Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Dr. Terrica Arnold. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Hi Dr. Terrica, you’ve got such an interesting story, but before we jump into that, let’s first talk about a topic near and dear to us – generosity. We think success, happiness and wellbeing depends on authentic generosity and empathy and so we’d love to hear about how you become such a generous person – where do you think your generosity comes from?
I am a preacher’s kid. As a child we were always giving back to someone or to a family. I have fond memories of visiting shelters to bring items and share in Bible study. I often tell people of the time an entire family (Mom and several kids) stay at our home for Christmas. The family had previously lived in a shelter in Atlanta. My siblings (3 total) and I had a blast. We were able to have two big teams for every game we played. There was lots of food, laughter, and fun.
These types of experiences helped me to see the importance of being a support system or village for other people, especially when they may be down economically, socially, or spiritually. Most of us have been blessed with more than we could ever use in this lifetime. It is one of our duties to share our resources with others. I learned this as a child from my parents.
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?
In my professional work, I engage with the graduate level students and the community to promote health equity and train individuals from diverse backgrounds in health policy. On a typical day, my tasks range from grant writing to community meetings to teaching. I am fortunate to work with various communities, as we seek solutions to ongoing health disparities and lack of access to resources.
In my passion work, I lead young women in the organization I founded called Black Girl Lessons (BGL). BGL is a safe space where young women can speak freely about who they are and who they strive to be each day. I currently have launched a Dream Chasers series with the young women. I also offer leadership training and have created a “Dream Life” Book. Both of which can be purchased by anyone desiring to transform their goals into actions.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
The top 3 skills that shaped my journey were: determination, dedication, and dreaming. I was determined to start anything I finished. I was dedicated to discovering my “why”. I was dreaming of a space in which everyone that I met would pour into me as I also gave them knowledge. I would tell others to not be afraid of possibility. Once you put your dream out there, it will not return to you void.
Alright, so before we go we want to ask you to take a moment to reflect and share what you think you would do if you somehow knew you only had a decade of life left?
The challenge I am currently facing is navigating in a world where so many people have such a disregard for honesty and truth. Each day we are overwhelmed with false narratives about groups of people or situations and it has given us a false sense of reality. My prayer is that more people can walk in truth and kindness. This will lead to more progress in the positive develop of our communities and shaping future generations.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://linktr.ee/Blackgirllessons
- Instagram: @blackgirllessons
- Facebook: Black Girl Lessons
- Linkedin: Terrica Arnold
Image Credits
Canva was used for the upload with the quote.
