I had the opportunity to perform at two college campuses for Black History Month! I was so excited when I learned the news. Instead of blasting it on social media, I decided to enjoy the moment with myself. During my last performance, I battled with a heavy amount of fear, but I was determined to not allow fear to set in this time. I wrote fear a letter and read it out loud each morning. Fear often makes us forget the facts, so I made a list of all the positive outcomes of each one of my performances. I realized that there was always at least one person who needed to hear my story. I started to focus on that one person and then I went to God for peace.
The work that I'm doing now requires vulnerability and less perfection.
If the stakes weren't high, I probably wouldn't feel any fear. I believe that fear is here to protect us but we can't allow it to paralyze our dreams. All the things I have worried about have never come true. It's important to keep track of your fears. I can look back on old journal entries and find a pattern to my fears. Make a list of your track record and prove fear wrong!
Fear, you can no longer make me afraid of failing because I have already jumped and I'm grateful for all my experiences.Wherever I land, gratitude will keep me from falling. What will you tell fear?
"Thank you again for the wonderful performance. The students really enjoyed it and it created some much need dialogue regarding mental health . As I walked into my office today, student’s were still raving about it. I would highly recommend any college and university take the time to bring this wonderful performance to their campus! " D'Wayne Jenkins, Central Michigan University