Spiritual:The plan

I was really down in the dumps just about a week ago. I felt weak. As a person who is usually confident with herself and her abilities, I found myself doubting myself and my situation.

One Wednesday afternoon I looked around me: Financial jargon being muttered, phones ringing, MDs screaming, analyst running around--OH MY! What had I gotten myself into? This wasn’t me. 1st of all, I had no clue of what they were talking about and I was overwhelmed by the whole thing. The mere facts that I was black, a woman, and didn’t have a degree in finance nor did I go to a big 10 were all assurance that I wasn’t supposed to be here. Or was I?

On top of that, my work always seemed to have mistakes in it. I was constantly being asked to redo my work, or double check it. I was being told to "pay attention to detail." They MUST think I'm incompetent, I said to myself. Sh*# --- I'm starting to believe I'm incompetent. The only thing that pushed me to get up in the morning was "Koultured"-- if I could just make it to bonus day, I can get outta here and start my nonprofit.

Since I couldn't do the work right-- I thought "what can I do to set my self apart? DING DING >>>>> Show up early! ... so I got to work at 7:45 am every morning for a week. Everyone else gets in about 8:30 EXCEPT the VP and the MD. They would have to notice...

I was given the assignment on Friday (only because no one else was available) in which I was told it was "the most complicated thing an analyst can do- a merger model with 3 financing scenarios and 3 acquisition scenarios" (according to my associate) and I was charged to present a deliverable by Sunday-- I had no real guidance (only my friends in investment banking!). I got up every morning during the weekend and worked from sun up to sun down, slaving over my model, ensuring that it was the best one I could do. Sunday morning, I got in about 9am and slowly but surely ppl started to come in as well. One associate, Matt noted that I had been working hard and he had recognized I'd been there late Friday nite and had seen me Sunday morn.

When I was done, my associate checked it. "Perfect," she said, "you really did a good job with this model- Im impressed" Throughout the week, she had mentioned my model to the MD and another associate. Coincidently, she, and these two associates are reviewing me in January (we'll see how they goes)

Today I actually get what im doing. Creating the financial model helped me understand how everything ties together. Every detail required me to research the company and the finance of it, I get it...now.

I said all of this to say 2 things:

1) We can do anything if we put our minds to it, are dedicated, and have the drive to do it. We are smart individuals. There is no challenge too big, If Barack can be president of a place like America AND win a nobel peace prize for doing it, we can do our thing too (GO BARACK!)

2. There is a plan that we aren't even aware of------- A lil country girl from Memphis TN whose parents are a teacher and a govt worker and went to an all black school with a degree in management is in the seat next to the "girl" who's daddy owns XYZ Private Wealth Management firm (servicing our boss) who majored in Finance/ Econ and played tennis at Wisconsin- how bout them apples? How did I get here? It doesn’t matter, it was in Gods plan...

3) God gives you nothing that you cant handle AND everything happens for a reason. Merely a week ago, I was in totally different position. I didn’t understand a thing, the work I was getting was stupid and no one thought I was competent enough to handle a financial model. So I was put in a situation that FORCED me to step it up. I had to get there early, that’s the only thing I had to differentiate myself. I had to work hard on that model-- this was my only shot to prove myself. When your put in situations like this, you gotta step your game up because you may not get another chance. BUT you shouldn't HAVE to be put in those situations; steppin your game up should be a LIFESTYLE. Every day lets step it up one more notch.

When we're overwhelmed or in a situation that we think we cannot bear, lets note that we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us, HE wouldn’t put us in a position that we weren't fully capable of doing and there is a PLAN that you nor your parents know or can prepare you for.

Get ready, hold on tight, and enjoy the ride… the ride toward your success