I D.A.R.E. You!

I had an amazing opportunity to speak to the Spring 2019 graduating class of Woman University in Atlanta, GA. It was the first time anyone ever asked me to give a commencement address. Although I was honored, I must admit; I was petrified. Think about it for a moment...this graduating class of women had gone through months of laborious work. They had studied and perfected their crafts and talents, and on the day I was to send them off with a victory speech into the world of entrepreneurship, they had to present and pitch their new business ventures before a panel of seasoned, successful business owners and community leaders that Dean Kathy Hood called the "Think Tank." When I entered the building, women were crying and consoling one another. Talk about pressure. I immediately asked directions to the ladies room for the 5th time that morning; my stomach definitely proved to be traitorous.

After gathering my nerves, I remembered my name, who I was and who sent me. I am Angel Charmaine. I am the founder of Speak up Sis!, and I empower people to walk in authority. I teach them how to take control of their lives and claim what rightly belongs to them in the earth. I reminded myself that God has not sent me to feed gazelles, but like E.T. The Hip-Hop Preacher often says, "I feed lions!" After giving myself my own little pep-talk, I knew exactly what these brave, beautiful, bold new business women needed. They needed a dare.

For those of you who may be in a place in life where you have to walk into unfamiliar territory and do the very thing that scares you silly, I want to do for you what I did for them. One - empower you to walk boldly in your kingdom purpose. Two - remind you God has given you authority to dominate in your gift. Three - strengthen your resolve to enter into your new territory and fearlessly do what you've worked diligently to discover and design. So, to kill three birds with one stone, I issue you a D.A.R.E. - to do the Daunting Activity Requiring Everything, and I am even going to give you some scripture to help with this task!

Daunting

Walking bolding into new territory is going to scare you. You may be required to go places you've never gone, talk to people you don't know, get lost on transportation you've never ridden - maybe that one is just me; your girl is directionally challenged - but you get the picture. Just remember 2 Timothy 1:7, "For God has not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind."

Activity

There will be more work to do in your new place. Yes, I know. You are super tired from all the hard work you put in to get to your current position. However, do not ever be deceived into thinking you can sit, chill and become stagnate. Just like still water, you run the risk of becoming foul and useless. Always remember James 2:17, ''Faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead." There is always activity - work - to be done.

Requires

A major requirement to be successful in your brand, new thing is renewing of the mind. You will have a much harder time acclimating to the new environment, new people, new situation if you are not willing to do some things differently. Renewing the mind requires you to be open to learning new perspectives. When operating in your divine, kingdom purpose, you will be required to "not conform to the world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind"- Romans 12:2. You will find it necessary to change some behaviors and acquire new ones. It makes no sense to keep all of your winter coats when you relocate to the desert...I'm just saying.

Everything

To operate fully and effectively in your kingdom purpose, in your new territory, you have to devote all of yourself to your vision and mission. There cannot be any half-stepping; give it all or nothing. Colossians 3:23 urges us to be either hot or cold. Successful people make a conscience decision to go all in for what they know is theirs. You must understand that it is not about to be yours. It is already yours. When you are confident of this, without a shadow of a doubt, it will be that much easier to go all in with EVERYTHING.

If you are completing one leg of your journey and embarking on the next, I D.A.R.E. you to be intentional, courageous, consistent, persistent, and I believe often overlooked and underestimated - resilient. I double-dog dare you to do the very thing that scares you senseless. I dare you to walk in the greatness of your kingdom purpose and look, feel and be exceptional while doing it.