Leonora Cardenas: Who's Going to Love Me?

Born on December 25, 1985 in West Harlem, New York and by December 15, 1987 just before her 3rd birthday, Leonora Emilia Cárdenas lost both her mother and father on the same day.

As a little girl growing up without her mother and being raised by a family relative, Leonora longed desperately for a mother’s love and to be accepted. Later on in her adolescence and being adopted again, her poor self-esteem and lack of confidence in addition to a toxic relationship with her adoptive mother, Leonora often questioned her reason for living and frequently displayed rebellious behaviors.

Nonetheless, upon graduating from college and undergoing the natural trajectory of her life experiences thus far, Leonora embarked on a journey of tremendous growth. In May 2020, she launched her video diary series on YouTube called LeoSpeaks, where she plans to share her life story of experiencing trauma and embracing the ongoing process of healing.

Today, Leonora holds her certification in School Counseling, serves in the New York Army National Guard, and is a mother of her 5-year-old son, Joshua.

Connect with Leonora:

• Personal IG: @i_is_a_woman
• LeoSpeaks business IG: @_leospeaks_
• LeoSpeaks video diary on YouTube: https://m.youtube.com/channel/UCx2Z60sWrE3vkvEuWNDRyag

Recommended by Leonora:

• Good Gas Mondays with Krystal Tomlinson is a podcast based in Jamaica West Indies, but she is a powerful, articulate, and thoroughly knowledgeable of her craft. She’s passionate about helping people — her “gladiators” as she calls her listeners— take control of the lives they want to live.

Calls to Action:

• Take some time to do a careful evaluation of yourself and who you want to be, think of all your characteristics or behaviors you display that could possibly be preventing you from being the person you desire to be, then make a deliberate decision to face the root of their existence. 
• Be open and honest with yourself and be intentional about seeking help to change and applying the change.