Recognizing the Extraordinary in You: Sooner or Later
By: Loán C. Lake
A very dear friend of mine loves to refer to me as a “late bloomer,” and on many levels, my life has played itself out this way. With time, I’ve come to appreciate these ‘delays’ as prep time for the magnificent experiences that were being prepared just for me. Life gives you detours, or as my mother would say, “God writes straight with a crooked pen;” however, what makes it extraordinary is that in the end it all works out for your good. When Donna asked me to contribute to her column earlier this year, my initial question to her and to myself was, “What have I done in my life that could be considered EXTRAORDINARY?” You see, I, have been one of those people quick to label someone as being “extra” when their personality or style is a bit over the top. Well, I have to say, that as a result of reading this blog and beginning to see the world through Donna’s eyes, I’ve had to rethink that premise and take a closer look at what could be considered as incredible moments and experiences in my own journey.
As I sit here almost face to face with half a century of living, I’ve been weighing the things yet to be done and trying to remember all that “must-do,” “bucket list” items I have already accomplished. What’s becoming clear to me is that I’ve spent so much time thinking about what I have not yet achieved, that I almost forgot to smell the flowers and spend more time appreciating some of the incredible experiences that God has unfolded in my life. Over the past decade, I’ve been given the opportunity to: use my talents to promote my home, the U.S. Virgin Islands (USVI) in tourism and economic development and share the inspiring stories of fellow Virgin Islanders through my former column Jewels of the Virgin Isles; co-authored a book; promoted my sister’s book; be inducted into the Gallery of Success at my graduate alma mater Temple University; step fully into entrepreneurship both with a partner and solo and create initiatives to advance economic development in the USVI; spend two precious years in St. Thomas with my family; witness life (the birth of my goddaughter) AND death (the transitions of my grandmother and uncle); meet the man who is now my husband of two years; and move closer to re-discovering who I was placed on this earth to be.
What this “late-bloomer” has learned is that being extraordinary is as unique to each person as our fingerprints, our voices, and our laughs. It means that whatever you have to do to unearth the YOU that lies beneath the surface, you DO IT! Being extraordinary means slowing down so you can appreciate the little things that bring you joy, dusting off those dreams and desires and running full speed towards them until they are so infused in your spirit that you wake up ready to make them a reality.
What I’ve learned is that I have lived an extraordinary life thus far and I actually took some of those experiences for granted by not realizing that they were indeed special moments. Being extraordinary is pushing past your fears, and the voices in your head that say, “you can’t,” “you won’t,” “you aren’t,” “you shouldn’t.” It means learning to love ALL of yourself, before expecting others to do so. It means following that calling deep down in your spirit so that you have no regrets (or in the words of my favorite Snickers commercial, ‘No Regerts’).
Being extraordinary is going when your circumstances say stop, smiling when all you want to do is cry, forgiving yourself for not being strong enough to make the necessary changes sooner and thanking the Creator for the awareness to evolve where you are – right now, and being able to forgive those who have done you wrong (it’s really for yourself more than anyone else). Living an extraordinary life is understanding who you are meant to be and doing EVERYTHING in your power to unleash the REAL you. Believe me, it’s taken me much longer than I thought it should to, not just know this, but to feel it and embody it. The good thing is it’s never too late to live fully because, ultimately, that’s what we were put on earth to do. Until we embrace what God put inside of us from the moment we were created, our authentic self will never manifest to its highest capacity. Extraordinary living means experiencing life through a lens of love, which can only happen when you first love yourself.
Loán C. Lake is communications professional and published writer on a quest to make all of her dreams a reality. A native of St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands, she resides in Charlotte, North Carolina with her husband Earl. She is the creator of Jewels of the Virgin Isles, an article series that highlights the journeys of over 70 Virgin Islands professionals living abroad to serve as an inspiration to youth. She is also the co-founder of The USVI Alliance, an organization that was formed to promote economic development in the U.S. Virgin Islands among the USVI diaspora. Loán is writing the next chapter of her story- one focused on releasing the fear, doubt, worry, and stress so that she can live authentically and be, unapologetically, who God called her to be.