We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Schunetta B Wilson a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Schunetta, thanks for sitting with us today to chat about topics that are relevant to so many. One of those topics is communication skills, because we live in an age where our ability to communicate effectively can be like a superpower. Can you share how you developed your ability to communicate well?
Growing up I had the privilege and yes, I call it a privilege to experience an alcoholic father and a very passive mother. When my father was drinking, which was often, he acted erratic and my mother, being very passive, was quite quiet. I watched the 2 behaviors day in and day out and the lack of communication taught me a great lesson. The lesson taught me to identify what I didn’t like and identify what I consider to be my non-negotiables.
What’s funny is I see a little of both 2 people within myself. I am a little passive myself, but I know I have a voice. I also see that sometimes I can be a little erratic and boisterous as well. The best think about this is God’s grace. God gifted me a passion to help people in helping them I understand that I must listen and make every attempt to respond appropriately. Now this took great lengths of counseling to fully understand where my barriers were and exactly what respond appropriately really means.
So much so that I went to school and got my degree in Psychology with a minor in communication simply because I made a vow that I will not leave people to make assumptions between the 2 behaviors I have as a part of my DNA. Instead, I love to engage in 2-way dialogue to hear and grasp perspectives. Notice I didn’t say understand perspective, but to see/hear it from their lenses and allow others to see mines.
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 am Schunetta Burns Wilson, the CEO and founder of I Am Renewed Inc. My role is to assist and guide others on their journey. Through introspection, I discovered my purpose, leading to the creation of the nonprofit organization, I Am Renewed. I Am Renewed serves as the umbrella organization, working with women of all ages across various organizations to help them identify their purpose. Recently, we hosted the successful “I Choose to AIM Retreat,” leaving young women feeling refreshed and inspired. One of the most exciting aspects of the retreat was the strong connections formed among the girls and their ongoing commitment. They are now thriving and equipped to face life’s challenges while pursuing their individual purposes.
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?
Active listening is an essential skill. Many times, we hear what is being said but active listening many times require no response. It was hard for me to not share my opinion and give my little 2 cents.
Effective communication. I previously mentioned I have some of the passive traits of my mother, where I really try and avoid confrontation. As the kids say, “I can go from 0 to a 100 real quick.”
Vulnerability is the act of allowing oneself to be open and honest. Every individual has encountered experiences that were less than pleasant, particularly in relationships. Be it a friendship or an intimate partnership, these connections often come with challenges that can leave lingering emotional residue. This residue serves as a reminder of past hurts, making it difficult to be truly vulnerable and give the next relationship a genuine chance to be successful or effective.
What’s been one of your main areas of growth this year?
I have been stretched. I often share that I am a woman with many hats. I am a mother, a daughter, wife, intercessor. But over the last 12 month I have grown in the knowledge of my role as an intercessor for Christ. I mean I always pray for people near and far and that’s all good. However, in these last 12 months, God has asked me to focus less on the word offense. So much so the challenge he posed to me was to go into prayer for those that I have an ought against, or they have against me. Initially that was a great challenge for me. Reluctantly I did it; Each day the Lord showed me how I was still somewhat focused on the offense even in my prayer. So, he had me pray for them as if they were my best friend in need.
So now after great intimate conversations with God, I can honestly say that I can and have prayed for my enemies. I now focus less on the offense and can see them differently. I welcome the growth spurt. It has helped because we do not pay attention to the extra weight that we tend to carry when we are holding on to these cares. If I can challenge, you all to do the same simply cast your cares on the Lord (1 Peter 5:7) and watch your growth spurt.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: Iamrenewed
- Facebook: Iamrenewed
- Linkedin: Schunetta Burns-Wilson
