To my younger self
Who you are not now is not who you will become.
Your work is to find your truest joyful self and to surround yourself with those who see and love you as you are and as you may be.
People will constantly be surprised by you because in this country they believe you to be less in all things.
Use it. Challenge it. Change it.
Yes is yours to give, not for others to assume. Embrace no.
Remember that your health and well-being are part of your strength.
The world isn’t quite ready for all that you are.
Bring it all anyway. They will catch up.
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About The Author:
Jara Dean-Coffey (jdc) is Founder and Director of the Equitable Evaluation Initiative and the Founder of Luminare Group. For the past twenty-five years, she has partnered with clients and colleagues to elevate their collective understanding of the relationship between values, context, strategy and evaluation and shifting our practices so that they are more fully in service of equity. For more about musings + machinations click here.
