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"The pressure to have my life figured out was overwhelming. I didn’t have all the answers and it was frustrating at times. But thanks to my family, good friends and great relationships, the pieces have slowly come back together." - Dawn Michelle Hardy
Photo courtesy of Dawn Michelle Hardy
Tell us about yourself? (who are you, where are you from, what do you do, etc.)
I'm a high-energy, unapologetic, professional black woman who loves God, sports, books, abstract art, house plants, international travel, and a well-chilled glass of champagne several times a week. I currently reside in Charlotte, NC, but I am a New Yorker forever. I began my career in book publishing as an author assistant in 2002 and here I am, twenty years later, heading my own PR & Literary Consultancy, The Literary Lobbyist.
Aside from what is known about you or what you have shared, what makes you RESILIENT?
What makes me resilient is that I have the spiritual strength to push through and I am not afraid to shed a few tears to release frustration. I know many see crying as a sign of weakness, but for me, crying is how I release and cleanse so that I can catch my breath and continue to push through. I'm an entrepreneur. Tears come with the title. I also build resiliency by engaging in intense physical activities like kickboxing, running and weight lifting.
In 2014, I ran the NYC marathon. The training lasted for 6 months and the race for me lasted six hours. I was exhausted and at mile 22, I started getting shin splints (sharp pain running up your shins at every touch of your foot to the ground.) I hadn't experienced that during my training but here I was, 4.2 miles from finishing my first marathon and I was in pain. I cried at the frustration of being too hurt to continue running but understood that walking would extend the time of my "torture."
Those tears of determination pushed me over the finish line. I crossed on my own two feet. I shed victory tears with a finisher's medal around my neck. Tears are not bad. They can be the weapon that helps you fight through doubt, fear, or pain. I get my resilience by accepting my humanness and that humanness for me means being unashamed to shed tears.
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Did you know:
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