If I asked you if you've ever heard the name Kim Kardashian, Tom Cruise or Jennifer Lopez you would most likely roll your eyes and not even bother to answer but if I asked you have you heard the name Leila Janah you would most probably look a bit confused and ask "Who"?
And I don't blame you because I hadn't either. It was only while scrolling my Facebook feed this past week that I read about the passing of this rather amazing woman -she was only 37.
And see that's the problem with society today...
Leila Janah was an American business woman and social entrepreneur, founder of two companies - Samasource an artificial intelligence company and LXMI, a fair-trade organic skincare line. Her life's purpose was a social mission to end global poverty through giving poor communities around the world paid work. Her companies helped more than 50,000 poor people lift themselves out of poverty. Her vision was to create global change - she was and will remain a great woman.
She's the perfect anti-definition of what we are led to believe the modern business person should be - caring, socially conscious, fair, wanting a better world - and with these traits she created not one, but two thriving businesses.
This story really got me thinking because millions of people watched and talked about the recent Super Bowl Halftime show but how many people do you think gave a second thought to this inspiring woman's life story or realised the impact she has made and left on the world?
IT'S TIME TO RETHINK WHO OUR ROLE MODELS ARE AND WHAT DRIVES US.
While there are big names and celebrities who do use there name for good, it's time for a serious shift in WHO and WHAT we give our attention to.
WE DESERVE BETTER
We deserve to be uplifted and know that good in the world still exists. For too long the media (including social media) has been on a mission to dumb us down to fixating on trivial, small minded matters or filling our news feeds with controversial information that make us believe the world is a terrible, hopeless, fearful place filled with horrors, scandals and corruption and that our looks, profession and material possessions make us who we are.
This it is not a healthy way for humankind to live but whether you realise it or not it's happening.
Yeah, Feritta, okay but so what, what am I supposed to do? I am only one person and I am not a big business person with tons of money or a big profile so there's not much I can do...
Well I am here to tell you - you have NO IDEA HOW SPECIAL YOU ARE!
Now more than ever, we need to show up and take responsibility for the world we live in - WE ARE ALL RESPONSIBLE FOR MAKING THIS WORLD A BETTER PLACE.
Get involved in your community or a cause you are passionate about, spend more quality time with your parents, your children, family and pets, pick up the phone and check in on a friend. Create and share your art, music and creativity with the world, be a shoulder to lean on - we can all do more and be more if we WANT TO. You deserve to follow that dream you've put on the back burner for so long and find your happiness.
Perhaps you could be next Leila Janah?
Don't you want to leave YOUR MARK ON THE WORLD?
This year with the tragic recent bush fires in Australia, devastating on our wildlife and so many lives I initially felt hopeless as I read the stories and watched on in horror. While my hubby and I made a donation, I still felt compelled to do more so I teamed up with my sister-in-law and we decided to sell bags of decorated cookies to raise funds for the Kangaroo Island Wildlife Park, a worthy organisation nursing injured wildlife back to health - it's a small gesture but the point is, every little bit of good helps.
Aside from money there are other impactful ways we can make a difference. This past month was the first time in my life I felt ready to speak my truth and open up about living with Inflammatory Bowel Disease a condition I kept hidden from the public for many years until it dawned on me I had a social responsibility to share my story because over the past 19 years since I was first diagnosed I have had so many highs and lows and learned so much through my struggles and victories as well as a transformational mental, spiritual and physical awakening. From my darkest days I have risen up and I see now that my journey can help others lead a happier and healthier life and that I don't need to hide who I am from the world.
And with my music, which has always been one of my passions, I realised it needed to be taken off the back burner not only does it feed my soul, I think people want to hear messages of hope and inspiration and that is something I want to accomplish with my music in 2020.
So you see, once you get started on your journey, you will find how exciting it is to do and be more and see yourself grow in ways you never imagined and I am a big believer that one of the best ways to make yourself feel good, is to do something for selflessly for someone else.
So let me leave you with this...
Sometimes the HERO the world needs IS YOU.
Stay blessed,
P.S. Please join my tribe so we can all support one another, thank you so much, xo
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