UR Aware teal pattern

A By-Product of Pursuing Your Dreams

by

When the NBA hired Becky Hammon as the first female full-time assistant coach and the NBPA hired Michele Roberts as the first female to lead a men’s professional sports union.  These hires are examples of a universal truth I share with the people I coach and the audiences I speak to the key to dreaming, deciding and doing is to pursue your purpose and passions without succumbing to stereotypes, naysayers, that voice in your head that is saying you cannot do it and removable barriers.

Stereotypes that come to mind related to Becky, Michele and other women who have broken down barriers in sports include: “women should only coach women” and “women are not supposed to lead male organizations.” The naysayers are the ones who say things like “a male professional athlete will never listen to a woman.” That voice in your head is the one that resides in fear and demands that you not pursue your dreams. The removable barriers are all of the above and more. They are the obstacles that appear along the way to stop you from realizing your calling.

I am certain that at some point in both of their lives, Michele and Becky faced some, if not all, of these challenges. But in spite of the challenges they faced, they both embraced their passion and purpose and in doing so were hired for their respective positions. Michele and Becky are trailblazers for girls and women. Yes, a by-product of pushing past obstacles and pursuing and realizing your dreams is that you then have the capacity to change your community, the nation and the world.

The message that these hirings and others like it send to my daughter and to girls and women everywhere is that you should boldly pursue your purpose and passion. Although you will be faced with obstacles along the way, these are simply removable barriers that you have the ability to push past to become the highest expression of yourself. In doing so, you will not only achieve your own goals and dreams but you will pave the way for the girls and women who come behind you to do the same.

Rhonda M. Ware, J.D. is a speaker, writer and advocate who has raised awareness regarding issues including diversity, equity and inclusion, professional and personal development and men’s violence against women. Rhonda is a life and career coach who has equipped emerging and established leaders across the country with tools to excel in life and business. Rhonda is an attorney, with government and law firm experience, that currently uses her experience to provide meaningful counsel to law firm partners and law firm leadership. Rhonda has received numerous awards including the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel’s Forty Under 40 Award, DePaul University’s 14 Under 40 Award, the Wisconsin Bar Association’s Pro Bono Award, and the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel’s Women of Influence Award. Learn More >>

0 Comments

Submit a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Walk Through Your Open Door

“I know thy works: behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it: for thou hast a little strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name.” ~ Revelations 3:8 KJV More times than not, I find myself sharing with my clients...

read more

15 Minutes A Day

Here are 5 things I ask some of my clients to do each day, for a total of 15 minutes, in order to get unstuck. Contemplate what your big dreams are, create a blueprint to achieve them, and begin to transform your life.

read more

Have Faith & Keep Moving Forward

During the summer of 2000, I was in Egypt for 7 weeks participating in a study abroad program. The law school courses I was taking were held at the American University of Cairo during the week. On the weekends, my classmates and I traveled to different places...

read more

Clear the Clutter: Make Room for the Life You Desire

This summer I donated what some might consider to be an unbelievable amount of clothes, shoes, and accessories to the Goodwill.  What prompted me to donate so many items was that: 1) my closet was overflowing, 2) the laundry was backed up, and 3) it was taking me...

read more

7 Steps to Living the Life You Desire

I am often asked what steps I took to create and live the life I desire. I followed specific steps that shifted me from living someone else’s dreams to identifying and living my own. My clients who have fully committed to using the following steps as a blueprint to...

read more

Pursue Your Dreams

My message is simple, let pursing and accomplishing your dreams be more important than any perceived obstacles you face. Let your dreams inspire you to stay the course, even in moments where you contemplate giving up. Let your dreams motivate you to say yes to...

read more

Choose To Be Yourself

Choose confidence over self-doubt. Choose goals over aimlessness. Choose clarity over indecision. Choose your innate strengths over your perceived weaknesses. Choose “I am more than enough” over “I am not enough”. Choose to believe that your dreams can come true over...

read more

It’s Your Time

It’s your time. Yes, you. The one in the back row just trying to blend in and survive. The one who has felt overlooked and set aside. It’s your time to step forth and say yes to life; your life. I am referring to the life that you have dreamed about. It’s your time....

read more

An Important Lesson Learned from Trying Something New

Katharine Hepburn once said: “If you obey all the rules, you miss all the fun.” These are wise words I strongly encourage you to apply to your life.I followed the “rules” in my own life and was successful, but other people’s definition of success wasn’t enough. I...

read more

Decisions Give You Success

We are presented with choices every day. What we eat, where we work, who we spend time with, and how we live. Choices give us opportunities, but all choices do not have successful outcomes. In order to make the right choices for our lives, we must get clear about the...

read more

Soar Towards the Life You Desire

There have been times throughout my life when I found myself spending too much time thinking about what I could see directly in front of me instead of focusing on what is truly possible through faith in action. During one such time, I turned on my computer and the...

read more

Be True To Your Dreams

I hope and pray your dreams come true. Not the dreams that everyone knows you have. I am referring to the dreams that you keep tucked away in your heart; the dreams that you are too afraid to share because you think that if you tell just one person they will not come...

read more

The World Is Not Waiting

People often times imitate “successful” people because they think it’s the only path to a fulfilling life. What if we realize our time should be dedicated to understanding who we are and how to share our gifts with the world? Making real impact does not happen by...

read more

Dream Beyond What You Can See

Achieve God’s best for you by allowing yourself to:Dream beyond your current circumstance.Dream beyond what your parents said is possibleDream beyond what your friends think makes senseDream beyond what society says you can do, have or become.Make the decision today...

read more

“I Chose You”

When my daughter was 2 years old, she asked her dad, "where did I come from?"  My husband told her, "mommy and I made you."  After she heard his response she said, "no daddy, I chose you." So often when I am working with women they feel a sense of guilt even...

read more