[Air Date: Sun 9/26/21 ] Episode No. 128 Speak Series- I Own My Greatness

4:58PM Sep 24, 2021

Speakers:

Jessica Lauren

Keywords:

greatness

affirmations

jessica

podcast

worry

baby

thinks

life

listen

talking

episode

led

people

job

starts

girl

step

hear

scared

day

Hello and welcome to The Sunday Jumpstart Podcast, a weekly podcast helping #GoalGetters ditch the excuses do the work and make -ish happen by Miss Jessica Lauren and you are listening to episode number 128.

Hey y'all! Hey! And welcome back to this week's episode of The SJS Podcast. Happy Sunday I hope that you and yours are doing well today so what are we talking about today? Well today starts the beginning of a new series is called the-- "Speak It Series" and it's all about using your words that come out your mouth for your greatest good. We're gonna be talking about affirmations and how to affirm the things that you actually want to have happen in your life. Who you want to be how you want to show up and how you can use your words to make those things happen. So I'm super excited about today's episode especially because we're going to be exploring the-- "I own my greatness affirmation." This is for my people that have habitually been playing small dimming that light baby! Today we are stepping into our greatness and owning it so honey this is gonna be a good one.

Now before we dive into today's episode, I just want to remind you to check out the Ultimate Podcast Boot Camp that is my course that I just launched a couple of weeks ago and it is for beginner aspiring podcasters. This for my people that listen to podcasts all the time and they dream and think oh my gosh, I can do that I have a story to tell you've been listening long enough now it's time to use your voice to talk to your audience and let them in on what's going on in your life or to tell a story or inform-- whatever it is that your heart desires-- you can do it but maybe you're like I don't know where to start I've been trying to YouTube it but everybody's giving me different advice. I'm not technically savvy I don't know how to edit baby You ain't gotta worry no more because I have put together my step by step proven method from how to get from A to Z and the whole podcast creation process. I'm going to show you how to monetize your podcast how to make some money in it how to edit like a pro how to create a show that attracts your ideal audience and all that jazz. So if you are have been dreaming about starting a podcast go over to thesundayjumpstart.com and just click on courses. Everything about the ultimate podcast boot camp will be right there and listen I want to give you 10% off all you got to do is just use the promo code s j s crew and then you get some money off of the course so I'm super super excited about that you guys go check it out thesundayjumpstart.com and click on courses and you'll get all that you need to know about the ultimate podcast boot camp again it is for beginner aspiring podcasters you've listened long enough now it's time to tell your story! Alright now that we got official SJS business all bundled up let's hop on into Episode Number 128 the speak it series I own my greatness.

Alright so let's talk about this speak it series and why I decided to venture off into it now Okay, so as you all may or may not know if you're just now tuning in welcome but for the past few episodes I've been been talking about how I was recently laid off from my job right? I am very much in an unexpected season of uncertainty right and that's kind of how it happens for all of us. None of us have it on the calendar. You know what I'm gonna go through this uncertain season. what feels good for me around October Yeah, that works for me. Let's go. A lot of us when we are faced with challenges or hiccups or things get wonky things didn't turn out the way you thought they would. It always typically happens unexpectedly right? So here we are. I get laid off in August and you know I instantly get scared right? Because shoot we still in a pandemic. People are having a hard time finding jobs. This is rough out here right and there was a time in my life where I struggled okay like struggle struggle like

it was bad. I'm talking mice, roaches, buses, Jiffy cabs. I don't know if y'all know this. Y'all may or may not be from Chicago, but on the south side, we got this thing called jet livery honey. Some of them call it the Jiffy and baby. This was before Uber came out. If they call themselves cabs, but maybe you will call and be like, Listen, I need to read X, Y and Z they'd be like " Okay, come downstairs, I'm gonna be in a black car", you don't know who he is. You don't know the plates nothing but I used to be in them just like he'd be like, hey, this jet livery, like Lord--Let me get where I gotta go. Like when I say struggle, I mean struggle. I'm talking about negative 500. in my accounts, negative 200 freezes is all my account. Like, it was nothing for me to wake up in a panic or wake up in the middle of the night, because I was so afraid that chase would be like, your account has insufficient funds. And, you know, it wasn't because I was trifling it was because I was in the acting and production world. Now you guys may or may not be familiar when you're in production, or when you're in film, or theater or television, the day you on set ain't the day, you get paid, okay, let's make that very clear. A lot of times, you'll be cast in a project, and they're like, yep, we'll get back to you with 60 days, 90 days, and I didn't have a job from 2013 until 2020. Like, I did not have a full time job first. So for seven years, I was doing freelance work, I was doing production work, and I was doing my acting stuff. And I also was hired by different teaching hospitals here in the city. They hire actors to act like their patients, we get cases and have to present with diseases and pathology and all that stuff. And the students will have to practice their bedside manner on us, we were essentially their test. So if they were doing a test about pulmonary, you know, deficiencies or whatever I would have to come in and be like, Oh, my goodness, my chest hurts, like they would have to identify what I had. Sometimes I had to cry on cue, I did a lot of ob gyny stuff and a lot of things with fertility, like child, he was just acting up a storm. So even that was sometimes a net 30 days. So sometimes I was rich, like rolling in the dough. All of those jobs paid really well. But I never knew when I was gonna get paid. So there were seasons where I just be like, Okay, I got this big chunk of change, let me pay my rent out for three months, because I don't know what else is going on. So it was nothing for me to have insufficient funds, like Chase is probably like, hey, that's the insufficient Queen right there. So I was just broke. I didn't have a car. Like I rode the buses in Chicago and the trains for years. And yes, we have a wonderful public transit situation. But baby I was south east, which means I was always on the red and the green line. And if you live in Chicago, I'm talking about like getting off as 69th you know, I was baby I was in some very precarious situations. And so when I lost my job, I had my savings I got my severance and all that stuff. I still just panicked because it was like, I don't want to go back to none of that I don't want to at all. And you know, I have a Bachelor of Fine Arts in acting. And so I've always had this story in my head where it's like, even if I wanted a real job, who's gonna hire an actress? What a bachelor is at this point where you got to have a master's in a PhD just to flip burgers at Burger King. So you know, I've just really been insecure about my education, even though it was a good one it's still just like, Who wants the theater kid you know, doing whatever so I'm scared I'm panicked, but I have this crazy idea where it's just like well Jessica, you know, you've you've been building this thing, the podcast, the blog, the coaching the courses for the past five years like I've been in this game since May of 2015. And every day of my life since I've started this I've always prayed God please give me enough space and enough energy to do to dog on thang. Like I just want to do this full time and I want to get paid really well to do it. I love I love doing this. I love the podcast. I love sharing my story. I love talking to y'all. I love being vulnerable. I love writing. I want to write a book like I have all these dreams. So even though I'm scared out of my mind, there is something in me like Jessica, this is a gift. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity to take control of your own damn life. Okay? And it's still scary. And because it's still scary, right? I know rationally girl, just go out there and get you a job. And my big age of 37 I don't want to work for nobody else, no more. I don't want to commute nowhere. Like I'm grateful for my jobs and all that stuff. I even thought about getting back into production work. And my boss run my production company has made you know, like, hey, but traveling for you know, six months out the year during a pandemic when we didn't have the healthiest practices before. It's like no. So let's go all in. And like I said, even though I'm excited and happy to finally being able to bet on myself, I'm still battling the anxiety that comes with the season of uncertainty, right? And me being my enneagram number three firstborn self, you know, I am very solution based, like, Okay, if I'm feeling anxious every day and I'm scared and I don't want to be stuck, what do I do? So I'm like, Okay, let's go on and on our faith. And y'all know me, if you follow me on social media, you know, I'm always meditating or journaling, or looking up some devotional and reading scriptures and all of that, but I was doing it kind of casually, right? That's how we are when things are good or okay. You just kind of casually be like, " Hey God, you good. I'm good. Okay, let me go on about my business." But baby when you're going through a season. It's so sad that is like that. But it is. And I think that's kind of why God makes us go through or allow seasons to happen to us is to remind us, hey, you're not alone. I'm here with you. Hello. Come on somebody, like lean on me. Talk to me. I'm here. Let me you want to ask me for some guidance. And so during the season, I'm like, God, I need you. I need to hear you. I need to hear these next few steps. What is it that you have me to do? Am I being silly Lord, can you speak up? You know, God? Can you talk a little bit louder? You know, you ask for signs and you pray for things, right? So like I'm praying to have please bless me where I could do my thing full time, please, by the way I could do being full time. And it's like, bam, here you go. You're fired. You let go. You laid off, whatever. Here you go, bam. And I'm like, well God, Can you give me another sign? Because this still feels a little uncomfortable, right?

And so what i've been doing these past few weeks, since I've been laid off and that was like the middle of August and is now dang near October. I've been really really amping up my faith. Right? I've been pulling out that journal every day. I've been reading every day, reading my devotional, meditating, praying, being super intentional about what it is that I'm consuming. What am I watching? Who am I listening to? What am I being attracted to on social media? Like all of that, right? And one of the things that's really been helping me every single day when I get anxious when I get worried when I get scared, are the words that I am intentional about letting come out of my mouth, right? I'm a jokester. I love to joke I love to joke at my own expense. I do not ever take myself seriously. I kind of love laughing at myself and that could be the deflective coping mechanism from my past I'm gonna go have to go to my therapist about that. But that's I just take myself really lightly I'm super silly and so is nothing for me to be like girl, you know, let me check my account. You know, I had no job no more so I got no money. Let me call you back. Or you know, I was just gonna meet us for brunch. Well, girl, you know, I'm broke as a joke. And mind you. I was paid a handsome severance. I was saving. I have money. But I'm still just just listening to myself. Like girl why are you talking like that? Or even outside of money? And outside of joking. When I think about the business thing, I was just like, girl, who do you think you are? You're just like every other girl on social media that wants to be a girl boss, like, Oh my god, you know, you like why would you even try that nobody's listening, nobody cares, you'll never get a book deal. You'll never do this, you will never make money. And it just goes on and on and on and on.

And I think there's a big part of me, that likes to worry. There are some times when I'm going through my day. And I'll be like-- dang what I was I worried about earlier?

Like, I'll literally be at peace. I'll be still, happy, minding my business. But because I've become so accustomed to having a tight chest, to breathing shallowly, to, you know, my hands sweating, to being fixated and trying to solve problems. Like because I've become so accustomed to that physical feeling the way I am in my body is always kind of anxious. When I'm not I miss it. I'm like, way off. I wasn't worried about something. It is all about control me trying to control something. And my thought is maybe if I worry about it, I can when it happens, I'll be prepared, right? Maybe it's kind of like I'm trying to steel myself as in the material STEEL. I'm trying to harden myself so that if those things happen, it'll lessen the blow. I'll be like, well, I already knew that was gonna happen. I already knew I was gonna be broke. I already knew nobody was going to listen. I already knew I was going to be a failure. I already knew that. I don't have what it takes. I already knew I wasn't worthy I already knew I didn't deserve this-- it's no surprise, right? It's that whole if you don't have expectations you can't be disappointed thing, right? Um, but I'm like but Jessica, you're about to be 37 in October. And I'm sure steeling yourself in some way has served you right? Because y'all may or may not know this, I left home when I was 17 I was a little girl, you know, like when you look back and you're like, dang, 17 was super young. And I've had to take care of myself that entire time. Nobody was there to help me. And that's not to knock my family or friends. And trust me when I think when I was like 34 I actually needed to call my mom and my sister like-- Yall help me out so that whole idea by myself is not entirely true. It wasn't until I was 34 I was like actually all I need my help but up until then, for 20 some odd years it was just me in a brand new city away from my family for years and I had to make it do what it do so worry really did protect me. I was in the hood. I was on the southeast side of Chicago for years by myself, you know, like, there is a part of me that needed that side of me that's always thinking five steps ahead. But now I'm in a different space. I'm like, Jessica, is that serving you now? For me when I get into that, worrying insistent, you know obsession about what all could go wrong, all it does is keep me stuck. It keeps me depressed. It swallows up any energy I have I all that creativity is out the door. So I'm like, instead of being married to your worry, right? Why don't we try a new boo? Why don't we try to be worryfree? Why don't we try to know it, embody the parts of yourself that are free and happy and can breathe and that untightens your jaw and, and clenches and releases your shoulders, like let that mess, go. And it's easier said than done. Because I've been best friends, what worry for 20 some odd years. But homegirl she does not serve me no more. So I'm letting her go. And the biggest tool that has been helping me to let worry go is by using affirmations.

Watching what it is that I say to myself what it is I say to other people about myself, what it is that I'm thinking like, I have to get in control of all of that. Because when I sit and listen to myself, I'm like, Oh, girl, why you said, Why did you say what? So let's talk about what affirmations are. Right? We hear people say, Oh, just affirm it, you know, it's our affirmations has a lot to do with manifesting, right? And manifesting is basically you believe that you have the power to create your own reality. And I am a believer in that. I believe that we're all co creators, like, God got the final say, but we can be like, Hey, you know, I really want this thing to happen and you start to do the work to do so affirmations is a part of that manifestation world. But when you break it down, what affirmations are positive statements that can help you challenge and overcome self sabotaging and negative thoughts. When you repeat them often and believe in them, you can start to make positive changes. And that definition is from mindtools.com. And again, is the belief that if I change the language that I listen to all the time, like if you finally stop and hear your thoughts, or hear yourself in conversation, for me, a lot of that stuff was negative. Even if it was playfully negative, and I'm like, but what if I change this to positive stuff, right? Instead of me thinking, I don't deserve this. I'm like, Hey, I am worthy of all the blessings God want to give to me, right? And at first it feels a little ecky, because for years I've believed I don't deserve any good thing, right? And not only have I believed it, but my life circumstances some of them have led me to believe that to like, I have proof like See, see that boy left me I don't deserve any good thing. See, see, see, that dream did come true when I wanted it to see that means I don't deserve good things. So it really is a fight to change your mind. But it is my belief that if you constantly repeat the positive opposite of what you're so used to, then you will begin to see things change in your life. Even Muhammad Ali, I'm not the only one that believes this. I'm in good company. Muhammad Ali said it's the repetition of affirmations that leads to belief, right? There's a scripture in the Bible as in Romans 10:17 it says, Faith comes by hearing, right? There is an auditory connection that happens when we say things out loud. It's okay to think things but when you say it out loud, your body's like Oh, she said that Okay, cool. That's we don't go with that. Right and back to what Muhammad Ali says is the repetition of affirmations that leads to belief. And once that belief becomes a deep conviction, things begin to happen is the repetition of affirmations that leads to believe and once that belief becomes a deep conviction, things begin to happen.

So the more you hear yourself say, I am worthy, I am deserving, I am great, I own my greatness. I'm the lender, not the borrower whatever your affirmations are, your mind your body, your soul will begin to to believe it. And then once you start believing it you start to shift you personally begin to align with the things that you're calling into, into existence right?

So the more I say, I am deserving, I attract good things you know, money flows to me easily and effortlessly my bank account is always increasing what happens I start to get a little swag Honey, I walk a little bit differently I speak differently, I straighten up my back I start to put on some cute clothes and get myself together right? And because your attitude begins to shift or your mindset, your beliefs all that stuff starts to shift those opportunities will start coming to you right and it's because like you know what, I am great. You know what I am deserving? Let me go ahead and hit publish on his podcast let me hit publish on his blog. Let me create the art. Let me start the side hustle. Let me go after the things I've been wanting for all this time right and it starts to happen because all because you started to speak and believe certain things right? You start to attract those things into your life because you become them right you become more confident, more clear, more focused, right? All from you speaking some things into existence. So for today's portion of the Speak It series, we're going to focus on the I own my greatness affirmation. Say it with me, I own my greatness.

When I was a little girl I could sing and in my head I still can sing but the truth of the matter is is I did complete damage on my vocal cords I was never taught properly how to sing until I got to high school and by then I had already done a ton of damage to my vocal cords. I had to go to vocal therapy almost needed surgery all of that jazz right? But I could sing I really could and I'd be singing all day every day in the mirror with the brush at my grandma house that my mama house that wherever in car like people be like Jessica stop and I'm like no, no, no, no, no. Singing my life away right? And I be a school singing and just being me I'm not missing and I had nothing to do with nobody else. This is just genuinely how I love to express myself. And I remember I had a childhood friend Lord it starts really young, the haters baby. I was super young like in first grade and I had a friend that would tell my other girlfriends don't play with Jessica she think she all that cause she can sing. Then it went from singing to don't talk to Jessica her hair long she thinks she all of that all of that back in the day you think you are that was terrible like that was the worst insult growing up in the 90s like she think she all led in a bag of chips yeah do. God forbid that I believed in myself yes I do believe I'm a bag of chips but people make it like all that bag of chips

But back then it was a bad thing and we were children right I get it like kids just being kids but that stuck with me forever right? Not the singing, not that her hair is long it just was - You have no right to express who you are because if you do it makes other people uncomfortable it makes you look like a know it all or you trying to show off so stop, play small, quiet your voice don't don't do that. Be quiet go sit in the corner right? Again with the talk activity I was a talker growing up Be quiet you always talking so I quieted my voice it again is childhood It comes with it but when from childhood you start picking up experiences like it's baggage as proof right so in first grade is you think you you're that then in eighth grade some boy breaks your heart because you think you all that then you know when you are in high school trying to go out for a role. She thinks she ought so maybe you go for you know like maybe you were going for the lead and then you're like nah, settle on the chorus or so for all my life is been you q yuku. And all that, but don't think you're all that stay small, go over to your corner, go lock yourself in a room. Don't nobody want to hear all of that. And I believed it.

And it's always a struggle. I don't know if you guys follow me on social media some days I am on! I will be on air three days in a row, and then I'll just disappear for a month. And what happened is, oh my god, everybody thinks that I think I'm all that everybody thinks that I'm being too loud, too boisterous, too silly. Who do she thinks she is? She thinks she's cute. She thinks she knows every day. Oh, her podcast is to positive toxic positivity. Like, I just get in my head and I'll play small. And I'll disappear because for a long time, I didn't own my greatness. And greatness. Doesn't have to be. Oh, I'm as big as Beyonce. greatness doesn't have to be awesome as funny as Dave Chappelle. Greatness is your essence the very part of you that makes you who you are. That's your greatness. And if you're like me, and it has been for a while, has swallowed that a, hid it under some pillow or dusted it under the rug, this is an invitation to own it. To step into who you are, you are great.

You are great just because you are here because you are existing and have breath in your body and the blood is flowing through your veins, you are great Baby, you the smile of yours, those jokes of yours, the way you style yourself, your cooking skills, how you show up your talents, your gifts, your creativity, how you light up a room, your radiance, your essence, that is what makes you great, own it, you have a right to own it. I know that life and people in places and things have gone out of their way to make a shrink and play small and quiet down. But now is your time to step up. It's all you baby, you got the juice, own it, step into the spotlight, if that's what you're called to do, right? And it like I say, it doesn't have to be like Chloe and Halle and Beyonce type of spotlight. But where are you being led to? What actions are you being led to take but you're too scared because you're used to disowning your greatness? Is there a project you need to be working on? Is there a grant you could be applying for? Is there a new school you want to go to a new country? What is it that you've been yearning to do and you know God is kind of pushing you and giving you opportunity? Hey, hey, come on layoffs Come on. Stuff ending and new beginnings and new opportunities are flooding your way. Take it own your greatness, you don't have to play small any more. Own it. So today, I want you to start saying in the mornings, I own my greatness. I will not play small. I'm not apologizing for being who I am. I'm not sorry. I do think I'm all that and a bag of chips. I'm not to be every chip in the doggone chip aisle. Because I am powerful. I am great. I am blessed. I am loved right. Own your greatness. Your life is great. It may not look like it right now, but baby everything is working out for your greatest good.

I want to read you something that is from the book. Manifest Now it's by author, Idil Ahmed and what of her affirmations is I am too great to settle for less. She says I am way too great to be settling for less. I have to recognize that I am valuable and worthy already. I was born that way. Everything I need is within me right now. The answers are all there. Everything starts with me. I'm going to tap into my inner powers and create the reality I want. I am way too powerful to be settling for less. She also says I own my greatness without having to explain it. I'm just going to be it right? Be it. Be your own version of greatness. You don't have to explain it to nobody. You don't have to apologize for it. Step into it.

And watch how things begin to unfold and it doesn't have to be no super duper miracle like oh because I walked in my greatness I got a new car and if you do baby send me pictures. But it can also be something as I want my greatness and I finally advocated for myself at work, right? I own my greatness and I finally stopped playing a small and I did an Instagram Live it could be something so small but it leads to bigger things in the end so that is the affirmation for today: "I own my greatness" and I want you to move forward in this week just constantly think that I own my greatness I own who I am I own my most powerful self right I'm not playing a small I'm not dimming down for any person, place, or thing I am who God created me to be and just that is enough all ready.

So yall that is it for today's episode thank you so much for tuning in. Listen, I mentioned a lot in today's episode and if you are out living your best life and didn't chance to jot it all down Don't worry I got your back just go to thesundayjumpstart.com and click on episode number 128 everything that I've mentioned in today's episode will be right there in the show notes.

Do not forget for all my aspiring podcasters out there to sign up for the ultimate podcast boot camp. If you want to learn more information about that just go to thesundayjumpstart.com and click on courses and remember all SJS listeners get 10% off when you guys use the code SJS Crew in the promo box. All right. Listen, I have been owning my greatness over on Instagram my favorite place to show up and been hide for several days. I've been making some reels and giving out tips and just hanging out with you guys over there so be sure to hang out with me over on Instagram The handle is @thesundayjumpstart. I love to see you there and if you could do me a huge favor and screenshot today's episode and upload it into your Instagram Insta stories and tag the Sunday Jumpstart that will help get our make ish happen message out there! Alright you guys, thank you so much for tuning in. I will see you here this Wednesday with the Quick Tips. Own your greatness baby is already in you. Alright yall, bye!