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Do it Afraid

Do it Afraid! But what if I fall? Oh Darling but what if you fly!

Iget it. You want to do it, but all logical reasons tell you NO! What I have come to learn is that when this happens, the brain is doing its function. The function of the brain is to protect you and keep you safe. The brain logically and methodically finds reasons through the application of our memory and experiences. But the brain is also a part of you, and this is when you have to override the command and “DO IT AFRAID.” In the words of Oprah Winfrey, “What I Know For Sure” is sometimes you have to say yes when you want to say no. Don’t give in to fear and make fear based decisions. Learn to connect with your soul and your human spirit because that is when you can begin to soar. When you get ready to soar (quit a job, launch a business, go back to school, or leave an abusive relationship) your brain will always tell you to wait, hold up, step back. Your brain is triggered by things you may have heard, seen, or experienced, and it is designed to

Gwendolyn D. Clemons, MBA, MSM

keep you safe. You have to be willing to navigate between your brain and your soul. I believe sometimes you have to listen to your soul and just soar. Don’t get to the edge and stand watching everyone else fly, wondering what their life is like. I’m here to tell you to JUMP! Do it. Do it afraid because one of three things will happen: (1) You’re either going to jump and fly, (2) You’re going to jump and fall on something soft, or (3) You’re going to jump and fall on something hard. Either way, you are going to get back up. You already know you got what it takes to get back up. Your greatest fear is not that you will fall, but that you will live a full life and never fly because you never leaped. You are not afraid of dying, you are afraid of dying before the world sees who you really are. Don’t leave this place without us knowing that you were here. To my mentor, Lisa Nichols, thank you for these guiding words.

Our Theme: The 2019 World AIDS Issue is filled with dynamic articles that aim to highlight the epidemic we are so desperately fighting. TUV Magazine is unapologetic for writing about people and issues that directly affect us daily. As our magazine turns four years old, we are reminding you to keep “Doing It Afraid”.

On the Cover: Our cover is graced by the incomparable Ms. Cherisse Scott. Cherisse is a fearless and fierce black sister who is ready to battle for the betterment of sisterhood. She stood in the face of white supremacy in the Tennessee state capital and refused to back down in a room filled with bigotry. Her organization SisterReach is doing just as the name implies, “reaching sisters” through dynamic social advocacy work. We are excited to highlight a rising civil rights pioneer from Detroit, Chicago, and Memphis!