Written by: Haseena Shaheed-Jackson, Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
This month we commemorate the accomplishments of Women. Women have been and will continue to be change agents, affecting change. Women are impactful and significant. Every woman must believe in their value and who they are.
In this year, history has been made with Kamala D. Harris. The first female vice president. Vice President Kamala D. Harris is the highest-ranking female official in history whose heritage is African American and Asia. Vice President Harris looks in the mirror and sees her value.
You must see value in yourself to add value to yourself. Believe in the person in the mirror.
"What lies behind us and what lies before us are small matters compared to what lies within us." – Ralph Waldo Emerson
Within each of us is planted seeds, our potential, for us to be successful. Understand success should not be measured by wealth. Success is in the becoming. The fulfillment, contentment, and happiness. All that is required of each of us is cultivation and growing, watering, and feeding the seeds within, leading to development and growth. We fail when we do not believe in ourselves, not seeing the potential that within each of us.
I say to each of us, look in the mirror, believe in the person, who and what you can become. Let us continue to foster and be the change we seek in this world.
Wilma Rudolph believed. Wilma was born prematurely in Clarksville, Tennessee. She was sickly, her family was poor, and she was 20 of 22 children. Wilma had polio resulting in her having one crooked leg and a curved foot. Medical care was limited where she lived, so she had to take a bus 50 miles from her home to receive treatments. At nine years old, she decided to take the brace off her leg and was determined to walk, taking her a few years to master. From walking, she progressed to running, becoming an Olympic runner and gold medalist. Unbelievable after being able to walk barely.
"Never underestimate the power of dreams and the influence of the human spirit. We are all the same in this notion: The potential for greatness lives within each of us." – Wilma Rudolph
When we fail to see the value in ourselves, we allow our gifts and talents to be wasted. We do not utilize or tap into the potential that is within.
In the book of Exodus in the Bible, the Israelites did not see or believe in the value of themselves. They did not believe in who they were. The Israelites were more numerous and powerful than the Egyptians. However, they did not see their power or greatness. Their minds had been programmed to believe less of themselves. Not seeing the value in who they were.
The Egyptians saw the greatness in Israelites, thus devaluing them, making them believe less of themselves. When you do not see the value in yourself, you will allow others to devalue you.
In turn, you will either devalue others or place others of higher value over yourself based on their title or status in society. Know that every person, including you, is valuable. You matter. You are deserving of being respected and appreciated. When you fail to see the value in yourself, you allow others to mistreat you and not realize the potential within you.
John Maxwell stated that he has the practice of seeing everyone as a “10”. I say you must also see yourself as a “10”. For you to value others, you must first value yourself. If the Israelites had seen the value in themselves, they would not have stood for being mistreated. They lacked confidence in and self-respect. As such, the Egyptians worked the Israelites ruthlessly and made their lives miserable. They performed the most difficult labor and all the hard fieldwork. Their backs were breaking for the good of the Egyptians.
Do not be like the Israelites. Do not allow yourself to be devalued or mistreated for the good of another. Know and believe that you are a person of value who is deserving to be respected and appreciated.
Look in the mirror, believe in who you are. Strive forward to become who you can be, not allowing the world to dictate what you can become. You are needed to bring about change and to be a change agent.
Haseena Shaheed-Jackson, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine
Mrs. Haseena Shaheed-Jackson is a Certified Coach, Speaker, and Trainer under the John Maxwell Team. She is the author of Reflections Within and Messages from the Spirit. Her mission is to add value to people to add value to others by intentionally growing, resulting in transformation and changing their world. Growth is a continual process that never ceases. It is a lifetime commitment that must become a habit. Ms. Jackson is the Owner of Faith, Hope and Spirit, LLC, which offers training, coaching, and speaking in growth, development, leadership, and influence. For over 30 years, she has held positions in leadership and management for various companies and organizations, where her responsibilities included mentoring, coaching, development, and training. She hosts a monthly networking group, Connecting and Collaborating to Thrive (CC2T). CC2T focuses on developing relationships and establishing a community. She actively seeks to form partnerships with others to make a difference and be impactful.
