Meet Charmaine Freeman

 

We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Charmaine Freeman a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Charmaine, we’re thrilled to have you sharing your thoughts and lessons with our community. So, for folks who are at a stage in their life or career where they are trying to be more resilient, can you share where you get your resilience from?

Honestly I believe my resiliency stems from an underlying defiance that I’ve always had. When I face a situation that feels designed to break me, that defiant spirit kicks in and its like, I refuse to allow this person or this situation or this trial to take me out. I start amping myself up and I don’t know – I just tap into a version of myself that refuses to be broken. I’ve also gone through so many things in my life that should have shattered me, and for a while they somewhat did. But then to see myself bring it back together and come back stronger helps me to have confidence within myself to know that I am so powerful and so resilient and I can get through anything.

Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?

I am an author and a poet. I am passionate about telling stories and sharing emotions in a relatable and artistic way. I am currently writing a book entitled, “Late Blooming Lotus”- which is basically a coming of age collection of poetry highlighting the lifespan of a lotus flower from seedling to full bloom. Plot twist- I am the lotus flower! I am also founder of Sips and Sentences book club, which is a quarterly book club for busy readers. Our first book review will be in October.

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?

I would say three qualities that I possess that are most impactful to me is number one my vulnerability. It really is a superpower. Number two accountability and lastly I would say motivation. I believe they are all interrelated.

I know vulnerability is hard but when you are, you will find connection and relatability within your community, and we all need each other on this journey. Be open, be honest, and hold yourself accountable. Which leads into the second thing- accountability- none of us are perfect but when we acknowledge our flaws we can work on them and become better at everything, our lives our passions our journeys. And lastly, that will affect our motives and it will keep us motivated to see things through to completion.

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 will say my friends and community have been invaluable in my journey. The feedback, encouragement, and support they provide lets me know that I am on the right track and motivates me to keep pushing. Also I am a single mother, so my daughter is my main inspiration. She has taught me so much and has developed qualities in me that I didn’t even know I was capable of. Patience, assertiveness, and confidence to be specific. All of these are qualities that are needed for success and longevity.

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