Completing What You Started
I know what I am about to share with you may sound crazy and there are days when I was going through the motions that I questioned it myself, however, what I am about to share is real and for most, we have these “things” that linger over us that we never finished. The thoughts are not necessarily because we needed to do it, however, the feelings of failing at completing something we started will always pop up in our minds.
Mine was funny because while I had a specific area that always bothered me, I knew I did not need it to get farther in life in regard to business. In fact, it wasn’t until my son Connor quickly responded to me one day when talking about going to college that “Why should I go, you didn’t need it and you are farther than some who did go…” That hit me hard. While he was right that I had done well in business, I still should have finished that part of my journey because, well, for no other reason than I started it.
By nature, I have always been a survivor and to be honest, I tend to thrive in the face of adversity, so I never doubted my ability to succeed at things because I was relentless. I graduated from high school and went on to college at Liberty University but dropped out after my sophomore year. I just hated being in school and when I came home, I was hired by Estee Lauder as a makeup artist and once I started making money, I had zero desire to go back to school. I honestly couldn’t understand why people would go for four years and come out with a bunch of debt and a job they hated. That was not for me. I quickly got into businesses that challenged me to grow both personally and professionally however, I never felt qualified because I was a college dropout so I assumed I would never make it as far as others that had that silly piece of paper. Silly right?
When my son Connor said that to me that day, I became so aware that not just for myself, but also for my kids who were watching me, I had to go back and finish what I started and get my college degree. I worked for years while being a wife and mom and running multiple companies to complete classes that quite honestly, I could have probably taught much better, however, I stayed the course and I made it to the finish line in May 2022 and received my degree in Business Administration and Entrepreneurship from Liberty University. I can truly say it was much harder for me to do that than run a business but finishing that part of my life brought a sense of accomplishment that no amount of money I have made could ever replace.
I wanted my family to see that regardless of how “successful” you become from the outside world, finishing what you started is a standard by which all of us should live. Here is what is so interesting about all of it. I cannot help but mention that none of my success in life and business is from having an education, but rather from the God who has continued to pour favor over my life, and if you doubt or question what he is capable of doing in your life, look at mine and please know, I was not qualified for anything. I watch some people get so hung up on prestige and a Harvard education thinking that is what “success” looks like but I am here to tell you there is no amount of prestige or success that trumps what God is capable of doing in your life if you allow him to lead and guide you and you believe that he has gifted you with a skill set to succeed. I truly am a walking example of someone who should not be where I am today, but I am so grateful and thankful to have a platform to share my story with you in hopes that you look closely at your own life and areas that you just have not completed and you dig in and do the work. You are never too old. If I can get my degree at 47 while juggling everything else, you too can do the impossible. With God, (not a degree) ALL things are possible (Matthew 19:26)