We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Autumn Thomas a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Autumn, so great to have you with us and we want to jump right into a really important question. In recent years, it’s become so clear that we’re living through a time where so many folks are lacking self-confidence and self-esteem. So, we’d love to hear about your journey and how you developed your self-confidence and self-esteem.
I wasn’t always the most confident growing up. Like some kids, I was bullied and allowed the bullying along with family issues to weigh on my self-esteem. But on my journey of self-actualization I have found that anything you don’t like about yourself, you can change; you can improve if you are willing to do the work. So, I started to dig deeper, trying to identify what the root to my low self-image was. I uncovered years of childhood trauma, self-deprecating and destructive behaviors.
Desperate for change, I started pouring into myself; caring for my body and my mind. I began exercising more, eating better, updating my wardrobe, keeping regular hair and nail appointments, seeing a dermatologist, finding inspiration & motivation from women I wanted to emulate, investing in motivational literature, going to events that put me in the company of confident & successful women, and changing my network by removing certain relationships while investing in others.
The more I continued to push forward, I noticed a drastic shift in my mindset and my self-confidence. It’s one thing to look beautiful, another to feel beautiful and another to KNOW you’re beautiful. The way I feel about myself now is indescribable. And it is all because I decided to do the work. By working on my self-confidence, I have allowed myself to try new things, build deeper and more meaningful relationships, and live life more fully without fear or rejection or failure.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
As my friends would say, I am a woman who wears many hats. I am a certified Physician Assistant, entrepreneur, executive director of a nonprofit, wife, mother of 4 and the list goes on. I am currently building my personal brand under the alias, Mrs. Defy Gravity. My brand encompasses marriage, family and lifestyle as well as teaching women how to live their lives without limitations. I truly believe that we can have success, love, marriage and the freedom to live life on our own terms.
My husband and I have been building the “Defy Gravity” platform for 2 years now and I plan to use this platform as the base to build my mentorship program for young women. The mentorship program will focus on helping young women build confidence, a success mindset, teach coping skills and expose them to entrepreneurial ventures.
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?
Looking back, the three most impactful qualities on my journey were, resilience, confidence and patience. I feel like the best way to develop these qualities is to look for opportunities to be introspective, accept that change is a part of life and avoid seeing obstacles as anything more than just a stumbling block.
It is also important to constantly be improving, whether that be physically, mentally, emotionally or all 3. We must constantly strive to be the best version of ourselves. By doing this, our self-image will improve and thus so will our confidence.
Lastly, I find you can develop patience by slowing down and learning how to appreciate the now. When we are constantly worried about the “next thing”, that can cause anxiety, frustration and impatience. We must also recognize that impatience is a selfish mindset. Once you remember that the world is full of people with their own set of worries, perspectives, goals and aspirations then we can remember to be more patient and kinder to ourselves and others.
Okay, so before we go, is there anyone you’d like to shoutout for the role they’ve played in helping you develop the essential skills or overcome challenges along the way?
I would have to say my husband, hands down. I can truly say he is someone that has seen me at my worst and has encouraged me and motivated me to become a better version of myself.
He is truly an inspiration as I have witnessed his journey of entrepreneurship and his own personal self-growth. Having a partner that leads by example and is patient with you as you continue to improve and develop is invaluable.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @mrsdefygravity
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/autumn.janee.9
