VICARIOUSLY

This guy right here is Luke Wiatt Gilbert. We worked at the Warriors together and as you can see, he definitely lives life to the fullest. I have always admired him for his ability to shed fear and go after his dreams full force.

His latest endeavor is a great one! He launched his Vicariously podcast yesterday! It's a series where Luke interviews unique entrepreneurs that are successfully pursuing their passions. I can't stop listening to them!

I was honored to be one of the people that he picked to be a guest. We talked about height, virginity, leaving your corporate job for your dreams, equality, working in sports and just about everything else. I hope you enjoy it, as much as I enjoyed recording it. 

Click on the picture above or link below for the full cast and click HERE to subscribe to VICARIOUSLY!

Steady on the Track

Photo credit: Shannon Warf. Original post: Skirt Spotting.

Recently, I had a close friend tell me that a concern that some men may have when it comes to dating me is that I (as a virgin) would not be able to satisfy them.

That statement hurt me to my core. I cried. I cried a lot. It was a gut puncher. How could something that I think is so special, be a potential reason why I am still single? I have definitely felt that way many times but never had someone say it to me in such a direct manner. So many things went through my mind until it hit me…

If anyone should be concerned about being satisfied, it should be me.

You see, the misconception that virgins have no idea what they are doing is completely false. If anyone knows their bodies well and know what they like…it’s a virgin. We have had ample time to get acquainted with self and furthermore we have had a plethora of time to make a complete and thorough list of what we want to do. With all of that said, it is a gamble for ME to bank on 1 (one) person to be able to satisfy all of these wants and needs. How do I know that this person has what it takes to give me all of the wonders that I deserve and have been so patiently waiting for?

I don’t and that is a risk that I am willing to take. Saving my virginity for my husband is not just about sex. Do I want to have sex? Of course (and badly). My virginity is hard to keep. It is something that I battle to maintain on a daily basis. It has been tested a time or twenty but at the end of the day the goal is to keep this for him and only him. I guarantee, whomever he is, will deserve it and you better believe will not have a question about the amazing gift that I have worked so hard to protect and deliver.

My tears turned into a valuable lesson. While in no way do I think my friend intentionally meant harm, a statement like that from anyone shouldn't make you feel bad about your goal, rather it should validate that you were specifically picked to handle it. Not everyone can handle or recognize the value in an objective that you are pursuing and that is OK. Continue to pursue it anyway. It is your vision, not theirs. Listen to what people have to say but never let their misgivings about your plan deter you from attaining something that God put in your heart. He didn't place it in theirs, He placed it in yours so keep at it despite the naysayers. Often a person who is questioning your pursuit is doing it because they don't have the strength to begin one on their own.  

You are built to win. Stay steady on the track. Don't let mere words derail what God has already guaranteed.

Career Girls

I had the pleasure of being interviewed by an incredible non-profit, Career Girls. The organization's goal is to prepare young women at an early age to attack their goals, dreams and future careers. Here is more about the remarkable work that they do:

It isn’t enough to tell young girls to “dream big” or “aim high.” Without proper encouragement, or concrete methods for turning their abilities into tangible careers, many young women can simply flounder in the educational system. Career Girls is an organization dedicated to providing young girls of all income levels and ethnic backgrounds with the academic tools and support they need to achieve their professional aspirations. We do this by providing a “real world” context for a child’s academic studies, specifically through interviews with positive female role models and a comprehensive collection of easy-to-follow educational resources.

By hearing from successful women they can identify with, and learning about the educational paths these professionals took to reach their goals, female students can take direct steps toward nurturing their own intellects, skills and talents in order to create fulfilling and productive lives of their choosing.

It is an amazing, inspiring resource for young women with a plethora of career choices to reference, amazing tools and priceless information. I am honored that they chose me as one of the women to share about their professional and personal paths. Below are some of the clips from the interview about my tall experience, TallSWAG and life advice for young girls. You can watch the full interview HERE.

TALL EXPERIENCE

FINDING MY VOICE

ABOUT TALLSWAG

TALL GIRL FASHION TIP

HEELS

A TALL BEST

FAITH AND OBSTACLES

LIFE ADVICE FOR YOUNG GIRLS

Boxed Out

Photo credit: Dreamstime.comPicture it.  I’m walking to lunch with my friend Sabrina and this man comes up to us with that look.  You know the one that people have when they are about to unleash every tall question in the world.

So I try the pre-emptive strike.  Before he can even form his mouth the say a question I say 6’6”.  Usually that will stun them and make them incapable of asking anymore questions but unfortunately this man was too strong for my tactics.

He asks 'why you ain’t playing basketball and dunking on people?' followed by 3 more idiotic questions.

After contemplating on merely asking him 'why you ain’t using correct grammar?' I then said (well it was actually more of a stern yell), 'why aren’t you asking me if I am a lawyer, a doctor or any other of the millions of occupations out there?' He had nothing to say back about that. 

The conversation enraged me.   Not only was his delivery wrong but his way of thinking was just ignorant.  I started thinking about all of the times that people make those assumptions about us and the feeling that I felt during my early years of playing basketball started rushing back to me.

I modeled at an early age but was constantly told that I HAD to play basketball.  As you may have gathered, I am not really big on demands or boxes so I was completely against playing the game.  After years and years of people pressuring me, I gave in.  Did I find that I loved the game?  Yes.  Did I start playing because I wanted to?  No.

Because I started so late, I was constantly playing catch-up.  That combined with the assumption that I had to be good based on my height, resulted in many dark days.  The pressure was insurmountable at times.  When I think about certain instances, I can still feel it (tearing up as we speak).  While I am thankful for my path and learned from every step, that doesn’t negate the fact that I chose basketball because someone else selected it for me.

I say all of that to say this; never pressure anyone to do what you THINK they should do and never put yourself in a box that someone else has created.  Regardless of what people think you should do with your height, YOU CAN DO ALL THINGS (Philippians 4:13). 

God doesn’t create all tall people to do one thing.  He creates us to live out our dreams just like everyone else.  He gives us the tools to accomplish exactly what we are placed on this earth to do.  If it’s basketball that’s great!  But it doesn’t have to be.

Dream, create and live in YOUR purpose.  Walk right by the silly people who are staring at their boxes and create a story that has endless possibilities.