Doing It Afraid, We Left the US
Sharing my stories of using fear to fuel my courage.
Hindsight is 20/20.
You've heard that before, right?
It simply means we see, understand and assess things much more clearly once they've already happened.
For example, as a young single mother of three living on the South Side of Chicago in the ’90s, I made the bold decision to leave the U.S. I wanted to raise my children in an environment where I believed they had a better chance at survival and success. So, we packed up and moved—living between Israel, South Africa, and West Africa for 20 years.
Was I afraid? Absolutely.
But I was more afraid of what the future held for them if I had stayed. Did I have a knot in my stomach? Sleepless nights leading up to our departure?
You better believe I did!
But I did it anyway.
Regrets? None.
It was the right step for my family at that time.
Could some aspects of the transition been mapped out differently? For sure. But even so—we still would’ve gone.
Today, with the gift of hindsight, I can clearly see how courageous that move was. I can look in the mirror and say "That was a brave, bold move Joi!" 🦋
Take a moment today to reflect on your own journey.
Say "I was afraid when I ..."
Then look in the mirror and give yourself some credit.
Your courageous self needs to hear it from time to time. 🦋
I was afraid when I started the journey of motherhood. For most of my life, my family made me feel like a failure, as if I could never do anything right. But motherhood showed me the truth: I’m not a failure. I just chose to do things differently from what they believed was “right.” And because of that, my daughter now has the freedom to be her truest self. I refuse to let the same toxic patterns that shaped me poison her. The cycle ended with me.
I was afraid when I decided to move back to Georgia as a single woman. Thank God I did so that I could meet some beautiful (inside and out) women such as yourself. Thank you for doing it afraid and sharing your experience with us. 🩷🩷🩷