Kimala Bennett on Becoming

*Originally published in The Jamaica Observer on November 25, 2018*

So there we were bundled head to toe in 21-degree weather. Four Jamaican women who had crossed the ocean, not for a Thanksgiving Day sale or crucial business meeting but for something just as important: to be inspired.

It is no secret to those who know me how I feel about Oprah Winfrey and Michelle Obama. So when I saw that both these powerful women would be together for the launch of Obama’s book Becoming, a few thousand miles and freezing weather weren’t going to stop me. As I glanced over my scarf at our group I could not help but feel grateful to be in the company of like-minded women. Women whose life perspectives, much like mine, had prompted them to respond to my Instagram post and jump on a plane; because for us moments like these are what fuel us. As we stood in line, happily awaiting entry, our excitement almost outweighed the elements. I could not help but think, how did we get here?

There is sometimes a certain cynicism about attending motivational events; they are viewed as clichéd. But there is an art to being inspired. You have to be in touch with yourself. You have to be able to clearly identify your goals and desires so that you can align yourself with those who will truly inspire you. Only then will you be able to tap in to the things that make you come alive. And so our small Jamaican delegation had identified what inspired them: truth, growth, and supporting others. I travelled with Nadeen Matthews-Blair, chief marketing and digital officer at NCB; Keneea Linton-George, designer and principal of the Keneea Linton Boutique, and Lisandra Rickards, chief entrepreneurship officer at The Branson Centre of Entrepreneurship. It was not lost on any of us that on the stage we would soon see some version of our future selves, for we had not just travelled to be inspired; we had travelled to see for ourselves what we could become.

Read the full post on the The Jamaica Observer