Over ten years ago my life changed in one night. The date was August 25, 2007 when I received a harrowing phone call that my twenty-two year old daughter had been strangled and nearly killed for the second time by her boyfriend while their six month old baby girl named Promise lay on the bed beside her.
I was devastated.
After I got my daughter and Promise to safety, I wrote a letter to the only person in the world I thought at that time could help me … that letter started with Dear Oprah.
What I know now, that I had no idea then was this:
1. life doesn’t happen to you; it happens for you; and
2. though Oprah never responded to my letter, I will be forever grateful to her because by not responding Oprah gave me a gift—the courage to find my own voice.
But finding my voice wasn’t easy.
It would take some wise words from three-year old Promise when I called her late one evening drowning in my tears. Just close your eyes real tight and just don’t look at the monsters, she had said to me.
I had no idea that I was about to face some of my most terrifying monsters—Fear, Worry, Doubt, Regret, Grief ... And if that wasn’t bad enough, I had liquidated my retirement and savings, got audited by the IRS, filed bankruptcy, borrowed money from friends and family, became a victim of identity theft and would soon be diagnosed with life threatening health issues that attacked every part of my body (my brain, my heart, my immune system) brought on by years of chronic stress.
The story that inspired my memoir: Don’t Look at the Monster and an innovative empowerment initiative: The Monster Theory—a mixed media platform to help audiences realize their full potential in the face of adversity and rise above life’s monsters.
With courage, determination, and self-introspection, I employ my authentic voice and storytelling gifts to empower like-minded communities dedicated to personal growth and development to confront and overcome their monsters and embrace their passion, purpose, and power!
When your audience experience The Monster Theory, they will learn to:
1) Confront their monsters
2) Overcome adversity
3) Get unstuck
4) Create a new story
5) Rise up
6) Take back their power!
I customize my presentations to ensure that I bring not just a talk, but an experience!
I promise you it will be infectious, energetic and engaging -- a moving and transformative experience that will make every person in the audience want to laugh, cry, scream and kick some monster's a** :)
MORE ABOUT L.Y.
L.Y. is also the founder, CEO and visionary behind Saving Promise, a national nonprofit inspired by her family story, and a dedicated and sought-after media talent, lecturer and spokeswoman for domestic violence prevention and women empowerment.
