Want to hear a few fun facts, friend?

• I didn’t learn how to read until I was 11.
• I scored a 940 on my SAT.
• I hated speaking in front of people.

*I know, right now you’re probably thinking “That isn’t FUN, Jasmine!”*

You’re right Buttercup. And for all those reasons (and many others), no one expected me to EVER stand on a stage.

No, not even my sweet mama.

*But* I didn’t let those expectations define my destiny. I took that negative energy, crumpled it up like a piece of paper, and threw it in the trash where it belonged.

I made the decision to take what seemed impossible and turned it into the possible. 

Did I stumble a few times along the way? Absolutely. 

That’s not the end of the story though, boo. I got up, dusted myself off, and tried again. 

>>I learned from my mistakes, and refused to believe that failure was an option.<<

I started speaking to my church group of 6, then groups of 10 people, then took the leap to a crowd of 12.

Over the past decade, my confidence has improved and the stages have gotten bigger, but I *still* feel like the girl behind the curve, the one who slowly makes her way through the mess. 

In this entrepreneurial tortoise and hare race, you can probably guess which one I am!

But you wanna know something? THE TORTOISE WINS THE RACE, BOO. 

All of those people that doubted me? They are like the hare, quick to judge without considering the size of fight that I have in me.

*I bet they were surprised when I passed up their assumptions and crossed that theoretical finish line!* 

The disadvantages that I struggled with years ago are in the past. It doesn’t matter what age I learned to read or what my SAT score was. What matters in this very moment is this: 

>>I belong. I make a difference. I am enough.<< 

Friend, I *know* what it feels like to not be EXACTLY where you want to be. However, I choose to reflect on my past with eyes on the future, saying to myself, “I am so happy with how far I’ve come, and I really like the direction I’m headed.”       

So cheers to us, those who continue to push through while others have their doubts.

Cheers to us crazy ones who remain undaunted in our dedication to work while no one is watching.

Your success, my sweet tortoise, will silence their doubts.