A Seat at My Table. Focus!

Let me start off by saying that this blog took me way too long to write because I was so focused on achieving a couple of goals. I started this blog years ago, as a warm-up to developing my bi-weekly newsletter for my nonprofit, Young Entrepreneur Association. I was completely unaware that this blog, is my newsletter and all that I needed to do is be more consistent. Today is March 1, 2022, and I am achieving a goal, and starting my bi-weekly newsletter called, A Seat at My Table!

Today is also the first day of Women's History Month in the United States but that's not the focus of this article; focus Takisha! I have been a full-time entrepreneur for 1 year and 3 months. October 2020, I was denied my request to teach virtually off-site and placed on unpaid FMLA. As of January 31, 2021, I retired from public education, and became a full-time entrepreneur. Thank God, I had previously started a couple of business ventures and made some investments, downsized, and had something to fall back on. Whether I was prepared for this journey financially, mentally and emotionally didn't matter; all that mattered at that time was the health and safety of my sons and I. Was I afraid? Yes, I was however, I knew I had a couple of degrees, an ivy league certificate in women's entrepreneurship and years of experience that I achieved so, I didn't doubt my abilities and the God I served!

I jumped into entrepreneurship full blast and have been learning and growing throughout the process. What I wasn't expecting was the type of distractions that I would experience along the way. The subs (subliminals), the lack of invites to friends and family events, and the silence when I achieved my goals or asked for help.

The old me (a few years ago), would have responded directly at each and every attempt that I believed was to hurt me or distract me, however, the new me, that's on my journey and closer to God more than ever, learned to focus. Distractions are going to come in forms of pretty and ugly. It's going to come in the forms of people, places and things. Distractions from achieving your goals are going to come in the forms of relationships (business, friends and family), parties/events, politics, life stresses, and even opportunities etc.

Unfortunately, with certain social media, a lot of these are delivered to you each and everyday. One thing that I love about TikTok is that I don't have to have a personal page in order to have a business page. Same as with Instagram and Twitter, however with Facebook, I have to have a personal page in order to have my business pages. Don't get me wrong, it's not that I want to do away with my personal life but at this time, I am focused. I want and need supporters, motivators, and positivity all around me, including in the virtual world. My focus at this time is on me, my relationship with God, my family and growing my businesses.

What I am starving at this time is my ego. I am no longer wasting time and emotions responding to irrelevant posts, rejections, politics, silence etc. I am no longer wasting time pondering on why this, that and the other is happening or happened. Ego is responsible for making a person want to be included in everything, to get their point of view across each and every time. To give their opinion about this or that. Ego is what "takes on that angry response" when hurt, when rejected, or not included. When you allow ego to control you, you are being distracted from what you need to do for you, your family and your business. What's not getting done is, that marketing post about your products or services, responding back to emails, restocking your inventory etc. preparing meals for you and your family etc. You get the point, right? I hope so!

Entrepreneurship is not for people that want to be included in everything. Entrepreneurship is not for people that do not want to be to judged or hated on. Entrepreneurship is for the people who know how to focus. So, if you haven't started entrepreneurship or if you have, the question you must ask and re-ask yourself everyday is, what's my focus? Once you have that, feed it and starve all other distractions. Welcome to, A Seat at My Table!