As we read Becoming a Woman of Excellence by Cynthia Heald, I hope to fully understand and exhibit what it means to truly be a woman of excellence. When I think of excellence, I used to think  of women who have achieve much financially, in their careers and socially. I thought of women that could handle a career, a husband and children and look flawless while doing it. (Perhaps I watched too much television) I never thought about a woman of excellence being someone that has achieved much spiritually until recently.

I’m reading and listening to stories about women that have gone through some things in life. Things that I can sometimes relate to and some things that I feel there is no way that I could recover from, let alone discuss with other women. But the one thing that I have discovered is that there are a slew of women that fall into the category of excellence. These women are not CEO’s, they have not achieve phenomenal financial success (or any) and they have not met, dated and married Mr. Right. These are women who have the courage to get up every day and exist. Even if their existence isn’t what they thought life would bring them, they do it any way.

I’m realizing that my story, my trials, my trauma, my ridiculous thoughts can possibly help someone. I’m finding that we all have similarities. Those similarities can be through our hopes and our dreams or through our perceived failures and faults. Whatever they are, by sharing them we can help release each other from the bondage of self-inflicted isolation or loneliness or even our prideful ways.

I had lunch with a young lady the other day. Everyone told me that she was “crazy”. I hate that word when describing someone but nonetheless that is what I had heard repeatedly. However I know that God is working on me. He is showing me that everything that I have held near and dear means absolutely nothing if I do not have a relationship with him first. So in my walk with God and in faith, I am looking at people in a different light. Perhaps it out of love instead of preconceived thoughts. Who knows?!

Anyway, I met with this lady. She was being timed (yes, that’s what I do). I was completely shocked from our conversation. Our paths were extremely similar. The only difference was she was an overcomer. She had overcome her issues, weariness, lack of faith, confusion, and was walking on the other side. I was not and am not. She reminded me of myself after being completely stripped of everything and having to function as a new person. And in that new way of functioning you don’t react the same way you used to. You don’t think the same way you used to. You walk and talk in a new way and you could be viewed as crazy.

So now when I think of Becoming a Woman of Excellence, I think of a woman full of courage to take on every thing life has to throw at her with grace while extending mercy to others. Achieving things is easy. Achieving spiritual maturity is a difficult journey. As I said today, one minute you are on top of the world, the next moment the world is on top of you. Spiritual maturity is what helps you walk through that valley no matter how hard it is. It is that comforting feeling knowing that God’s rod and staff is there to protect you and to give you rest when you need it.

I was awarded the Woman of Excellence award last year. I laugh at it now because of how I define excellence. I know I’m not there. Yet.