We were lucky to catch up with Jacquelyn Michele recently and have shared our conversation below.
Jacquelyn , we’re so excited for our community to get to know you and learn from your journey and the wisdom you’ve acquired over time. Let’s kick things off with a discussion on self-confidence and self-esteem. How did you develop yours?
My journey in developing confidence and self-esteem is never ending. It is a steady, uphill climb to overcome insecurity, fear and shame with oneself. I was born and raised in Kansas City, surrounded by many strong influences that have helped shape my perspectives in life and offer new thoughts about who I am as a human. The biggest influence has been my family. My family has so much love to give and it is often shown in very small ways that end up being the most impactful. From a young age, I always found solace and joy in music. In turn, it allowed singing to be an outlet where I could express myself authentically when I didn’t have the words to say. As I navigated through my childhood, I have encountered many instances of doubt, insecurity and have questioned my worth on many occasions. However, what I have learned in the last couple of years about confidence and self esteem is that it is not about having confidence or self esteem. It is about being confident. It is about knowing you are worthy of beautiful things regardless of where you’ve been, who you’ve been and how you’ve been. It is who you are in the present moment that matters. Do you show up for yourself and for others?I discovered confidence is not just about believing that you are, it is simply about knowing what you value. As I get more into my creative endeavors, I am learning to trust myself more and stand firm in my convictions. I have found fulfillment in my passions of becoming an artist, model and writer. And have learned in my journey of being a social worker that resilience is key. Giving up on yourself is not an option. It has never been an option and as long as it stays that way, you’ll be steady on your way to being confident too. Every step in development is worth it, for it has led me to a place where I not only believe in myself but I also believe in the limitless possibilities of becoming even better.
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?
My name is Jacquelyn Michele, I am an R&B singer-songwriter based in Kansas City. It is not only a passion of mine to create music for those to hear but a purpose in me to inspire others to be authentically themselves. My music is special because it takes you on a journey through the complexities of love, relationships and understanding of the power you have within yourself. I want you to know that it is okay to be in the middle. It is okay to not know which way to go sometimes. It is okay because we weren’t meant to know the destination. We were created to have faith that it’s beautiful. If you would like to listen to my music, it is on all platforms. My latest single “Alone Again” dropped on April 19th. It is about having your own relationship with God and always putting your faith in Him first before anything else. Stay tuned for new music in May and other excited announcements!
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
Patience, love and understanding are very important skills. Everyone is on their own journey. There is no rush to knowing and fulfilling your purpose. Everything is on God’s timing. Being love, showing love and receiving love is important. A lot of times love is disguised as hate. Sometimes when people hate it just shows where they’re lacking in love. So, love more regardless. Last but not least, understanding is very important. You cannot always rely on your own perspective. It is important to listen so that you understand where others are coming from whether it’s critique, commentary or just another perspective.
Before we go, any advice you can share with people who are feeling overwhelmed?
When I’m overwhelmed, I sit down and relax. Give yourself space to try again at whatever is overwhelming you. I also like to communicate when I no longer have such strong feelings about what is overwhelming me. This allows you to speak more from the heart not your head.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://linktr.ee/jacquelynmichele
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thejacquelynmichele?igsh=MXg5amo4aDJ4MWZqbQ%3D%3D&utm_source=qr
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@thejacquelynmichele
- SoundCloud: https://on.soundcloud.com/HkeYieq1mKy4ese99
