversations we had with our parents or with each other. I was taught that I am the author of my story and as such, I am the only one who can write or rewrite my story, as I see fit! That quite simply, the onus was on me to create the life I believed I deserved and desired.
Let's be honest! In the social climate in which I live, I already have two strikes against me that forces me to literally fight for every opportunity I am able to take advantage of. I do not live an entitled life where things are handed to me on a silver platter. I have to work for everything I have, which makes me appreciate it that much more! There are people in this world who want to demonize me simply because of the color of my skin. They believe that I am unworthy of experiencing the great things in life simply because I had the misfortune of being born Black, (their words not mine). They have determined that I am inferior and incapable of living a life that leaves a legacy that any human would be encouraged, inspired and empowered to experience and follow. Every day I leave the sanctuary of my home and go out into the real world, I am faced with a decision. A decision that forces me to choose if I'm going to live by my truth: that I was born on purpose and for a divinely assigned purpose or if I'm going to live as one with no hope and put on the shackles of despair that seeks to enslave a mind that is meant to be free, and in a reality that limits me to living within the confines of what others have determined that keeps them safe, secure and comfortable.
When are we as human beings going to see the beauty represented in our differences, and how those differences are meant to make us better and not to separate us? The very same differences that have created the platform for each of us to create the atmosphere and the environment we want to exist within without it infringing upon the rights of others. If we are honest, we all want the same things, access to good health care, a quality education, a safe place to live and a job that affords us to live a comfortable life. For me to have these basic rights isn’t taking from anyone else. Why? Because they have the same access to the same opportunities I do. I am not uppity, nor do I feel superior to anyone else for having it. What I am is a woman who dreamed a dream, did the work and received the reward for my hard work. As the Mary Mary song so eloquently says, “…take the shackles off my feet so I can dance!” I am her, I am she, I am you, who took the shackles of oppression, racism, injustice and inequality off my feet and began to dance to the tune that encourages me to not lose faith, not lose hope and in every ‘no’ to continue… To continue until I get that one (1) yes that I need to keep dancing until I have created a legacy that teaches others the importance of self-acceptance, self-love, self-motivation and how to create the music in their life that encourages, inspires and empowers them to dance OUT LOUD and in living color, so others can be inspired to do the same. You never know your divinely assigned purpose may be the answer to someone else’s life question and the sheet music they need to create their tune in which to dance to as they shake the shackles off their feet!
So, I close with the same question I began with,”what shackles have you placed on yourself or allowed others or society to put on you that says, you can't,” and that keeps you from dancing?
Michelle P. Jones
Michelle P Jones is an ordained minister, an Amazon International Bestselling author, business and ministry strategist, and inspirational/motivational speaker. Michelle is the President/CEO of Michelle P. Jones, Inc., a professional services firm, where she specializes in informing, empowering and equipping entrepreneurial creatives in structuring their business/ministry endeavors for success and continued growth. Michelle has self-published two (2) books for national distribution: Grasping your success: Six steps to Starting an Legitimizing your Business and Walking on Water in my Stilettos: How God Strengthen my Faith-walk, is a contributing author in As for Me and My House: Stories to help on board households for entrepreneurship and will soon release her fourth book for national distribution. Michelle is also the executive producer and host of the Girlz Talk... Real Talk Podcast, that can be found on all major podcast platforms, where she provides a safe place for women and men to have those difficult yet necessary conversations that have the potential of changing the trajectory of their life while empowering and enabling them to live their truth, their purpose, their life OUT LOUD and in living color. If you have any questions and/or to obtain additional information, please contact Michelle via email at MzMichellePJones@gmail.com.
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