Speak Life 101: Why I Chose To Speak Life... The Inspiration

In 2005, I chose to quit my job at an investment management consulting firm and made the conscious decision to invest in my dream.  I moved 3,000 miles back to my home in Atlanta, GA from the Bay (Yippee Yay) Area to "go for the gusto". 

With no job on the horizon, and a little bit of savings, I moved back into my parent’s humble abode and prepared myself to “go for the gusto”!

Nine months prior to the move, I was offered the life changing opportunity to travel to South Africa.  It was during my stay in South Africa that inspired me to redirect my professional energy and rediscover my passions.  By the way, if you have the chance to travel outside of your neighborhood, city, state, or country, I encourage you to do so.  It really gives you a different perspective on how you view the world. I was lucky enough to have amazing friends who enjoy international travel. One of my good friends from college was studying in South Africa and invited me to visit her. While visiting, we experienced a South African movement focused on the union of ethnic groups in South Africa (there’s a lot of them), bringing each of them together as proud South Africans. This time period is post-Apartheid and pre-the World Cup of 2010.  

There were billboards, t-shirts, buttons, and flyers, all encouraging people to love and respect themselves and everyone around them. It was such a beautiful thing... and through this movement, I was inspired. I realized that a movement such as this was necessary for the growth and cultural progress of America. This movement would combat negative happenings in news and main stream media. America is in need of a brand that inspires the individual, the nation, and the in time, the world.

In South Africa, once a child is born, during the child’s naming process they make sure to select a name that has meaning. Whatever they name that child, they expect that child to have the qualities that reflect their name.  For instance, in Zulu, if you name your child 'Zola' they expect that child to be humble because that's what they named her.  In essence, they are "Speaking Life" over that child. I met a woman named Zola in Durban, South Africa; and guess what, she was humble. It was during my fantastic stay in South Africa that I began to acknowledge that "words have power". 

(to be continued)