45. The Power of One Yes

In this episode of Heart Work with PBJ, Dr. Patrice Buckner Jackson has a conversation about life transitions with Jemekka Irving Richardson (@mek_rich).   Jemekka shared her journey, emotions and challenges concerning life transitions.

This episode is for you if you…

♥️ Feel a prompting in your heart that change is on the horizon.

♥️ Are in the midst of transition right now

♥️ Wonder if it is time to make a change

♥️ Feel stuck and not quite sure what to do next

Jemekka Richardson is a certified personal trainer, host of the Looking For My Fit Podcast, & founding fitness instructor for LYFE at home.

Jemekka spent years repeating an unhealthy cycle that included fad diets, excess exercising, a toxic relationship with the scale, and her lowest point of self-esteem.

Shifting her mindset, and learning how to live a sustainable healthy lifestyle helped her to break the cycle, and change her life for the better! Now, she’s on a mission to teach other women to break their own toxic cycles when it come to health and wellness. She provides women with the tools to reclaim their confidence, and finally start pursuing the goals and life they’ve been dreaming of!

• Connect with Jemekka at http://sociatap.com/mekrich or on IG @mek_rich
• Join Revolution of Wellness- https://revolutionofwellness.org/
• Check out Lyfe at Home- https://www.lyfeathome.com/

Transcript

0:00

Hey, hey, hey Heart Work community. I am so excited. I'm so excited to come to you all today. Listen, this is about to be good, good, good. So if you are at work, and you can take a few minutes, you want to take a few minutes right now, if you are driving, don't be watching us while you're driving. Don't do that. Don't Don't do that. But you do want to listen to this later because this woman that I'm going to introduce you all to today. Okay, let me just calm down. First of all, I am Dr. Patrice Buckner Jackson, but you can call me PBJ. Welcome to another episode of Heart Work with PBJ where we are disrupting cycles of burnout for people who do their work from the heart. Oh, yeah, we're talking to you. Those who are the caretakers, the educators, the counselors, the social workers, the ministers, the stay at home moms, whatever you do, but you give it all to everybody else. And this is the place that you can come and you can be refilled and you can be refreshed and you can be served and you can be ministered to. I am so excited that you all continue to take this journey with us. And today. Today, today, y'all, so you know about Purpose 2 Platform. I brought it up many, many times, you know, that program was transformational for me. But one of the reasons it was transformational for me is the relationships that came out of that experience. And that program and today I have the honor and the pleasure to introduce you all to a my sister, another one of my sisters and you I promise you, you won't be the same after this one. I promise you just stick with me. Jemekka Richardson. Welcome to the Heart Work community. I'm so glad to have you. I'm so honored! Look, I'm sitting over here trying to be quiet. Cause I know what it's like when you do a podcast. So like you will be quiet you listen. But Hello, y'all. Thank you so much for having me. I'm so excited. I'm so honored. And it feels good to be on this side. Yeah. So I'm like, Okay, let's go with Thank you. I'm excited. I love it. Okay, so I'm going to give the people the official introduction. So they know Yeah, we got to give it to him. So here we go, y'all. Jemekka Richardson is a certified personal trainer, host of the Looking For My Fit podcast, and founding fitness instructor for Lyfe at Home. Jemekka spent years repeating an unhealthy cycle that included fad diets, excess excess exercising a toxic relationship with the scale and her lowest point of self esteem. Shifting her mindset and learning how to live a sustainable healthy lifestyle helped her to break the cycle, and change her life for the better. Now she's on a mission to teach other women to break their own toxic cycles. When it comes to health and wellness. She provides women with the tools to reclaim their confidence and finally start pursuing the goals and life they've been dreaming of. So official welcome to Jemekka Richardson. I lovingly call her Meek I hope that's okay, Meek. Yeah, that is right. Like you see what my name is right there@mek_rich I'm like when I even when I say Jemekka, it feels weird because nobody calls me that. So it's like Meek or Meeka. So you know, go for Meek. Oh my goodness Meek, Well, listen, if if y'all haven't heard the Looking for My Fit podcast, every time I say it, I want to tell you. Every time I just feel like dancing. But Meek, that's what you do. That's what you do. That's what you do in my life. And that's what I watched you do it for others. Just being in your presence. You feel like you can conquer the world. Like after talking to you after a conversation with you. After spending time with you. I always leave feeling like okay, I got this. I got it. I can do it. So thank you for the impact that you have on me and other women. Oh says You're welcome. But you know that is mutual. I think we every time we have a conversation we walk away just I'm like alright, let's go. World was taken off. Let's do it. Let's do this. Yeah, yeah. And that's I think, let's go let's go. Yeah, he got saved from the third. Let's go. Let's go. Let's go. So let's talk about today we are talking about transition. And all the things are the phases all the emotions, all the challenges, make I know that you and your family are in the midst of a transition right now. But before we go there I know this is not your first transition. So meet, take us back, take us back to where you were before looking for my fit. And then kind of the transition to how you got to that. Okay? I'm crazy. We're not crazy enough. I think a lot of us if we really think about like that, that big aha, or that big changing moment usually comes from like a low place. And that was my story. So it's not everybody's story. But that was my story. I had taken on all of these roles. You know, I was I was a mom, I was a wife. I was a facilitator at the time. And everything that I did revolved around me doing things for other people. And in the midst of that, I got completely lost. I was like, washed out, I really didn't know who I was outside of those roles. So you say, like Jemekka, what do you like to go and do? I had no idea. I remember going into church one day, and I cried, and I'm talking about how I cried in church because I was truly that lost. I was like, I'm so lost. I don't know who I am. I don't know what I'm supposed to be doing. Well, in the midst of that, I was like, I need to get my health together. So let me see if I can, you know, turn this thing around, at least are feeling better about myself physically. And I tell you, God got the ball rolling. I had a co worker who I would talk to every morning and every afternoon because we weren't in the same duty pose. And she invited me to come to the gym to work out with her. And so I said, Okay, I bought a Groupon, I went with the intent of just being there long enough to jumpstart my fitness journey. And the minute that I said yes to her, God said, and we're about to show out, he took that thing. And my life got flipped, turned upside down, fresh prints up in here got flipped, turned upside down, I felt so much better about myself. My confidence was building how I stepped into rooms completely changed. I was learning how to take up my space. And when I felt that I was like, Okay, God, I can't keep this to myself, I want other women to be able to feel the same thing. I want to be able to give this feeling to other people. So I took the leap, I got certified as a trainer, and an opportunity came along where I said, Okay, God, let's go, I left the school system where I had been working for 15 years, stepped into the role as a head trainer and a nationally known franchise for fitness as a head trainer, and I had never been any type of training. And that's how you know is God. And from there, here we are. Oh, my goodness. Oh, my goodness. So you literally went from one complete career, you had a whole career? Yes, a whole career to something brand new. But you know what I love so much that I love about what you just said. But I love that you didn't start over, like you didn't start at the entry level or at the bottom of the wrong. So often we feel like when it's time to transition, or when it's time to change. We get nervous because like I've been doing this thing for the longest time. And I've built up and worked up and it feels like we're gonna have to start over. But you just said Meek Rich, that you started as head trainer. Yes. Yeah. Come on now. And you know, at the time, there were level. So you either were a support trainer, or your head trainer. So to be the head trainer meant that you trained the most camps is what we call them, you train the most camps. And then you were also the person who was like the lead of the gym. So basically, you're the face of the gym. And God broke protocol for me. Straight up broke protocol. So when people say, you know, God doesn't call the qualified, he qualifies the call. And that's what he did. So he was like, You come, I will qualify. And that's exactly what he did. Exactly what he did. Oh, I love it. One. Yes. Well, yes to your friend. What that now that'll, that'll preach one more now. That one yes. led to a complete life change. I am telling you. When I think about that, it gives me chills the one yes. And when you you know when you can look back at the story. And I'm like when I said yes. God said that was all I needed. And then the ball. It hadn't stopped rolling yet. The ball is literally still rolling. It's still when it's actively rolling. Rolling. So okay, sorry. So take me back to the emotions of that transition. Because I would imagine you have students that you loved. You had colleagues that you love you have been in this career for 15 years. So talk to me about the emotions of that transition. That was the tough part was stepping away from something that had been such a huge part of my life. especially the kids. So like the students, I love them. And I've learned to fully embrace my gifts. So my gift is my ability to connect with people. So when I would tell people that I worked in middle school, they always say, oh, Lord, have mercy. I'll God bless you for working in middle. And I'm like, but that was where I was called to be. So I never had that, who, I just had an ability to connect with those kids. And so having to tell them that I was leaving was the hardest part. Because at the time, I was a facilitator, so I got to interact with all the students in middle grade, you know, 6/7, and eighth, I was in a K eight school at the time. So to be, you know, in community with all the kids, and to have those special relationships and the inside jokes, and just an ability, you know, to pull them back when they couldn't up or, you know, for them to want to come and celebrate stuff with me to have to go tell them like I'm leaving, was. That was the hardest part. I remember crying on that last day. And just trying to hold it together for the kids. But also, you know, just feeling all the things and then there's also that question like, Okay, Lord, is this really, am I supposed to be going? Am I supposed to be leaving? Are we sure that I'm supposed to be leaving, because when you love something that you do, feels kind of weird to walk away. But since I will tell you this with that particular situation, and I know we'll work up to the present. God had given me signs along the way that it was time for me to go. But I was like, No, I didn't want to leave. Primarily because it was familiar. I try not to give comfort, a bad word. I know a lot of times we talk about the comfort zone, the comfort zone, but I enjoy comfortable things, my pajamas, my bed, you know, the things that I enjoy, the comfort of it was familiar. I was used to it. I had been there for 15 years. And even though I would have been working in situations that were not healthy, like there were some toxic situations. I validated that by saying, but I know how to operate in this. I've learned how to read this person. And I know not to do this. And I knew how to function in the chaos. But God had given me the sign a long time ago that it was time to go. But I kept saying no. So he truly put me in the most tornado of a situation where I was Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz, I was spinning. And when the House landed, I said we're not in Kansas anymore, Toto, it's time to go. So I don't want to sell it. That first transition. We'll talk about this later. I don't want to sell the first transition as I just took the leap. God had to throw me out. Cuz he had to throw me out the situation. He put me in a situation where I couldn't say no, like, I've given you all the signs. I've waived every red flag I have written on the wall in very large red letters. And you're still here. So let me do this. And so he shook that thing up. I had no I had no choice I had to, which I'm super grateful for but also I just don't want to sell people on thinking with that one. It was just a leap of faith. It was a drop kick, jump. Put his foot right in the middle of my back and said if you don't move, I'm gonna have to do it for you. But even in that, because I love the kids and I have been focused on my purpose is this leaving was still hard? Yeah, absolutely. I gotta go back and talk about this functioning in the familiar. Because you said that like that was just so we got to highlight that. Because how often do we find ourselves continuing to function in the familiar? Just because you know how to wade through the crisis doesn't mean you're not in a flood. It. It doesn't mean you're not in the midst of a storm in the midst of the hurricane. But you have learned how to take the hits, how to dodge and weave, you have learned how to navigate through it. It also doesn't mean you're not being damaged by it. Oh, Lord have mercy. It doesn't matter. Can we talk about word trauma for a minute? Can we talk about the trauma of having to learn to survive through whatever the chaos may be? Your body is teachable. It'll learn it will learn it will adjust to whatever you teach it. It will learn but that doesn't mean you're safe. Come on. Oh, wait, hold on. Let me grab this collection plate real quick. So don't pass it. Play y'all go ahead. No, try to get no change. That doesn't mean you're safe. That is so true. Because I'm gonna tell you you know what, I'm not even on my own podcast. I talked about this, but see how special you are. Come on. There was workplace trauma for me in the last two schools where I was I worked with under the leadership that I worked under, there was a sense of not wanting me to shine more than the leaders. So I've constantly found myself in a place of trying to shrink, didn't want to let the light shine, because I just want to come to work and peace. You know, so you still doing what you're trying to do, but you try not to shine too bright. You know, let me make this lamp shade just a little bit more, you know, let's lower that just a little bit more. Because it always seemed to be a problem is when you are working in a situation where you want to step fully in your purpose. But you have someone who acts like they are blinded by your life, instead of learning how to bask in the light and realize that we can all win and they can, this can be a good thing for all of us. I was trying to be big, but play small. Oh, that's what I was doing. And so then when you get away from it, it took me time to step away from that thought process. Like, I am 42. And I finally feel like I've broke away from it and 42 in seven months, like this is a new thing. But it recently clicked to me. I'm like, I'm free from that, like I'm putting in the work to get free from that. But that is not something easy to break. So yeah, workplace trauma is real. Oh my gosh, that so that fear to shine that dimming your light. And I'm gonna cheat a little bit because I know a little bit more about your story. But I'm going to ask you to dig into that. Because here in the hardware community, we talk about checking our baggage. So we talk about what what taught me to approach work in life the way that I do, because I don't think that that school taught you to dim your light. I think that it added to what was already going on. But I don't think that's where you learned that. What do you think? Oh, it's definitely not your call me out what's wrong? Me? You're right, you're right. And I was just repeating a pattern, you know that that was the thing that I had been dealing with for a long time. And again, it was familiar. So I just you know, for me, this is just how it goes. And this is how I function in it. But that's what was so as a teenager, and I think we all probably have traumatic stories from high school was teenagers, we can all tell a story. My story was that people would always say she thinks she all this she thinks she all that she thinks she cute. And I just couldn't for the life of me figure out where that was coming from like to this day I stand on if you would ask somebody like why did you say that? They wouldn't have anything concrete to say behind it. And I'm like, Yeah, I go to school, I play sports. I stay after for practice. I go home sweaty, like I don't I don't know when I have time to do that. Well, at the end of senior year, I managed to get on the I was a class vice president now don't be rude. I don't know how one. No, like, people didn't seem to like me. So I was very surprised when I won. But I won. And one of the things we had to do, you know, at the end, they give superlatives. And so I had to, you know, help count the thing, the superlatives up. And as we went through at the time, I mean, I hope they don't do this anymore. But one of them was most conceded. And I didn't finish counting the votes. But I started helping somebody to count and I was watching my name come across, and I was like, Oh, my gosh. And the thing that I think no, I know bothered me the most was there was somebody who I felt we were really good friends. And they have very distinct handwriting. So I knew it was them. And so when I saw that they have put my name I was like, Oh my gosh, like what? So I didn't even get the tallies of like who won but then come superlative day when we you know, everybody's in the gym and you dressed up and your parents are there and everybody's there, I had to walk up on stage and receive an award for being the most conceited. So I want you to think the impact that that has on you, as an 18 year old who's getting ready to head into the world, to have those your peers to say, You think you're better than other people and to have to walk up on the stage and receive an award like that. So when I finally left, I was like, I would rather just be in the background, like to hold your face up, you know, and keep the face on that stage for that. When I left people were crying about graduating I couldn't get out of there quick enough. I really couldn't. I could not get out of there quick enough. So the way I approach life moving forward was I dim my light as long as I'm not shining as long as no one knows I'm here as long as I'm functioning in the background, then that's not something that I have to deal with. And I took that with me as an adult, which then led into, you know, being in the school system under, you know, two different, but I worked under a lot of different leaders, but two in particular who were very like, you will not shine this light. And then that then you go back to that trauma of being a teenager in though in that can be hard to break. Absolutely. Absolutely. So being where you are right now. You said 42 years, we're not living like that anymore. What would you say has been the thing? I'm sure, maybe there was more than one thing. But what was the thing that helped you break free of that? You one there, there were multiple things. But I would say the one thing is, again, I just didn't want people to recognize me for stuff. So it would be very hard when people would even if you follow me on Instagram, you see why I like sharing my stories where people say something about the workout or whatever. It took me a while to get comfortable doing that, because I didn't want people to view that as me bragging, or, you know, that was the space that I was in. So it took me a while to lean into that. Well, last year was actually 2020, I ended up winning an award. So they had awards for the company across all the locations across the nation. And they would give two winners per category. And I ended up winning the Leadership Award in 2020. And when I found out that I had won the award, I went from, oh my gosh, to oh my gosh, because I didn't want people to know, I was like, I don't, I felt like it was something that needed to be shared. But I also didn't want to share it because again, what are people going to say? When they see that I've won this award, and there will be people who don't want to celebrate me or there'll be people who already have their thoughts about me. And then this is going to like, Oh, how did she get that award? So I share that I won the award. And the way people surrounded me with love was unbelievable. It they were people were like well deserved. I mean, I got so many messages just on what I, you know, shared on Facebook, and people commented and they sent me personal messages. But then there was one who was like, You did not deserve that award. Wow. Straight up. You didn't deserve that award. And it was somebody who I thought at the time was one of my people. Yeah. Again, let me tell you in all of this stuff, I haven't even shared this on my own. And they were genuinely upset that I received that award. And I thought it was funny because I had known about the award for a long time. And then, at the time, I had been run this person multiple times, no one I had won that award, and everything was all good. And the minute that they found that I won that award, everything went all bad. I mean, all bad. And it was something about hearing that because it was told to me and then I'll just straight up, you know, when they came to say something, I'm not a passive aggressive person. And because this person was close enough to me, I just had to say straight up already know about this. Um, it was something about that moment that said, Forget this. You like it was like to have somebody who you thought was like, close to feel that way about you? And to be like, No, I'm still standing. And I got this award because of who I am and how I show up for people. And I'm sorry that No, I'm not sorry. The way that you thought the Leadership Award winner should look that's on you. But I know why I got this war so bad. Yeah, my circle. I don't care. And hold this award up in the air. Like I just don't care because I earned this thing. Yeah, yeah. And that was like a major breaking point for me. I was like you're still standing like you really gonna downplay what God does for you so that you can please man. No, we're not gonna do that anymore. Like no, I'm not I'm not doing it. God has been showing up and showing out in my life. And I'm not gonna push down who God has made me to be so you can be comfortable. Come on. Yeah, that was like a huge breaking point for me. And again, it was just, it was like something click like, have you really been downplaying yourself for other people? Have you really? So that was a major moment for me and since I've been moving forward. I love it. I love it. I love the breakthrough. And you hit the nail on the head. This is not even our stuff. It's not your stuff. But it's not even up to you to cover it up to put it under a bushel to hide it is you are responsible for spreading your light all over the world. Every single one of us, you, me, everybody who's listening, you are responsible. You have like, you can't help it. There's a brilliance. There's a genius on the inside of you. If there's breath in your body, there's genius in you, and you have a responsibility to share that light all over the world. So you don't have time to be worried about haters. You don't have you don't have time to be worried about oh, my gosh, it was on your podcast, it was on looking for my fit podcast. And you were talking to Lindsay, you were talking to Lindsey Ray Perry. And I will not say it like she said it. But this is what Lindsay said. She said, anytime you walk into a dark room and start shedding light, people who were in the dark room, their eyes will have to adjust. Because they were comfortable with the darkness. And she said they'll adjust Yes, yes. Listen, that episode was fine. Yeah, it was so good. And she did. She said when that light hit, she said, You think like if you're asleep, and somebody comes in and they turn on the light, the first thing you do is just you're tossing your hair, you're trying to let your eyes adjust to it. And she was like, let them adjust. That'd be alright. And I do really keep that in mind. There'll be okay. And you know, in this active thing. So while I've broken through that, and I continue to push for it, I still have to do the work, to talk to myself positively to make sure that I don't fall back into that, you know, I mean, and so just saying saying that you broke through doesn't mean that those fillings don't still creep back up. It just means that now I am aware. And so when it comes, I go ahead and check it. I don't allow myself to just sit in it and load in and I'm like, No, this is a childhood trigger. This is not you're fine, keep moving. So just know that I like to tell people, I don't want people to feel like if they feel like they had to break through. But then they also feel those feelings come back to oh, that's human. It's normal. It happens. So it's about supplying yourself with the tools to know how to combat it when it comes up. Oh, that's so good. That's real. That's so good. All right. So we got to move because there's more detail. Okay. There's more to tell. So you transition from education, to lead trainer with the national company national brand, you're at the top, you know, getting recognized for your leadership, things are great. And then all of a sudden, 2021 Huh. So bring us up to date rate us today meet rich, because I understand you are currently in transition right now. I'm very much in transition sis. And y'all only tell you PBJ has like the big inside scoop. When I say this is my sister, this is my sister, especially when you have somebody that you can call and you don't ever have to give a disclaimer. Don't tell don't say don't when you can just call and go straight into the conversation. That's a real sisterhood right there. So she knows this. But let me bring you all up today. What happened was I'm in this position, the schedule. You know, initially when I first started just because we were opening from scratch, it was a lot of work. But I had gotten to the point where I was doing different things with this gym. So I was training but not as much. So I had a sweet schedule. I had fallen into a great routine and things were good. I mean, I didn't have any reason to want to leave. But God kept giving me the nudge. And he was like, It's time to go. Now y'all. The reason I know the nudge is because he knows me before now I told you. I had signs before, twice before in my life. I have felt that knows from God that it was time to go and he showed me stuff in plain sight and I can see what's happening. And he was like that should have been your sign that you needed to leave him but you did not leave. And then both of those situations turned into a situation that was so unbearable that I had to leave. So when I felt that nudge where God was like, It's time for you to move, I was like, Wait, hold on, wait, God, don't do nothing. Listen, I feel it. I know the other times I ignored it. But Lord, I hear you don't write anything on the wall. Do not put your foot in my back. I hear you loud and clear. I will go but God where we go, you know, I was in that space. So I was talking to you about that. And I'm like, I don't want to force anything like it is very clear. It's in my spirit. It's time to go. The best way I can describe this. I used to teach a poem. When I was teaching. It was called something told the geese and it talks about how the geese know when it's time for them to migrate. They know and they're like, you know, there's no calendar, there's no grand happening. You know when even we know it can be warm outside. But you know, fall is getting near and we start seeing those V's of geese and they're leaving because they know that winter is coming or either the other way they know summer is coming. It's time to move. That was how I felt. I just knew it was time to go So I was just trying to be really mindful. And I said, Lord, again, don't send the ball to God, you sent the ball to before. I don't want to go to God, I will move if you could just tell me what it is that I need to do. But I continue to do everything that I was supposed to be doing, you know, in excellence. So I just made sure I continue, you know, still operating in purpose pouring into people giving everything that I have, well, this is how God works over the pandemic time when everyone in the world who like shut down, I have been invited to participate in helping to create some on demand workouts. And I went up there for a few weeks training, and the senior videographer and producer who was up there, I got to know him over that time. Now, here's the real crazy thing, all the work that we put in for that. Never saw the light of day, you know, there were other things that came up, but it never saw the light of day. No one has ever seen any of those, right? Well, during the summer, he leaves a senior videographer he leaves and I'm like, Oh my gosh, because he's such an amazing person. He's gone. You know, I hate to see him go. And I was like, well, hopefully we'll get to see each other again soon. Well, a few months later, I opened up Instagram, and he shares that he is getting ready to start his own online fitness platform. And I was like, what he's gonna do what? Now at this time, I'm still not even thinking like, God is this it? I was just like, oh my gosh, because I had worked with him. I knew his work. But more importantly, I knew his character, and how amazing he was. And I was like, Man, I would absolutely love to build this thing with him. I would love it. Well, I prayed on it. And I was like, okay, gosh, should I? Is this it? I don't know, let me think on it. So my thought process was, I didn't want to impose myself on him if that makes sense. I was like, this is his project, and I don't want to come back throw myself in. Let me you know what you're doing. So I said, God, I'm gonna pray. And if the if, if it's meant to be, can you show me a sign? I talked with it over to my husband over dinner, and we got home from that dinner after I said that prayer, I opened up Instagram. And he had put up a poster said, looking for instructors with heart. And I was like, I need a sign of Your Son God. I want to say that was beside but I need a sign in your sign. God was that sign? So I tell my mom, I was like, Girl, if you don't think that's a sign something is wrong with you. You text that man, you text him right now you do it while we're on the phone. So I text him while we're on the phone. And within seconds, he calls me back. And I was like, listen, I see what you're building. Not sure if I'm like a fit for who you're looking for. But if I am, I would love to come along and help you build this thing. And he said, you were the person I had in mind when I was even building this thing. God is so good. He's so good. And so you know, the conversation went from there. And once we were sure that everything was going it was greenlit, you know, I had to go and talk to the owners where you know, the franchise partners where I work, which was one of the hardest conversations I've ever had to have. Because for the first time ever, I was moving in obedience, I was not moving out of fear. I was not moving out of force. I was moving in obedience, God made it very clear. It is time for you to go. When that opportunity came along. I was like, okay, and you know, my mom told me to she said, when I told her what I was praying about, she said, Listen, you need to understand you're praying a very bold prayer. And when God brings this opportunity along, you cannot hesitate. You let us make a move when it comes along. And that was long before she even knew that. So I knew it was time to go. But having that conversation was very hard, you know, to leave somewhere that I love where I was in a good space. But not only that, you know, my whole family's in transition. I'm sorry, PJ. I don't want PJ I don't want all over the place, but my whole family's in transition. Um, so prior to that even happening, my husband and I had been praying because he had been talking about he knew it was time for him to leave. And we went to Seattle for a wedding my brother got married and on our way back from Seattle, we prayed and we say God, we're gonna move in obedience. We're gonna take this leap of faith in where you lead, we're gonna follow. We got back from Seattle on a Monday, my husband had had a job offer that he extended prior to that. So he decided to accept that on a Monday, on a Tuesday out that Tuesday, I was on the phone with the realtor. Wednesday, our house was under contract. Thursday, the due diligence money was in our account and Saturday, we had already found another place to say that's how quick God moved. That's how quick God moved. He was not playing games. Having said that, where we move was now in a place that was closer to the gym that I had been commuting to for years. So if you ask yourself if you look at you like you're in a good position you love who you work with you love who you work for. This is right by your new living space. And now you're getting ready to leave. But I was like listen, if I know nothing I know that if I don't listen and move when God tells me to move, here's the thing is either move or be moved. Yes, man. Those are the only two choices. You have guys. I say, God, I move. I'm gonna move right now. Oh, my gosh. Oh, no. So let me just recap. So your husband was seeking about a transition and he had an opportunity. Yes. Which meant your whole family. Yeah. Would be transitioning. While you are also seeking the learning what, what is it? What is this prompting? What is this feeling that I'm feeling? And this person said, Yep, you're the right one. You're the one that I had in mind. So glad you called. Oh, my in a matter of days, this is yes. Let me just say this real quick. Because sometimes we feel like it's gonna take a long time. Sometimes there's something in our hearts and we feel like, oh, it's gonna be a year at least it's gonna be two years, it's gonna be let me tell you, your life can change in a matter of days. In a matter of days, that's what obedience does. Yes. And I'm telling you that that has been a major shift for me as far as my mindset is because even now people like who 2021 is almost over. Yeah, God can make a move today. That will change your life today. Right doesn't need to the end of the year. God doesn't need 365 days to do anything. God doesn't even need 24 hours, the heart can change something in a minute in a second. It can change just that quick. When I left from Seattle. On September 4, that was Labor Day. I believe it was Labor Day. I my husband, I need people to understand when we left from Seattle PBJ. I called you I remember everybody was sleep. I called you from the bathroom in Seattle. Yo, this is not me making some of PBJ can tell you about this journey. I was like PJ like, I got it. And you're like, sis, when I told you the story, you said you got to we you cannot be scared you got to make this move. At that time, when I called you we had no intention of even selling the house. None of this. We had no idea that when we sit there praying, we say yes. Before we get back on that flight. How much I life was about to change. Just that fast. If you go to my Instagram page, you will see where I had put up a store. And it's just like the view that I had when we were flying. And I was like, God has been showing me stuff. And I know it's time to go and sometimes you feel like you shores me God. And is it too big, all of that? And then we just say yes, we just say yes. And when we got back on there Monday PBJ thought we were coming home going back to work in our house. My husband said yes, I'm going to accept this opportunity that has been offered to me. And all of that happened within a week y'all. Except the job Monday taught to roll it to Tuesday house has been it's under contract on Wednesday, due diligence money in the account on Thursday, Saturday, we now have another place to stay. It all happened there quick. Just like that. And we had no idea on we left on a Sunday flying back in here to a Monday Saturday, we had no idea all that was about to happen. No. You just changed the whole title of this whole episode. You just changed it because I was gonna call it transition or something is now called the power of one. Yes. The power of because in both of your transitions meek and both of your transitions, even though the first one you know, you got the rocks in the boulders, then you got the knee and you're back. Right? Yeah, but you did say yes to your friend. Did. You said yes, I'll go work out with you. And it may seem insignificant, but it literally opened the door to everything. It may seem like no big deal, but it is the one yes. And in this situation because I want to acknowledge this as well. The comparison. There are some transitions. I was saying this on last episode, I believe there are some transitions where you get like the manna from heaven. Like let me take you by the hand. Let me walk you through or drag you out whatever I got to do, because it's best for you. It may not feel good. You may be afraid, but this is what's best for you right now. So he will do whatever he has to do to get us where we need to be right. But as we mature as we mature, ain't gonna be no dragon. ain't gonna be no manner. This time I'm gonna give you seed and what you're going to do with the seed that I'm giving you last time it rained down the food rain down on you You had to do was eat it. And then don't even eat leftovers. I'm gonna give you more. But this time, this time you mature you know me a little bit we've been through this, we've done this, this is not new you, you got some reps, right? So now I'm gonna give you see, I'm gonna give you opportunity, pick up the phone, text the man, say some to when he calls, then you had to say something and you had to go to those who you work with and say, nothing's wrong. I'm not mad. I'm not upset. You are beautiful people. But I have to go. Yes. Now that's hard. That's hard. Yeah, that's grown up. But you know what else though? God in me saying that I left away from that job in a way I would have never picked you're walking away. And I think you can understand this too, because I know how you were celebrated, to be able to leave in a place where you're not, it's not any animosity. Were you not like peace suckers, you know, because somebody has done something crazy to you where you are not, you know, hurrying and packing your boxes and getting out as quick as you can go. When you're like, This was for season, it was for a reason. And I'm so grateful and so blessed for the opportunity. I'm grateful for everything I was able to get from this. But to then be able to celebrate Yeah, we partied. We had a party, we went out to a brewery, we got together had a great time, then we had a great time at the last camp that I trained your tears, gifts, photo show on on the TV, you know, to really be able to hug people embrace people, you know, and it wasn't about people giving me accolades. Because again, you know, that's still something I'm still working through, like I accept it now. But that doesn't mean that inside I'm not like, a little bit. But it was, I was grateful that God allowed me to have conversations with people, because I think if I hadn't been leaving that there would have been some things that people wouldn't share with me. So people will share things like you just don't know, I was going through this situation at this time. And I will come in here. And I will know that for 45 minutes, you were going to not you were going to take my mind off and I wasn't gonna have the opportunity to think about, I can't tell you the times, I've been in a low place. And I come in here and I see you and I work out with you. And I leave feeling totally different, you know, people just sharing how I've been able to shape their lives, but it's not about me, it's about how God has used me to impact others. And I make that very clear to people like I'm a trainer, by trade. But my gift is in motivating. You know, so if I couldn't train anymore, I could still operate within my gift. Yeah. So, you know, God gave me the gift, you know, gave me the ability to be able to be a trainer. But what he was really doing was allowing me to motivate people and to touch people. So even when I was training people It wasn't ever about, let me just make you physically fit. It was more like let me remind you who you are, you know, you you are not just a mom, you are not just a wife, you're not just somebody who goes to work, you know, and does stuff for other people, I would, you know, have this ability to push them to see who they were to see their strength, and then get to watch that go trickle over into their families into their relationships. I've watched so many people bloom into these beautiful flowers who were closed up, and to be able to give them the empowerment to be like, I am amazing. And I am like this whole other person outside of all of these roles. I'm just grateful that I got an opportunity to do it, but that we were able to then you know, share it now he did allow me to see it. Because, you know, sometimes when you impact people, I always pray for impact. But what I do know is I might not always see the impact. And that's okay, I'm not praying for impact that I can see. I'm just praying for impact. So I may say something to you, that does something for you. And then you go and say something to your husband, and then your husband is feeding into somebody at his job. And that trickle some in that man's house. I might not ever see that. Right. And so I'm fine with that. Because if you really praying for impact you just want it's not about can I visually see it, but I was grateful that God did allow me the opportunity to see it because I felt like that was a wink from him. Like you're in the right spot. You're doing exactly what I told you know what you're supposed to be doing now. Keep moving. Yeah. That's so good. That's so good. Okay, so before we leave today, talk to us a little bit about some of the emotions of especially this most recent transition your house leaving your home, moving your babies walking into this brand new thing life at home. It's brand brand new brand new husband has a new appointment. So talk to us a little bit about how you all have I've navigated the emotions of this most recent transition. It's been such a range of emotions. And I openly and freely share that with people. Because I think we've been groomed to believe that when you're moving the right way, and when you're doing what you're supposed to be doing, it should feel amazing, you know, rainbows, unicorns, ice cream for everybody. And that's just not the way that it goes all the time. Now, have there been some highs? Absolutely. No, it's been exhilarating to move in obedience, that's a feeling that you just have to feel for yourself, I can't really describe that. So knowing that I'm moving in obedience is something I've never felt, having said that. I've also been sad, because I loved the people I worked with, and I loved you know, the people, I got the opportunity to train, I have felt isolated, because I'm like, I don't know who else to about, like, who else is going through this exact thing. You know, there, I don't have like a blueprint to follow with it. So sometimes, you know, in the school system, there is a blueprint, you're a teacher, you know, there are steps to it. And then you can be a facilitator. And then you can be a dean, and then go be an assistant principal, you know, there, there are levels, and you have cohorts of people that you can speak to. But for this, I'm like, Well, who do I talk to about leaving the gym and going to workforce? I don't know who to talk to, for that, you know, so there's that, um, there was just a feeling of not, Am I doing the right thing, but just like, Okay, God, I believe in you. And I know, I have faith, and I don't want to seem like I'm doubting you. But for real, unqualified, you know, it's been all of those things. But then just getting used to a new place like my home, even though I have been talking to my husband by wanting to either fix it up or possibly sell it. It happens so fast. They wanted us out in two weeks. And I was like, I can't do two weeks of my husband, I've been this house for 17 years, it's gonna take us a little time. So gave us two more weeks, but in four weeks to be out of the home where I brought all my babies home, the only home that they've ever known, the kids love their schools that they were in great, you know, socialize, which is important to move from that my husband had been athletic director at his school for 11 years. And all of us in transition. So we moved about 40 miles away from where we were, and if you've ever been to the Charlotte area, you know, it's huge. So it really is like being we're actually in South Carolina now. But it's like a totally different place where it doesn't feel familiar. You know, the home doesn't feel like home quite yet, because you've been used to something else. The kids are in new schools, you're trying to figure it all out. I felt overwhelmed at times, to be completely transparent. I've cried tears. I have laid in the bed and prayed prayers, you know, God give me the strength. But I would like to I want to share that when you have faith. I have not once question. If I was, if this was the moot, you know, I've never asked Is this the right thing? Am I I haven't asked that. So when you really learn to lean into fate, the thing that I remember, and this is the thing, it is so simple to get on the other side of it. And in the same guys praises, right, because you've made it now. I've learned how to praise him in the midst of the storm. Yeah, and the thing that I lean into is, he's shown up and he he's done it over and over again. He has no losses. He's Mormon every single time. Everything that you've ever come up against. You made it. There's nothing that you come up against that you haven't survived. God has a perfect record. So in the midst of it, I have truly I'm not just saying this, because I'm still in the midst been able to say, What am I supposed to get from this? And I know that it is a lesson. Or he is you know, preparing me for another thing. Because everything that I'm doing right now I can look back at my life and see all the preparation. And since nine talking about a month ago, years, years ago, I can see how all the pieces came together. And so here's what I know. The pieces are still coming together. And I know that he's gonna get all the glory and I already feel it because now I am starting to be like, okay, okay, okay, we settle in a little bit. Okay, I'm catching on to this day. And I just know that God's about to show out in a mighty mighty way. So you all just get rid. Yes, he is. Yes, he is. And I love that transparency. Thank you for being honest with us because it is real. It is real. Your whole family literally have just been uprooted. But that faith, yes. Holding on to that faith. One of the things and I Our most recent transition, one of the things I find myself praying and saying to God is, I just want to trust you better this time, oh, I want to trust you better this time we've been we got some reps, we got some history, we've been through some things together, and you've never failed me yet. So instead of asking and questioning, and how you're gonna do this, and how you're gonna do that, my prayers now God, I want to trust you better this better this time. So, yeah, and that is so huge, you know, don't let what you went through being vain. You mean. So a lot of times we go through it, and we went through it just to survive it. But there's something that you can pull from everything. And so if you just keep in mind, all the things that you've already pulled through, like you say, you like, you know what, God, I don't have a reason not to trust you. Right? I don't have a reason not to trust you. So even when, I don't know if you and I talked about it, but part of the transition did feel like grief, to me, felt like a sense of loss, you know, the, the, it wasn't even the familiar reality, like I was in a happy, you know, the situation I was in was great. So to walk away from something that you loved, and it was great, it did feel like a sense of loss. But again, you like, Well, God, I trust you. And also, here's what I knew. If I stayed longer than what God had intended me to stay, eventually, it was not gonna be pleasant. Now, I don't know what was going to happen or how you know, and that's not for me to know. But he's shown me, he will, again, move or be moved. And so I was just grateful that I took from the other situations, let me move, and moving in that space and moving and leaving in love was a totally different situation, then, you know, packing your boxes is speeding out the parking lot. You know, to be able to wave and blow kisses and give hugs, as you as you go away is totally different. And that absolutely has to do with like, just trusting God and saying, I trust you. Leaving in love. And I trust you. I love it. Okay, me, look, we got to take this thing home, I could talk to you all day for hours. Okay, but we'll take that offline. Okay. But please, because I know that there are going to be people who will want to connect with you hear more about your journey and just kind of keep up with what you don't know. And you got a lot going on. So can you just kind of take us through the things, okay, what you got your hands in right now, so that we can connect with you. Okay, so if you follow me on Instagram, it is make me K underscore rich, or I CH and that's where I keep a lot of updates, but I'm working for life at home. And you can follow us on Instagram there too, it is life at home, or you can go to life at home COMM This is going to be a whole experience that we're providing. It's not just about the workouts, we have podcasts and cooking segments and TV shows, and we're focusing on the whole human, you know, and honoring why people want to be activists not come in and turn into obese even though I can turn you into obese. But it's not about that, you know, it's about finding your why and why you're showing up and honoring that. That's what we're going to be doing. So for the first three months, January through March, the live stream workouts because we are going to be broadcasting workouts live three times a day, those will be absolutely free to anybody who wants to log in to see that now if you want access to our on demand library, which we have been building diligently. You want access to the podcast and the shows all in the community, then you can join so you can look cuz we have a special membership rate going now. The other thing is I have a an eight week coaching program called Revolution of wellness. Yes, I partner with Jasmine Westbrooks, who is a registered dietitian and nutritionist. And we're going to do an eight week coaching program is for women who are ready to make that change. They're ready to live that healthy, sustainable lifestyle, but they just don't know how. So you have been somebody who's been making resolution year after year, if you've done the extreme things, the extreme diets and the fat blasting exercises, yet, you're still finding yourself making a resolution yet again, Jasmine, I have already been there. We've done all that. So we want to help people to be able to break that because breaking that cycle is man, that's a liberating thing. And so we want to help other women get liberated. We want you to live that healthy lifestyle so that this year coming up 2022 As you leave, that's the last time you're going to make the resolution. We want this to truly be a lifestyle for you. Not something extreme. So if you feel like you need that accountability, you need the support, you need the tools, then we are the women for you. And so you can learn more about that or sign up for this program that will start the first Monday in January. It's about to be lit. That is revolution of wellness.org. And I am so excited I have joined revolution of wellness. So if there's anybody out here in the HEartwork community who wants to be my partner in this Jump On In and join us. I am so excited about the transformation in the experience that we are about to have in this program. So y'all come on in, check out meek, rich on IG check out life at home, check out revolution of wellness, I'm telling you, it's just transformational. Every time I make every time I talk to you, I leave feeling like I can do I got this less go. Because you got it. I listen, listen, and but that's who you are in the gym or outside of the gym. That's what you do. That's what you do. So thank you. Thank you for joining us today. Thank you for sharing with the hard work community, talking to us about your transitions. Thank you for being real, and transparent. But thank you for reminding us that we got it got through faith is already done. So we don't even have to worry about it. We don't even have to worry about it. But listen, this is your episode today. I hope and pray that you heard something that you can hold on to that will encourage you that when it's time to take the step, take the leap. When it's time to walk on water. When it's time to make a transition. You have this filed in your heart and you can go back to it and say okay, I hear the voice. I don't need the boulder. I don't need the knee in my back. I hear it and I can trust it because I heard a testimony that you did it for somebody else. He did it for Meek. He'll do it for you. All right. So as always, you are powerful. You are significant. And you are loved. Love always PBJ. Bye yall.