Jennifer Sharp

Name: Jennifer Sharp

Age: 57

Where you are from: Newcastle Australia

Where do you live: Newcastle Australia

This is who I am in the world:

Because of words spoken to me by males in my life, except my grandfather, I truly believed from a very early age, until I was in my late forties, that I was a useless human being, not worthy of anything or anyone. I was too ugly to be loved and had a totally worthless brain. I learned not to speak, not to have a voice. I learned not to display any emotion; I had become void of all feelings losing the ability to shed a tear. I was a faceless, useless, emotionally void human being. For a long time I kept surrounding myself with these people, continuing the negative pattern over and over and I continued my course of emotional destruction.

To this day I struggle with accepting praise, not always knowing how to respond, or if I even should respond or if I should trust the person giving the praise. I work on this every day through meditation. I constantly remind myself of my grandfather’s words about having an education through story and that stories will always be my savior. He was right. He died when I was very young, but his words have never left me. 

Fast forward a few years to when my daughter was twelve and I overheard a family member repeat words to her that had been said to me.  This was one defining moment in my life. I’m not sure what happened but something inside me snapped. I found my voice. Loud and clear. I can’t remember what I said but the words poured out endlessly while those observing the moment stood there like stunned mullets. Years and years of grief bubbled over. NO ONE was going to use those words to her EVER.

Fast forward a few more years, with a few lapses on my part but still working on me and feeling stronger, the second defining moment happened. I collapsed. Ending in hospital. I don’t remember lying on the bathroom floor. I don’t remember the ambulance or being in emergency. What I do remember is looking back at my life and with a few expletives announced this was never going to happen again. It had jolted me into my future reality. Collapsing empowered me in a way I can’t explain. 

The story I next rewrite for myself:

I want to continue to grow stronger, braver and resilient. To keep giving myself permission to have a voice. To continue to uplift those in my circle and to create more stories and publish more stories that continue to inform and inspire, educate and empower women for me, for them, for my daughter, for my grandchildren and their children.

This is the story I want rewritten for women:

Today I am the founder of a successful publishing company and confidence and well - being coach. And I am totally unapologetically me. In every way. For those people who have walked out of my life because I made a conscious choice to not hide anymore, I forgive you. For me. For my daughter. For all women across the globe. I forgive but I will never forget. It’s the not forgetting that drives me to keep going.  

By acknowledging who I am, what I am, and what I stand for I have given myself permission to embrace me and to shine. To shine in all areas of my life. It has given me courage to support women and to help them heal through words and story. I want women to find their inner compass and to fully acknowledge it. To be released and live unapologetically too as the goddess that they are. I want women to continue to never be silenced again and to keep rising. I want women to continue to keep living with purpose and vision and to grow and lead from their hearts not only for us, but for the next generation and the generation after that.