Life is a journey of discovery! While traveling forward, I spent years searching for my purpose. I didn’t know I was searching in the wrong places. Regardless of where I searched, I was always reminded of the story my pastor told about the older lady living in poverty. At Christmas our church members took gifts to poor people living in poverty. When they stepped on the raggedly porch of her shack, they asked her what she needed. She greeted them with a smile and responded that she had joy and that was all she needed. Initially, her affirmation didn’t make much sense to me. As I journeyed through life and my faith grew, it made perfect sense. To me, this meant a person can have joy while living in any situation or facing any difficulties. She didn’t need things to make her happy. Because of her faith, she lived a good life. My church members came to bless her but she blessed them. Her story reminded me of my story. I was too young to understand then but MaDear and Dad had joy while poor and living in shacks. They had an abundance mentality and were armed with joy while fighting for justice. Joy became their constant safety in a world of turmoil.
God gave me the strength to survive and thrive while living as a child in poverty. He gifted me with the right parents to guide me on my daily journey. He didn’t promise an easy passage but He did promise a safe landing. He knew that someday, I would share my story to help encourage and empower others.
While living in shacks, I realized that my siblings and I were living in homes. Our home became our classroom. We had two parents who cared for us, nurtured us, taught us, took us to church, prayed over us and engaged us in conversation. They were present in our lives. They encouraged education and had standards we had to adhere to. They knew we would make mistakes while growing up. They also knew we would learn from the mistakes and make better choices. They set solid foundations to help us reach our full potential in life. If the foundation is not solid, the rest of the building will collapse. When I became a mother, I patterned my parenting skills after my beloved parents.
During my journey, I had to go back in history to help me understand people and society. I struggled to understand systemic racism and racist and classist attitudes that shaped our nation. I struggled to understand why people were oppressed based on skin color and socioeconomic status. I struggled to understand why people in a positon to help were contributors to the problems by remaining silent. I traveled a long dark journey to get to the light. It is my hope that the challenges in the past are lessons learned to heal the present and become a beacon of light for the future.
Regardless of our belief system, we were not made to go through life alone. I read my Bible to gain some understanding of the difficult times we live in. Despite our difficult and painful beginning, God’s plan is that all of us experience the good life and enjoy a relationship with Him. Even in the face of injustice, God is faithful. As humans, we have a desire for the universe to make sense. People may have various theories but for me, it is important to believe in a higher power. God’s word brings me joy and the Bible provides instructions for how to life my life. It wasn’t easy for people during Biblical times but most of them had hope! The people in the Bible were a motley crew of morally upstanding citizens and morally challenged citizens. They found some common ground. I had to believe that we are no different and can also find common ground.
The desire for progress is an essential characteristic for people. When we treat people unfairly and favor one group over another, we do not reflect the God of justice or honor Christ who came to save all of us. Sometimes people hate without realizing it and their hearts are hardened to marginalized groups of people. We should treat others as we want to be treated. Too many people live their lives assuming the worst about people based on prejudice and stereotypical information. Over the years I learned that one person may have a greater degree of happiness or joy than another person because they have more capacity. I learned to declutter my mind so I could have capacity to receive joy.
As an adult, I am responsible for how I respond to life. The poverty rate is higher in Southern states. According to 2020 data, the majority of the ten poorest states are in the South. This has not changed much over the years. Self- sufficiency and self-reliance is easier to achieve without systemic racism and inequality. I owe it to the civil rights workers who fought tirelessly for equal rights and now take personal responsibility for my actions. Even if a person’s choices contributed to poverty, they have the ability to overcome and change their outcomes. Long term dependence on others impedes our progress. As an able bodied adult, I was expected to make a difference and add to life. When I grew up, I gave back. The ability to give back and serve others gave me joy!
I learned about Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs in my nursing classes. In spite of life experiences I was determined to progress through the levels of the hierarchy. I have an abundance mentality and crave learning and growth. I had to challenge myself and ventured into the world of business and investments. My businesses folded but I don’t view my experience as a failure. I learned valuable lessons that I would never learn if I hadn’t tried. I earned an undergraduate degree in nursing and later earned a Master’s degree in Health Law. I worked for various corporations throughout my career and had the opportunity to grow professionally. I served in the Army Reserve for over twenty years and had the opportunity to make a difference. I am a lifelong learner but it was not enough to learn and not share what I learned. Even in the face of adversity, my goal was to be true to myself and make a difference in the world. I reflected on how the past determines how I live now. I learned to achieve success; I must have the courage to always seek it. I continue to have a need for personal growth and discovery. I learned to empower myself not only from poverty but from relationships that were not meant for me.
I have an attitude of curiosity and enthusiasm. I had to learn to overcome some previous preconceptions that prevented me from living a joyful and satisfying life. Despite life’s circumstances I chose to be happy. My journey includes a life with others. There is no way I could travel this journey alone. I became curious about other people and their experiences. I practiced listening to their answers and learning what they had to say. By engaging and connecting with other people I got to know their dreams and their struggles. I got to know their history. We had honest and respectful conversations about race relations and economic disparities. Many people made an impact on my life and we challenged each other to do better.
My new goal is to create memorable and meaningful life experiences. On my journey to absolute joy, I started practicing gratitude. This is a powerful tool for creating an abundance mentality and joy. I’m grateful for the teachers in my life. Education is a lifelong process because life is a tough teacher. Be curious and explore the various windows of learning. We all learn differently. Along my journey, I learned that there is a cone of learning. Studies found that only twenty five percent of students learn primarily by reading and lecture. The educational system emphasizes these ways as the primary ways to learn. Sometimes, students may be conditioned to think that when they make mistakes it is a failure. Many students are bored in school because of one uniform way of learning. Learners retain more information by what they do! I was one of those students and learned better by doing. As a parent, I thought my children were geniuses. As a grandparent, I think my granddaughter is a genius. This means I created an environment where they were free to discuss their dreams and provide encouragement. The future was theirs to create.
My daughters are caring, strong and self-sufficient professional women. They chose to marry like minded strong men. My granddaughter is in the first grade and the world is her oyster! During my working years, I had to make my way in the world. To keep up, I had to continue my professional growth! I’m easily bored with mundane jobs and activities. I’m grateful for the employers who trusted me to use my creativity to help create and implement programs, policies and procedures. I’m grateful for the opportunity to lead a diverse team of creative employees and value their individual gifts. I’m grateful for the privilege to serve the vulnerable and under-served population and help be their voice in shaping healthcare.
Based on my experience, parental involvement, equality, education, knowledge, belief in a higher power, setting goals, taking action and financial education are some keys to getting out of poverty and remaining out of poverty. Learning is on-going. My self-taught courses were on finance and investments. I am not an expert but I learned there’s a difference in working for money and letting your money work for you. I learned the difference between the three types of incomes and associated taxes. Most entrepreneurs learn to create wealth by changing ordinary income into passive and portfolio income. They do not have an entitlement mentality. I learned not to have an entitlement mentality.
Three years prior to retiring, I created my early retirement plan. This plan included interests and purposes outside the work environment. During my working years, I was adventurous and willing to take risks. I am an independent thinker and I was aware of many possibilities to enjoy life. I was ready to explore exciting and fulfilling outlets for self-expression. I moved from a large city to a small and quaint town. There was a sense of community. People were engaging treated others with respect and humanity. We had a common ground.
Prior to buying my home, I asked God to deliver to me a forever on earth home. After living in a small quaint town, I knew I didn’t want to live in a big city. I stepped out on faith, bought a house and retired a month later! I retired from a corporate job and retired to living the next chapter in my life. Retirement is a new beginning in life! I put my finances in perspective and generated purpose by following my dream. I studied the Bible, finished a book manuscript, and learned how to blog and tweet! I started a blog to share my journey out of poverty and to help empower others out of poverty. My niece Tracy challenged me to take charge of my health by changing my eating habits. She is the owner and founder of Original Origins and is a frequent contributor to my blog. Health is an important element of happiness. Great health is often not appreciated until it is lost. This includes physical, mental and spiritual health. When I retired, I moved my health to the top of my priority list.
After moving, I visited some local churches in search of a new church home. I was led to a large, bible based church that was engaged with the community. The parishioners were friendly and seekers of God due to their brokenness. We are all broken in some way! I embraced the biblical teachings, atmosphere of inclusion, guest speakers of all faiths, and community involvement. I was delighted to find a church where all people were welcome and embraced. Dr. King said that Sundays at 11 a.m. is the most segregated hour. We have made some progress but still have a long way to go. The continued prevalence of racial segregation in some U.S. churches affects individuals and society outside the church. It is time to heal this racial divide and seeing the progress made gives me joy.
The key to optimizing happiness in retirement is to not retire from life. I stay physically and mentally active. I joined the local senior activity center and met an active and lively group of new friends who enjoy life. These dedicated seniors give back to the community by volunteering in various capacities. I learned new hobbies, developed new interests, and joined a volunteer group. I met a diverse group of seniors of different races, gender, socioeconomic status and ages. Many relocated from various states and countries. Each one has a delightful story to share and tell. We listen and embrace each other’s culture. Many of these active seniors became my new friends.
There is a sign on my desk that reads “Friends are God’s way of taking care of us”. We need friends with whom we can interact with personally, philosophically and spirituality, I am forever grateful to my friends. We keep each other grounded! I have friends from childhood, college, Army Reserve, various careers and new friends. The distance doesn’t separate us. I have many more good friends I met and cherish during my journey in life. Most of my friends are retired now and enjoying new beginnings in their life! They are pursuing their dreams!
When I introduced myself at the beginning of my blog, I shared that I love to laugh out loud and dance lively. I participate in weekly line dancing at the local senior citizen center. At their request, I have shown some seniors how to pop their fingers, and dance lively. At every age, learning and development happens through play and fun. I chose both. I learned a valuable lesson through children. They know how to engage with the world through laughter, curiosity and play. Adults don’t laugh enough. It’s healthy, relaxing and essential. In my blog, I also shared about my love of fast sporty cars. This is one “thing” I didn’t give up! We must have fun as we travel on our journey. I’m convinced that sports cars, good health, laughter, exercise and dancing keep the medical doctors and psychiatrists away!
There was a purpose in my poverty. I was taught the importance of hard work, stewardship and character. My purpose was to enjoy a loving relationship with God and learn the meaning of true prosperity. My second purpose was to share my story to help empower others. There are many opportunities available to all of us. Prosperity is a quality of existence. You learn the ability to give and share. You have the ability to bless someone other than yourself. It is not measured by material gains. Make mistakes, learn from them and do better. God gives us free will. Either we follow HIM or we don’t. When I accepted Jesus as my personal savior and truly believed in Him by my faith walk, absolute poverty eventually turned to absolute joy!
I am grateful to my blog readers for engaging with me. It is my hope that sharing a part of my journey helped empower you in some way. In spite of messes in my life, I had to tell my truth to gain absolute joy. I’m retired but I have a future story. We all have future stories and learn from each other. Sharing our stories help empower others!
I am grateful for my niece Tracy for being a guest blogger and sharing her passion to empower us to have better health. She is a health care provider with a wealth of knowledge to help us live our best life. We have the power to change!
We all have a purpose in life. My purpose and passion is to help empower others to end poverty within themselves. Everyone can develop an abundant mentality by being positive, being curious, asking the right questions, and being fearless. We can all have joy!
With equal opportunities and just laws, we have the power to prevail over poverty! We owe it to our future generations! As I continue on my journey in life, I will be blogging about prevailing over poverty. I hope you will join and engage with me as we explore possibilities!