Earlier this year, I made the decision to abandon a job opportunity that promised a remarkable legal career less than a week after accepting the offer. Despite the allure of a substantial pay raise and practicing law in a growing field, neither of those things actually mattered to me. I just didn’t feel connected to it.
That’s when I asked myself something that I never truly contemplated before: what do I actually want to do with my life?
The moment I questioned my career choice, my mind unraveled at the seams. As a Black woman, I was made deeply aware of the world’s bias against me at an early age. The last thing I needed was any kind of distraction that would prevent me from accomplishing my life goals in a society that deemed me unworthy. So I wholeheartedly committed to a life of structure and predictability. Whenever I decided what I wanted for myself, I wouldn’t consider any other options or venture beyond what was right in front of me; especially when it came to my career goals. For as long as I can remember, I just knew that becoming an attorney was my “calling.” It was the one thing I was always certain that I wanted, and nothing ever led me to believe otherwise. And for a long time, I was just fine with that (that is, up until this year). If my legal career wasn’t the source of my fulfillment—if it wasn’t intwined with the purpose God has called me to—then has all my hard work been for nothing?
Faithfully committing to personal growth and healing will inevitably lead to self-discovery, prosperity, and alignment with God’s will.
True to my stubborn ways, I did what I always do when I question my decisions—panicked about it, obsessed over it, and occasionally sent up an ambiguous prayer (“give me clarity, Lord!”). At that point, I figured I probably wasn’t even heading in the right direction to get where I want to be. But that was far from the truth. My life’s trajectory has nothing to do with my plan and everything to do with God’s plan. And the more I thought about the quality of life I wanted, it became evident that living out my “dream life” isn’t nearly as important as the invaluable lessons I learn, the knowledge I gain, and the extraordinary memories I make along the way. I realized that faithfully committing to personal growth and healing will inevitably lead to self-discovery, prosperity, and alignment with God’s will.
That’s when I decided to create Exuberance Defined, where I share my experiences and offer resourceful insights in hopes of connecting with other Black women dealing with similar circumstances and encouraging them to live joyful lives as God intended. Life may not always pan out the way we expect it to, but we can always be sure that everything will work out for the best. Regardless of whatever season of life you’re in, I sincerely hope that what you find here inspires you to define the life you want to live with utmost exuberance.
