We’re looking forward to introducing you to Dr. Shiarnice Burton. Check out our conversation below.
Good morning Shiarnice, it’s such a great way to kick off the day – I think our readers will love hearing your stories, experiences and about how you think about life and work. Let’s jump right in? What is a normal day like for you right now?
A normal day for me looks like me waking up around 6:30am but snoozing until 6:45am and realizing I won’t have time to get coffee before getting to work by 8am. Showering, getting dressed; yelling to my husband to unplug my electric car and stumbling downstairs to speak to my pets my dog (Momo) and my Cat (Venus). I take my vitamins and look around In the fridge for food I don’t want and kiss my husband and I’m out the door to sit in traffic for 35 minutes and still get to work late.
I teach my first Psychology class at Houston City College and then get coffee and a bite to eat in between and then another class at 9:30am. Afterwards it’s workout time; and then a nap. I decide what to cook or eat for dinner; feed my pets and watch a Netflix show until I fall asleep prepared to do it all over again the next day.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
My name is Dr. Shiarnice Burton I am a college professor and Psychologist teaching at Houston City College; I have been with HCC for the past 10 years. I represent a mental health organization that I started called The Native Mind that seeks to bring awareness and resources to indigenous and minority communities; locally; regionally and globally. I am currently working on a literary/visual project entitled I am a Whole Woman Ya Heard Me? which captures the struggles and triumphs of my infertility journey through IVF and the mental hurdles to bring awareness to those who are unfamiliar with these struggles.
Great, so let’s dive into your journey a bit more. Who saw you clearly before you could see yourself?
My best friend Mark Anthony Goudeau saw me before I saw myself. When I met Mark it was like the planets of friendship aligned; Mark helped me to see my value and my worth which I had struggled with in relationships for so long. He helped me gather all portions of myself Mental; Spiritual; Emotional and Ancestral to analyze who I really was. Mark was the first person to tell me to not care about what others thought of me. He taught me courage in the face of adversity and the Subtle Art of Not Giving AF (a book he recommended me to read).
Was there ever a time you almost gave up?
There have been so many times where I wanted to give up not only on goals; but also in life. As a mental health advocate I struggle myself with depression and panic disorder; which often causes me to dissociate from life and experiences in trauma. There were so many heart aches and breaks; people I lost not through death but in life and made me feel like I wasn’t worthy of living. Now I know the value of my life and that it is an honor and privilege to alive and truly a miracle.
So a lot of these questions go deep, but if you are open to it, we’ve got a few more questions that we’d love to get your take on. Is the public version of you the real you?
No the public version of me is joking with students and very extroverted. The private version of me is introverted; self-critical and a loner.
Before we go, we’d love to hear your thoughts on some longer-run, legacy type questions. What will you regret not doing?
I will never regret being kind to those who helped me and those who hurt me. I haven’t lost anything by being kind.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: Lyric_The_Poet
- Linkedin: Shiarnice Taylor
- Facebook: Lyric Shiarnice Burton
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@lyricthepoetshiarnicetaylo7315
Image Credits
GodFather Photography Jason Ester
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