After spending time with my sister Queen and your reigning Ms. United States, Brandi Babin, I am honored to share how she turned the pages in her life and started a new chapter. I was fortunate to have the opportunity to learn and grow from Brandi’s story and valuable advice. I knew I would not be able to do her story justice if I tried to write it, so I asked that she describe in her words how she stepped into her power and allowed herself to shine.
Brandi’s journey:
“If you would have told me when I was a college graduate that in 15 years, I'd be a national pageant Queen, author, single mother of four, and multi-entrepreneur, I would have probably said, ‘You've got the wrong girl!’
"Growing up, my mother was always very adamant that above all else, to be successful, I only needed to believe in myself and my potential. Because of this ideology, I was very confident as an adolescent and young adult. I was always on varsity sports teams, the solo in the choir, the lead in the play, and straight-A Valedictorian, and I was always friendly to everyone. Never in a million years would I have believed you if you told me that one person could rip all of that away without my knowledge over three years. Indeed, psychological abuse is a silent killer. I went from confident, capable, successful, and driven to literally feeling like the world and my family would be better off without me. I had multiple instances of suicidal ideation every single day. I became isolated from my closest friends and family over time and just felt completely hopeless and alone.
"It wasn't until I placed myself in a better, more supportive environment that I started seeing the truth of the toxicity that surrounded me. When I started noticing my circle of influence and reserving it for only those who help build me up, my whole world changed. It was like someone gave me a pair of all-seeing glasses! Over the next five years, I was able to build myself back up into the strong confident woman that I once knew. In other words, I was able to reclaim my sparkle again and then LIGHT IT UP!
"Since then, I have gained solid and unbreakable self-respect. It's an amazingly liberating and empowering feeling! It truly is the one thing that cannot be taken from you. For this purpose, I used multiple resources to attain that level of self-value and true authenticity, and I still benefit from these resources today. So, I gathered them into one place so that I could call on them whenever I needed to. Ultimately, this little gathering of resources has beautifully transformed into a Reclaim Journal that is now available for anyone who is seeking an audit of their life. A true Sparkle Search! Where did the sparkle go? When and how did I lose it? And how will I reclaim it?
"My life has not been a cake-walk, and there were moments when I felt like I would not survive the trials I was going through. However, the beautiful thing about this brokenness that I endured was that like a Kintsugi vase with a golden luster, my brokenness has now become part of why I am beautifully unique. My darkness has become the light that now shines for others.
“I've never felt so peaceful and content in my life before. I believe that it is a major reason why I hold the title of Ms. United States. The confidence, poise, and flow of love for others that I emanate now are fruits of the battle and the victory! I survived suicidal ideation, I survived abuse, and I have been truly healed!”
I attended Brandi’s book launch where she had the audience participate in a Kintsugi vase session. As the audience learned about taking broken pieces and putting them back together thus making something even more beautiful, Brandi shared pieces of her story and allowed the women in the audience to share and connect. Through this experience, the moral of the story was that from your brokenness comes a stronger and more beautiful version of yourself. Moreover, it allowed the women in the room to relate to each other.
Brandi, your story and your journals are someone else’s survival guide. Keep shining your light so that you can guide others to realize their paths and step into their powers!
For your copy of Brandi’s Reclaim Journal, please click the link below:
www.reclaimjournal.com/shop Or Linktr.ee/reclaimjournal