Meet Alena Larie Walker

We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Alena Larie Walker a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Alena Larie, we’re so appreciative of you taking the time to share your nuggets of wisdom with our community. One of the topics we think is most important for folks looking to level up their lives is building up their self-confidence and self-esteem. Can you share how you developed your confidence?

The development of my confidence and self-esteem begins when I was a young girl, and both came at a great price. People would try to usesomething that was positive about me, anddistort it by accusing me of being cocky and stuck up, which was never the case, I was mislabeled.
 
This may sound strange, but from as early as I can remember, I had a great sense of who I amas a person, and that I was placed on this earth for a purpose. And I carried that knowledge within my spirit, while reminding myself of my reasons for being in those moments when I felt challenged. So, whenever I would sing or speak, I held my head up high, even though I was not treated well by the kids and teachers around me. I did not understand the unwarranted resentment, because I had not done any harm to anyone. When I was asked to sing, or to speak, I believed that I was supposed to be doing just that, but I was challenged daily even when silent; they would try to break my spirit, and I would refer to what my parents taught me at home and navigate through the battlefield.
 
Initially, I did not feel that I was confident, and my self-esteem was good, but I was obviously around the wrong people because
As soon as I left home and got on the bus, I experienced I
intense bullying, and it continued from the age of six through middle school; I got a brief break in my four years of high school, I was a part of the student body, I joined clubs, and I was chosen by the students for homecoming court during my junior and senior years. I became Lady, and I was the Homecoming Queen for 20__.
High confidence and good self-esteem were valued among the students and teachers.
 
I had a pretty good high school experience and then when I got to the university, some of that bullying behavior started all over again, from other young ladies. But I was able to identify that it was due to jealousy, fear of my taking their position in some form,
or the attention of their boyfriend or person of interest that I did not seek. However, I received more support from classmates and friends, encouraging me to continue to be who I was and not be concerned about the naysayers.
 
I had to learn that my high confidence and healthy self-esteem does not diminish because of the perspectives of others, and no one person has a right to try and put me down just because I am happy with myself. There is a verse in the bible that says I am fearfully and wonderfully made (Psalms 139:14) so when I have had to resist the negative words of people who havetried to tear me down, those are my thoughts about myself.
 
My confidence and self-esteem have come with a great price, but the development started with my parents, teaching me the importance of protecting my heart, my spirit, and my mind, through my faith in Jesus Christ to navigate through life.
So how I view myself, regardless of the challenges that life brings, is shared through my content. I share my experiences and that of others in many areas of life in my music. Whether it is a break-up song, song about love, life, or faith, you will know that I want people to know who they are, and I am operating in the reality of life, not fantasy or fiction. My “I Am Affirmations, encourage people to operate in confidence and self-esteem.
 
I have been in many competitions, a pageant Queen, and model as well, and I was not focusing on the other women, or the traits other people, trying to diminish those people, or comparing myself to them to put myself down. I held my head up, and said you know what these are, all the good things that are great about me,and I am proud of myself. But my heart is always to bring out the best of others as well, sothat has been part of my mission, to tell people that it’s okay to be confident; it’s ok to have self-esteem, and that does not make you cocky. It does not make you prideful because you have healthy self-worth, but continue to be kind, uplift others as well, and you’re on the right track.
 

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?

Right now, professionally I am focusing on my artistic career, which includes my singing, songwriting, as a social media content creator, and influencer.

Music is always my number one. I am currently preparing new songs and musical content for upcoming projects.  This includes time writing, adding my melodies, and getting into the studio to put it all together to complete a wonderful song.

I am focused on my content creation, which is an art that I produce through social media videos, and photo reels. My spoken words of encouragement that I share through my videos often go hand in hand with my music.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

I would say confidence, enthusiasm, and resilience were the three qualities and skills that have been most impacted in my journey. And I say that because when it comes to confidence, sometimes people think that you do not experience fear, but I would always muster up the courage to walk in confidence over fear.

Enthusiasm has been key because in my journey, it has always been a part of my personality. It empowered me and allowed me to stand out when it was important to do so. As a matter of fact, I am told that I bring a spirit of enthusiasm wherever I go, but for me it is true excitement for the work that I do, and the people that I get to work around, and I am a strong believer that if you cannot be enthusiastic about what you’re doing, then you’re doing the wrong thing.

Resilience has been a quality within me, because through the journey of art and music, as well as any fields where you must create and put yourself out there. With that comes a lot of disappointments, pushback, and rejection, so my ability to be able to bounce back from that and still believe in my dreams, my creations, and my artistic ability, regardless of how many years have been amazing, and the experience I have received has driven me, and will carry me even to greater heights. You must have resilience, and you must have a “never give up” in your spirit; My gifts and that something that has been placed within me will not let me give up; my faith is one of those main things.
 

As we end our chat, is there a book you can leave people with that’s been meaningful to you and your development?

The Holy Bible has played an important role in my development.  My family calls it a map for living, because if you use it as your guide, you will have the tools to navigate through this life in a more efficient way. It is a book that influences my life, and my decisions.
One of the most impactful nuggets of wisdom that I have learned from the Bible is that I am fearfully and wonderfully created by God, who formed me in my mother’s womb. And my true identity of who I am is within Jesus Christ. I believe the Bible is a living word, and that if I walk by faith, and not by sight, I can achieve anything that may be impossible to the naked eye.

Contact Info:

Image Credits

A Nice Evening With Alena Larie at Benaroya Hall – Photography By: Diana Bartos Photography

Chester West Photography

Jose Pagan Photography

Joshua Bluford Bluprint Media Productions LLC

W.T.M Media Photography & Promotions

Team Alena Larie

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