We are 21 days into 2021 in the 21st century and I still can't help but think about how difficult 2020 was for many of us as a year. I remember on March 13, 2020 thinking a two-week break would be great for the world. We could be creative about how we spending time with family, cook new recipes, binge watch new Netflix series; but I never imagined that 10 months later we would essentially be in the same place.
These thoughts have made me reflect on my own life. 2020 started out a lot like my life started. I was happy about a little ounce of change but very quickly realized that there was darkness which came with those changes. I am open about my struggle with sexual abuse and mental health issues and for many reasons, quarantine brought back memories of it all. Being locked up inside, in my own head, in my own feelings was a trigger for me so many days in 2020.
Twice in my life, I saw no light at the end of the tunnel. I wanted out because I believed it was the only way to make it. Having endured sexual assault for over six years, feeling alone in a cage of my own brain, and feeling like there was no peace in sight was hard. I know that there are other women who have gone through and are going through the same. Today, as I reflect, I am reminded of the temporary nature of that darkness and am motivated to relentlessly pursue light.
If I had let my past be the determination, I was never supposed to be this great businesswoman, a PhD, or a lifestyle influencer. I was supposed to be battered, bent, and broken forever. But I chose to take my pain and seek light in my work and in my story. I chose happiness and to be able to look back and smile at the fact that "I do not look like what I been through." At the end of everyday, I remind myself that "I am qualified, I am called, I am favored."
I am calling on everyone to seek light today and everyday.
-Dr. Jai
This summer, I will be releasing Melanin Dipped Superwoman, my autobiography and self-help book. If you are interested in reading some of my current work, head over to Amazon to read Project Passion I&II and Becoming Jade by Jaime Cole.
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