We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Jonathan “Dr. Jay” Robinson a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Jonathan “Dr. Jay”, we’re thrilled to have you on our platform and we think there is so much folks can learn from you and your story. Something that matters deeply to us is living a life and leading a career filled with purpose and so let’s start by chatting about how you found your purpose.
Life along the way helped me to find purpose. Through experience and cultivation of who I was becoming, the gifting(s) and leadership I surrounded myself with helped me to see it so that when the time came, I would be ready to handle whatever this journey would bring. Many would say you’re born with a purpose, but I believe it is by discovery you find your purpose. No one born in this world knows what they’re on this earth to do. You live and learn while searching yourself to know what you’re here for, what your gift(s) are, and how they’re to be used.
Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?
I wear many hats. I am a Counselor for Greater Dallas Lifeskills, a behavioral health management firm, Psychology & Philosophy Professor and Provost of Harvest Christian University, and a First Responder with a Law Enforcement designation. I also serve as a minister of music and a chaplain on a weekly basis. All of these roles allow me to stay as close to community as possible. After a little over 25 years, it helps me to understand the need for continuous leadership and commitment to service.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
The 3 qualities that has impacted my journey is perseverance, experience, and faith. My advice is to never give up even if you feel or have been discouraged along the way; stay the course. Understand not everyone will know what you’re building, but you have to keep building anyway. Your experience along the way will open your understanding up and surround yourself with mentors who see you. Don’t buy into the hype that you have to do it alone when it takes a collective for a vision bigger than yourself.
To close, maybe we can chat about your parents and what they did that was particularly impactful for you?
They challenged me. As I became accomplished, they encouraged me to raise the bar again, I didn’t realize until later on that it wasn’t for accolades and praise from others, but to understand that there were no limits to what I could do.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: jayfredrobinson
- Facebook: Jonathan Fredrick Robinson
- Linkedin: Dr. Jonathan Robinson
- Other: Snapchat: mrjayrobinson
