My First Lesson from My Mentor

June 14, 2012 in Blog Leave a reply

Have you ever had a moment in time when you knew that you were face to face with destiny? It seems dramatic, charming, scary and warm, foreign and accepting all at the same time. This is how I felt when I met Lisa Nichols.

One of America’s most provocative thought leaders and a true world-changer, she came into my life like a whirlwind. She was beautiful, smart, successful and mostly – humble. I hated her! Yep, you read it right.

To me, she took up the space that I felt was destined for me. Endorsed by Oprah, Larry King, and every other broadcasting leader, her name seemed to be in the household of millions. Jealousy wasn’t ever really my thing but now, it was overtaking me. What was I going to do and who was I going to be since she was obviously being “it” all!

I’ll never forget seeing her for the first time. My heart fell out of my chest, with shaking knees I stepped over it and somehow continued to walk toward her (I told y’all it was dramatic). She warmly smiled at me and with one touch, I could since the peace that she carried and the anger and bitterness that had run my life began to pour out of my bleeding heart. I felt like I’d met my future. She was all that I’d thought wasn’t possible in this world.

As a black woman, raised by a single mother with food stamps as our primary source of revenue — I’d dreamt of the time when success would become my reality and no longer a figment of my dwindling imagination.

I knew then why jealousy had worked to coerce me away from meeting her. Lisa was bringing into my present what I’d always held at bay and remanded to a future that was never going to truly come. Her assignment was that of an Earth Angel, responsible to usher me into my next level quicker, sooner and faster.

Success Coach, Bob Proctor says, “A mentor is someone who sees more talent and ability within you, than you see in yourself, and helps bring it out of you.”

Is that who she was? I got it! Now, nearly four years later she is one of the greatest gifts God has ever bestowed in my life. In 2010, she invited my company to partner alongside her company, Motivating the Masses, Inc. that has an outreach to over 35 million per year. In 2011 – I became a master trainer, teaching side-by-side with her and we began to travel the world.

I think back to that scared little girl that was inside of me, that dared to step over her fallen heart and move forward with trembling knees. Somehow she knew that doing something different was necessary to create something she’d never had.

What an amazing lesson my mentor taught me in that one simple meeting, on that very first day: To become something greater, you must be willing to become a part of something bigger than yourself.

Fear will work to stop you and your past will stand firm to block you. But what I know for sure is that I was exhausted with the woman I’d been and I was willing to release all I’d known to embrace the woman I was becoming.

What a delicious life lesson that I’ll carry with me always.

Cheers to my mentor Lisa Nichols and to all the mentors in our world who dare to pour of themselves into leaky vessels.

Your Sister in the Journey,
Allyson

Author of the Rockn’ Purpose Blog

Allyson Byrd is a highly sought after Business and Transformational Leadership Coach. As the Founder and CEO for The Purpose Within, Allyson is one of the most provocative thought-leaders and personal growth teachers of our time.

She is the noted author of two books, “When God Takes a Bath” and “Love Yourself to Life: Breaking Limiting Beliefs on Love”. Allyson inspires individuals to live in purpose, embrace passion and achieve personal greatness through balance in work and life. In 2008, Allyson founded The Purpose Within as a unique tool to assist the average person’s transition from “purpose discovery” to “purpose mastery”.

Whether you are a CEO, working mom, entrepreneur or college student – Allyson keeps the process straightforward, simple and clear-cut as possible to achieve the desired outcomes of purpose fulfilled for your life. Email her directly at allysonbyrd@thepurposewithin.com