Tinogona - What you believe, you can achieve.

“Your dreams will have a greater meaning when they are tied to the betterment of others.” Tererai Trent

What can you envision your life would be? Can you have a dream when you are in an abusive relationship, an orphan, living in an oppressive environment, without education, with no money to even buy a slice of bread?

I was driving from work and on my way to gym, I got stuck in the usual rush hour traffic. Then I remembered Lewis Howes’s The School of Greatness podcast where he shares a lot of inspiring stories every week. On Episode 596, he interviewed Tererai Trent who was regarded as one of Oprah Winfrey’s favorite guest, a Zimbabwean-American woman who is recognized for her effort to bring empower women and education for children.

She was among the 936 million people in the world who do not have enough to eat. Born in poverty, she had 3 children when she was only 18 and her husband abused her by beating her when she asked for education. Later, she met up with someone Jo Luck from Heifer International who visited her village and inspired her to pursue her dreams. When she told her mother about it, she encouraged Tererai to pursue her dreams but to also to give back to the community. Her mother said to her, ”Your dreams will have a greater meaning when they are tied to the betterment of others.” Tererai realized and knew that she couldn’t live the life of her grandmother or her mother and she won’t accept “the baton of poverty, illiteracy, early marriage.”

When she brought her children to US to pursue her education and create a better future for the family, she had to work few jobs to support her family and to pay for her own education. She used to retrieve the fruits and vegetables in the trash can, and asked herself, ‘Who am I to complain when there are many children who as eating from trash can that no one washes, at least the trash can in Oklahoma is washed. Even if I was living in a trailer with no electricity, there are many homeless out there who doesn’t have shelter’. These are the thoughts that kept her grounded and blessed with the life that she had.

It took her 20 years to finally have a PhD in Evaluations, and when she was struggling to achieve her final dream which was to build schools for her community (giving back to her community), she received a phone call from Oprah Winfrey and she donated $1.5 million for her tenacity and persistent attitude. Today, she is globally recognized voices for quality education and women’s empowerment.

When you have a vision that you have in your thoughts, it can be manifested because your mind and feelings are thinking about that vision.

Have a dream that gives you hope that you can see in the future, the one that is defined by you, not others.

What is my dream? I would love to make a difference, be it a small or significant impact on others. It can be as small as writing this blog, or empower other women to find their happiness and wholeness.

Hope you find your passion in your dreams tonight ;)

Link to her site: http://www.tereraitrent.org/

Follow https://lewishowes.com/blog/