We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Odessa Young a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Odessa, appreciate you sitting with us today to share your wisdom with our readers. So, let’s start with resilience – where do you get your resilience from?
My ability to overcome, recover and withstand difficulties started in my early childhood, due to dealing with my alcoholic abusive father. I grew up in a home where I had to learn very quickly what to say or not to say depending on my father’s reaction. My mom worked swing shifts in 10-12 hour rotations, which left me and my younger sister at home with my father at various times.There was a period of struggling with negative behaviors at school as a reaction to what was going on at home. I eventually learned is was more beneficial not to cause conflicts with others because it wouldn’t change what I was dealing with at home. I learned how to hide my anger until I could go to my safe place to deal with it. I found solace in a local old church where I could sit, write and do mock speeches to an invisible crowd about how one day the life I was living would no longer be my truth. I also dealt with some major health issues including non-epileptic seizures, endometriosis and severe female issues in my early teenage years. I often got tired of what the next doctor would tell me I would never be able to do as I grew older. I was told I would eventually go blind, not be ale to have a drivers license, probably would be able to birth children or have a successful life without multiple doctor visits constantly. I kept my faith in God with my mom’s support and various people I would meet along the way to help keep me motivated to pursue my dreams. I have had some major health crises in adulthood including a stroke in 2017, which life already prepared me to deal with due to my medical history. I am thankful for the difficulties coming early, so I can live well now that I am older. I am now a mother of 3 beautiful daughters, an author/poet/entrepreneur and Licensed Mental Health Therapist. I now can use what I have learned over the years to share my story and inspire others to work to become the best versions of themselves.
Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?
Odessa was born in Sevierville, TN and has spent most of her life in the Upstate area of South Carolina. She is the proud mom of 3 beautiful daughters Amaria, Cyrentiy, and Colaiya. One of her goals in life is to break the stigma associated with mental illness and give voice to those who have been forgotten. One of her ultimate dreams is to travel the world and share her story.
Odessa graduated from D. W. Daniel High School in Central, SC. After graduating, she attended Claflin University in Orangeburg, SC where she obtained a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology with a minor in Criminal Justice. She later obtained a Master of Counseling degree from Webster University in Greenville, SC.
On May 9, 2019, she took a step of courage to share her story with the world by publishing her first book, O Survival by Grace, on Amazon.com. She then released a Poetic Outpour with her co-author Quincey Montgomery in December 2021. She became a Licensed Professional Counselor January 2020 with the state of South Carolina. She is also credentialed to accept Blue Cross Blue Shield Insurance. She provides therapy services at, The Well Center in Pendleton, SC. She has established herself as a therapist, author, poet, and Herbalife Wellness Coach. She is also the owner of OhthatsOdessa.com; where she actively works her vision. She is a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc, and Kingdom Poets traveling poetry group.
In her spare time she enjoys dancing, writing, reading and spending time with her family. She also enjoys exploring and traveling to new destinations.
Odessa is passionate about helping others and working to teach her community the importance of overall wellness. She dreams in color and lives out loud. She is also a daughter of Grace. Her daily inspiration and motivation is 2 Cor. 12:9 (NIV) “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness…”
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
The most impactful areas of knowledge along my journey was completing my Counseling degree which prompted me to complete a self assessment. I pushed to identify and own my truths as a person and a woman. Perseverance is also a quality that resonates with me because no matter how long it takes me to complete a goal I want to see the end result. Self-motivation has also pushes me to go outside of the box and explore different aspects of life in general. I like to learn new things constantly and work to become at least 1% better daily.
To close, maybe we can chat about your parents and what they did that was particularly impactful for you?
The most impactful thing my mom has ever done for me was being honest about our living situation and life in general. She made sure not to sugarcoat the realties of what I would have to deal with as I grew older. She pushed me to excel in becoming a better person, pursing a higher level of education and a greater work ethic.
Contact Info:
- Website: ohthatsodessa.com
- Instagram: ohthatsodessa
- Facebook: Odessa Young
