Redefining Success: A Conversation with Lanita Mitchell Blackwell
Hello everyone, I’m Farrah Haidar, your host for this enlightening conversation with Lynita Mitchell Blackwell, an intuitive business coach with a compelling story to share. In this blog post, I’ll be sharing the insights and lessons from our recent podcast episode, where Lynita opened up about her journey of overcoming a life-threatening illness and finding peace and joy in her life.
The Price of Success
Lynita’s story is a stark reminder of the price we often pay for success. Despite having a supportive family and a successful career, she found herself battling deteriorating health, a consequence of relentless hard work and ignoring the warning signs. The wake-up call came when her six-year-old daughter found her passed out from exhaustion. This was a turning point for Lynita, a moment of realization that something needed to change.
This narrative is not unique to Lynita. Many women find themselves in similar situations, feeling miserable despite doing everything they were told would lead to success, or experiencing extreme exhaustion. Lynita emphasizes that these are not just “first world problems” but real human issues that need to be addressed. However, the struggle often lies in asking for support.
The Turning Point
The turning point for Lynita came when she hired a performance coach, who happened to be a minister. An exercise that required her to list all her responsibilities turned out to be seven pages long, highlighting the need to prioritize and delegate. This was the beginning of a journey towards self-realization and redefining success.
Embracing Imperfections
Lynita shares the importance of spending quality time with her daughter and the realization that her presence is still needed as her daughter grows older. She also reflects on the permission she gave herself to embrace imperfections and let go of the need to be perfect. This involved letting go of certain responsibilities and organizations that no longer aligned with her purpose and values, a process that brought about feelings of grief and a reevaluation of her self-worth.
Redefining Success
Lynita emphasizes the importance of redefining success and creating a new list of standards that prioritize peace, joy, and fulfillment. She no longer measures her worth by external achievements such as degrees or material possessions. Instead, she turned inward and began practicing gratitude, a practice that created a warm and empowering feeling within her, which helped her make wise and aligned decisions.
Cultivating Genuine Connections
Lynita’s approach to connections is not based on superficial interactions or chasing after opportunities. Instead, she intuitively connects with people who resonate with her beliefs and values. These genuine connections often lead to meaningful relationships and potential clients or referral sources. I also shared my insights on the importance of engagement over quantity when working with influencers, valuing those with a smaller but highly engaged audience.
The Importance of Deep Relationships
Lynita introduces the terms “emergencies” and “messy messages” to describe the things that hinder deep connections. Emergencies are situations that may seem urgent but are actually tied up in drama and foolishness. Messy messages refer to conversations that do not uplift or inspire. Lynita suggests that these conversations should be few and far between, as they do not contribute positively to relationships.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Lynita Mitchell Blackwell’s story is a powerful reminder of the importance of self-care, redefining success, and cultivating genuine connections. It’s about looking within for purpose and meaning, and prioritizing deep relationships over distractions. It’s about setting boundaries and avoiding getting caught up in messy conversations. It’s about being upfront with people when you don’t appreciate something they say or do. It’s about taking ownership of your feelings and your life.
Join us in our next podcast episode as we continue to explore these themes and more. Until then, remember to prioritize your peace, joy, and fulfillment.
