Does our pain have purpose? I am the beautiful byproduct of generational pain and abuse. I grew up having both parents in my life, but I was raised in a single parent home. I have four siblings but I am my parents’ only child. I experienced the pain, struggles and joy of having two families; which ultimately impacted the way I saw myself and how I allowed myself to be seen and treated by others.

Being raised in North Memphis I was surrounded by poverty, gang violence, drugs and mental illness which no one identified. My environment didn’t yield many notable professions. My options were teen mom, drug addicted, or death. At the very least of disorders I had no knowledge of what depression or anxiety was, all I knew was that my mental spaces contained darkness. Going to college was an escape into a world of unknown possibilities, thankfully. I decided I wanted to be different but I had no foundational knowledge on how to break the cycle.

Obviously, there is more to my story, but today it’s about you! What stories have you allowed to overshadow your purpose and who you are today? There is one place where my personal life and professional life overlap and that’s being among the mass to destigmatize mental health, especially among people of color. As long as you’re ready for change and willing to do the work, evolution of self is inevitable.