As members of Naomi’s Network, you may be asking yourselves this question about me. Then there is the more profound question we direct inwardly. "Who am I?" How do we answer this question? I used to find myself answering the "Who am I"question using an outside/in approach. I’d list off my job titles,descriptions and the roles I fill in my family structure. Most of my jobs have been considered unconventional or unexpected and tend to spark further interest. I love the work I've done over the years! The joy I've experienced in each of my many roles is more of a reflection of who I really am than the jobs themselves.
What if we took an inside/out approach to learning and sharing ourselves? Who am I at my core? If we were to strip away the make-up, the outfits, the job titles and degrees, even the relationships and who I am to other people, who is left? Sometimes we find ourselves disheartened by this exercise, fearing there is nothing else there. So much time, energy, and focus have been placed in these pursuits, is there anything even LEFT if we take them away?!
I challenge you to venture deeper. Who are you when you step into a space? What vibe fills the room when you step in? Before you even open your mouth, who do we see when met with you? Sometimes we get so caught in our own stuff, that we don’t see ourselves clearly.
Our perceptions of ourselves can be skewed by our mistakes, our fears, the stories we’ve been telling ourselves for years. Will you take on a practice? If you want to get a glimpse into yourself but find that you can’t see past the “problems” of you, ask the people who know you how they see you. Really, call up 5 people and ask them and write down the answers. Now, people are people, and depending upon how close they are to you, they may have some experiences with your shadow side or what can be referred to as your survival mechanisms and reflect some things back to you that hit you wrong. What do you do when you encounter this? Recognize it for what it is and put it in a different category. You may find yourself surprised by how you show up in your spaces to other people.
So, who am I? My name is Jayme and I am Wisdom, Joy, Radiance, Power, Grace. My purpose in life is to experience and facilitate Unity, unity within ourselves and unity amongst ourselves. In sculpting my ideal life, I seek to draw my work and relationships from this core place. My mission is to educe, to edify, and to enrich. The opportunities are endless to serve in these capacities! I have a passion for and skill with the voice and find my focus in this area, for now.
I will not allow myself to be boxed in by job descriptions or limited in my relationships. When we start from the core and are in action from this space, fueled by mission and purpose, this power can be focused in any arena of our lives (career, family, wellbeing and health, finances, relationships). Where do we start to build our dream lives? Ask ourselves: Who am I and who am I being in all areas of my life?
I am honored and excited to join with Naomi's Network in our shared focus on women's empowerment. My goal is to connect, create new awarenesses, add value, and inspire action with every post. This Women's History Month, we’ll celebrate women who have challenged limits, share empowering stories, and explore ways we can breakthrough our own barriers to become history makers in our own lives. Let's honor our inner voices, empower our speaking voices, and even free our singing voices! What am I talking about with singing?! You'll see...
Jayme Alilaw
Photo by Marsha N. Wilson Photography
Founder and Head Coach of From The Core Coaching, Jayme Alilaw believes that empowered women can transform the world. As an Army Veteran, entrepreneur, educator, and performing artist, Jayme finds that her varied passions uniquely position her to think big and see possibility everywhere! With her degrees in Vocal Performance and 15 years experience as an opera singer and vocal coach, a unifying theme in her practice is empowerment accessed by honoring the inner voice, emboldening the speaking voice, and freeing the singing voice!