Who are you?
For this Women of Color Rise episode, Analiza talks with Judie Saunders, Partner at ASK LLP. Judie grew up in Alabama, the daughter of parents who immigrated from Trinidad and Tobago. Her father was a professor of African American studies at Howard University. Judie grew up with values of education and justice and after graduating from University of Maryland with her J.D, she became an attorney supporting clients who suffered from sexual abuse. Judie also co-wrote A War on My Body with Gloria Allred and Paxton Smith.
As a mother, Judie decided to focus on her family, while keeping a foot solidly in her work. But this led to an identity crisis. She realized she was so much more than her work. How?
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Embrace the tensions. These are your teachers. For Judie, her teachers were her kids who wanted her attention and her partner, a fellow litigator with an ambitious career. Judie saw how these tensions and teachers could help her learn more about herself.
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You are not your work. Eckart Tolle’s The New Earth describes how we are not what society’s definition of success. We are not our careers, titles, or even motherhood. We are a consciousness.
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Be flexible. Rather than hold on to external expectations, release resistance and allow yourself to accept what is in front of you in life.
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Take time to heal. For Judy, this includes daily practices like meditation, boundaries, and journaling. Her daily prompts are: What are your goals for the year/decade? Why are you here? What are the top 3 things you will accomplish today?
Judie also credits participating in Linda and Judy’s Evolve Me program to help her clarify her identity, rev up, and come back to her career.
Get full show notes and more information here: https://analizawolf.com/ep-58-you-are-not-your-work-with-judie-saunders