Courage Over Complacency

I once stood at a crossroads, comfort in one hand, fearless ambition in the other. This episode is a testament to that journey, an intimate exploration of choosing courage over the easy seduction of complacency, especially pertinent to my fellow Black women trailblazers. Delving into the core of what it means to harness true inner strength, I confront the barriers that often confine us to comfort zones, stifling our true potential. With the wisdom of icons like Alice Walker and Shirley Chisholm guiding us, we unpack the significance of stepping up and claiming our power. This isn't just a conversation; it's a rallying cry for all my Melanin Unicorns out there to armor up with courage, discard those well-worn excuses, and rise as the royalty you are destined to be.

Next Wednesday, we'll be igniting a heartfelt celebration of Black Womanhood, but for now, let me offer a glimpse into the future where our spirits and identities are not just recognized but revered. Here, I lay the foundation for understanding your worth and the sheer force of positive affirmations. Remember, you are a unique tapestry of qualities, a marvel of beauty and strength. This episode is designed to resonate deeply, stirring the heart and soul as we gear up for a continuation of this empowering narrative. Stay tuned as we weave together the threads of our collective journey, supporting and elevating each other along the way.

Episode Transcript

Kerry (00:00):
Hello and welcome to the Melanin Unicorn Podcast, a
weekly podcast that is dedicatedto the upliftment and
empowerment of Black women.
If you are feeling stuck, I'mgoing to help you get unstuck,
so you will no longer want tosit on the side of the road, but
instead, get up and startrunning towards your dreams and

(00:21):
goals in life.
Plus, we are going to hold eachother accountable.
My name is Kerry and you'relistening to the episode Courage
Over Complacency.
Let's start the show.
Welcome back, my fellow MelaninUnicorns.

(00:41):
Today's topic is about courageover complacency.
Courage and complacency,although they both start with
the letter C, are two totallydifferent things.
Courage is mental or moralstrength to venture, persevere
and withstand danger, fear ordifficulty.

(01:05):
The quality of mind or spiritthat enables a person to face
difficulty, danger or painwithout fear.
Dictionarycom.
Complacency isself-satisfaction, especially
when accompanied by unawarenessof actual dangers or

(01:25):
deficiencies, a feeling of calm,satisfaction with your
abilities or situation thatprevents you from trying harder
Dictionarycom.
Okay, so where are you?
Are you?
Do you have your courage or doyou have complacency?

(01:49):
I have chosen courage overcomplacency, and you must too.
To our dismay, many of us are inpositions of complacency,
whether it's with our job,higher learning, our families
and friends, or our finances,relationships or wherever you

(02:14):
may find yourselves in thismoment, religiousty is a real
thing.
It's like being covered by aheavy, wet blanket.
You are unable to move due toits heaviness, so you just lay
there believing this is it when,instead, you are supposed to

(02:39):
get up from underneath it so youcan breathe, think and do Right
.
But here's the kickerConsciously, you may not even be
aware of your complacent state,because you believe that either
this is where you are supposedto be or you may feel as if

(03:03):
you've arrived.
Your subconscious knows you arein a complacent state because
it shows up in your dreams, inyour mannerisms, your behaviors,
your speech and your emotionaland mental state.
The thing about thesubconscious is that it really

(03:24):
doesn't know real from fiction.
So whatever you are doing inyour day to day, that's what
your subconscious believes to betrue.
So this quote by Alice Walker.
She said the most common waypeople give up their power is by

(03:46):
thinking they don't have any.
Whew, that is deep.
And complacency is just likethat, right, complacency.
You have literally given upyour power.
You are in a place or statethat you are in because

(04:14):
complacency rules with fear, soyou're really afraid to go
forward.
You're really afraid to act onthose dreams that you have for
your life.
You're really afraid to act onthose secret prayers and
petitions that only you and theLord know about.

(04:39):
So you sit in your state ofcomplacency, wherever it may be,
and you don't move.
You don't move.
Life passes by.
Life doesn't stop for any of us.
So we find ourselves gettingolder, we find ourselves

(05:05):
watching other people go fortheir dreams, go for their goals
, and we are resentful.
We become resentful because wesee that, regardless of whether
they are afraid or not and mostof the time they are afraid they

(05:26):
will still go for their dreams.
So courage is my name when youspeak it roar.
Courage had to come to theforefront of my life because I

(05:48):
was living in complacency,straight up and down, completely
complacent.
It had made itself at home.
They purchased food,furnishings and clothing.
How the heck did I not realizethat my life was no longer my

(06:08):
own?
Because courage showed up.
And courage showed out, stoodme up and made me face the
mirror and say raw queen,because we are queens and our
lives are not meant to becomplacent, period.

(06:30):
Courage is where you willbecome a superstar.
If you are in a space and placewhere you feel antsy or starting
to, it means courage isknocking on your door, opening

(06:52):
it.
You know that you are destinedfor more, for greater, but you
are allowing complacency to holdyou back.
Courage is just waiting for youto speak up and speak life.
Being afraid doesn't make youweak.
Allow courage to come alongsideyou and show you how to do it.

(07:17):
Courage allows you to live howcomplacency allows you to live
with regret.
Courage is not easy, but itwill never let you down.
Courageous is your name, queen,and now on, you refer to

(07:39):
yourself as queen.
Courageous.
It's time to put on that fullarmor of courage.
It's time, my sister, it's time.
No more excuses, no moreexcuses.
Don't you dare worry about whatother people will say or think

(08:05):
about you.
That's not your concern and,honestly, that's not your
business, because courage iscalling you to be about your
business.
Courage is faith, but unlessyou step out on it, it will
always be just a noun.

(08:27):
Courage is fire.
It will not consume you, butsurround you.
You are courageous, queen, andthat's on period.
So, as we wind down, I have anaspiring quote from none other

(08:52):
than Queen Shirley Chisholm and,if you are not aware, Regina
King will be portraying ShirleyChisholm.
It's so good to see our fellowQueen back.
So, Miss Shirley Chisholm wasthe first African American woman
in Congress in 1968, and thefirst woman in African American

(09:18):
to seek the nomination forpresident of the United States
from one of the two majorpolitical parties in 1972.
Our motto and title of herautobiography unbought and
unbossed Come on, queen.
Miss Chisholm was definitelyroaring, her queendom okay.

(09:44):
It illustrates her outspokenadvocacy for women and
minorities during her seventerms in the US House of
Representatives.
And Miss Chisholm excuse me,Queen, Shirley Chisholm said you

(10:07):
don't make progress by standingon the sidelines whimpering and
complaining.
You make progress byimplementing ideas.
And this is what we're going tobe doing.
We are implementing ideas.
Instructing ideas is yourcourage.

(10:28):
You are speaking up.
It is time.
You can no longer sit on thesidelines Excuse the noise in
the back, there are some carsdriving by.
You can no longer sit on thesidelines.
You were created for greatnessand it is time for you to step

(10:52):
into your greatness.
You can no longer make excuses.
The excuses no longer fly andyou know this.
You know it when you get up inthe morning to go to that job
that you don't want to go to.

(11:12):
You know it when you are eatinglunch on your job.
You know it when you aretraveling home from that job.
You know it as you arepreparing to wind down, for when
you are preparing to wind downfor the night, excuse me.

(11:33):
You know it.
So my call to action for you isthis Are you ready for change?
Are you ready to step on thatpodium called courage?
Are you ready to make yourdreams come true?

(12:00):
Are you ready, queen?
Are you ready?
That's my call to you andthat's my call to myself More in
2024.
That is our motto, that is ourcall, that is our charge.

(12:23):
And, on that note, it was sowonderful hanging out with you
once again.
It's just such a pleasure tocome to you every week and we
just, we're just kicking it.
You know we're having we'rehaving breakfast, lunch or

(12:45):
dinner, depending on where youare, and we're just having a
grand old time.
I love that and I hope you lovethis episode too.
And also, please note that I'mnot talking at you, I'm talking
to you.
I'm talking with you, becausewe're all in this together.

(13:10):
We are all in this together.
No one is better than the other.
We are grabbing each other'shand, pulling each other up,
walking along together, hand inhand, arm in arm.
Again, thank you so much forhanging out with me.

(13:32):
I'm just super grateful and sothankful, especially since you
did not find it robbery tolisten to this episode, download
this episode and even subscribeto the Melanin Unicorn podcast.
Show notes will be available onBuzzsprout.

(13:56):
You can also follow the show onInstagram at the Melanin
Unicorn podcast Tune.
In next week, wednesday for aBlack Woman moment.
I'm looking forward to that.
And remember you are love, youare excellent, you are beautiful

(14:17):
, you are well, you are safe and, most importantly, you are you.
I will speak with you soon.
Have a great day, wherever youare.