“It took many years of vomiting up all the filth I’d been taught about myself, and half-believed, before I was able to walk on the earth as though I had a right to be here.”
James Baldwin
When I heard these words spoken by Billy Porter when he accepted his Emmy, it resonated with me. I thought about not only myself but the many people who have suffered and are still suffering from all kinds of abuse. People who face and rise above challenges in their lives brought on by the ignorance of others. Those who continue to face any one or all of the ugly actions and expressions that can be thrown our way like racial, ethnic or sexual discrimination, sexual or physical abuse, bullying and more.
Surviving any one of these can seem impossible but remember – we all are what we are not because of what we have survived but in spite of what we have survived. Reach out – lift up – rise up! You can do it. You have to do it – not for anyone else but for YOU! Never doubt that there is greatness in you and you can help others find their greatness as well.