“…the only way for me to define my message was for me to be the one who delivered it” – Valerie Jarrett (Excerpt from Finding My Voice: My Journey to the West Wing and the Path Forward)
Recently, Valerie Jarrett, the former Senior Advisor to President Obama who oversaw the White House Office of Public Engagement and Intergovernmental Affairs, sat down with Blackdoctor.org Editor, Bryana Holcomb, to discuss her recent memoir, Finding My Voice: My Journey to the West Wing and the Path Forward.
In her interview, Ms. Jarrett described what motivated her to find her voice and how she found strength in her failures.
Born in Iran to Black American parents, Valerie’s entrance into the world was different than most American children, yet very
foretelling of the remarkable life that she would live as an adult. Growing up, Valerie, a self-proclaimed shy child, often had a difficult time speaking up for herself.
During her interview, Ms. Jarrett shared lessons learned that motivated her to move past shyness and find her voice.
Ms. Jarrett detailed how she navigated life’s peaks and valleys. Like most twenty-somethings, Valerie planned out for herself the perfect life, only to find that perfection did not exist.
She described how she found herself in a failing job and marriage. Unfortunately, both the job and marriage were overwhelming burdens and unfulfilled experiences. She stated that confronting fear is oftentimes not easy and sometimes it’s more convenient to just settle and learn to endure unhealthy and unhappy situations.
She discovered that a person can work hard, cross every t and dot every i, and it does not always prevent failure. You have to know that those failures do not define you. Jarrett states that it was
in those missteps she learned the most valuable lessons, which gave her resilience to bounce back stronger and ultimately find her voice. Jarrett shares that it is ok if you don’t have all the answers or the keys to success.
Valerie chose a different route. A route where she prioritized herself, a route where she chose to speak up for herself and a route where she chose not to accept what she did not want. Instead, she chose to swerve!
She swerved out of those bad situations into healthier, happier and better-deserved situations! It wasn’t easy to pick up all of the pieces after the swerve, but she did it!
Through finding her voice, Ms. Jarrett found that she was often a better advocate for others than for herself. Where she saw inequality and injustice for
others she spoke up and did the work to move forward change. Over time, the commitment to advocate for others gave her the strength to advocate for herself.
Ms. Jarrett was instrumental and a contributor in working inside the Obama Administration to move life-changing policies forward. Had Ms. Jarrett not found her strength and voice by advocating for others and pushing past fear, she may not have been prepared for what was next – the White House.
Valerie gives some tips that you can take on your journey to find your voice:
Failure is a Reality, But Do Not Miss The Lesson
Even with the best-laid plans, failures come. Life does not always go according to your plan. True success is not
achieving the mighty juggle with flawless perfection. It is ok to fall, but learn the lesson and move on to Plan B, C, or D.
Embrace the Zig Zag
When you realize that certain situations no longer feed your spirit any longer, do not be afraid to SWERVE. Whether it is swerving out of a marriage that no longer makes you happy or out of that “dream” job that no longer fulfills you. That feeling to join something bigger than yourself is your purpose calling.
Do it Afraid
Do not be afraid to pivot out of your plan. Do not be afraid to reject society’s unrealistic expectations and join something bigger than
yourself. You will always be “too” something…too small, too big, too woman, too young, too old. Your power comes when you embrace everything that makes you…..you.
Ms. Jarrett endured challenging situations but she found strength by listening to the voice within, and our country was made better because of her wisdom, compassion, and determination.
There is something, especially, revolutionary about defining yourself for yourself. Her voice is appreciated and her book serves as an inspiration to swerve every now and then, to advocate for others and to move forward in happier and healthier situations.
Stacy Grundy, MPH, CHES is a Certified Health Education Specialist and has a B.S. in Human Nutrition from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and a Master’s of Public Health in Health Promotion and Behavioral Sciences from the University of Texas School of Public Health. As a public health professional, her primary focus is the elimination of health disparities through policy, systems, and environmental changes.
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