TCD Turns 2: A Full Circle Moment of Gratitude Feat. Eric Thomas

My Cousin: Hey Brit, you ever listened to Eric Thomas?

Me: No, who's that?

My Cousin: *Proceeds to pull up video

Me: Oh yeah, I went to church with him growing up. Why would I listen to him?

My Cousin: *Proceeds to play video and completely change my life

"When you want to succeed as much as you want to breathe, then you'll be successful"

If you're an OG listener of ET, you can probably repeat that sentence in your sleep. After my cousin introduced me to him in college, he was on replay in my room for years whether it was him talking about the gazelle and the lion or Steph Curry's eyes-closed basketball skills. He was the first person to teach me that we can win at life. When we're plopped onto this planet, no guidebook in hand, we have no clue what we're doing here. As a child of two immigrants, I've always had the internal drive to succeed. I did what I was supposed to. I worked hard and followed expectations. I didn't know that there was a thing about winning at life rather than simply succeeding at work.

There is something so special about representation, about understanding that the 'win at life' fairy doesn't only fly to big cities. She comes to small towns in Alabama too. She even came to my church once or twice, sat down in the pews, and said a little hallelujah when the spirit hit her. Her fairy dust is not reserved for people who don't look like me, for people who don't sound like me. She is an equal opportunity fairy. I know that because before Eric Thomas was ET the Hip Hop Preacher, he was just Eric Thomas, the guy at my church, who went to my school, and ate sabbath dinner at the same homes I frequented.

Years later, I now only listen to him on occasion, but what a treat it was to sit down and listen to him speak at our alma mater in October. He spoke about the power of living in purpose and delighting yourself in the Lord. In this season of entrepreneurship, especially on this Thanksgiving, I'm filled with a deep sense of gratitude, purpose, and praise. It felt like such a full-circle moment. Never in a million years would I have thought that this is what purpose and delighting myself in the Lord would have looked like back when I was sitting in my college bedroom as a Biology major with ET on replay expecting to become an interventional cardiologist. But it is, and I'm so grateful.

My favorite part of his talk was when he put up the quote above.

To each there comes in their lifetime a special moment when they are figuratively tapped on the shoulder and offered the chance to do a very special thing, unique to them and fitted to their talents. What a tradgedy if that moment finds them unprepared or unqualified for that which could have been their finest hour. -Winston Churchill

That one felt personal y'all. I feel like my first tap happened when I decided to take a year between med school and residency. The second tap was when I decided to quit residency. And the third tap is NOW.

This talk has been such a guiding word this November. It's reminded me to focus my efforts on serving, on re-investing in the places and people who have invested in me, on preparing for my finest hour, and allowing God to blow my mind with what he's doing through me.

Within the first 3 weeks of this month, so much has happened.

1. I got invited to be a member of ForbesBLK

2. I have officially hired my first employee, The Clinic Doctor 's Chief Administrative Officer, Chareece Jackson . This was one of my biggest goals for the year, and I couldn't have been anymore blessed by who I get to do this work with. Chareece is an amazing future physician, so if you're in medicine and want to pour into someone who is sure to make a huge impact, connect with her!

3. I taught 2 for cohorts of the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health Executive and Continuing Education 's Leadership Development to Advance Equity in Health Care course with my favorite co-teacher Brooks E. Scott - Executive Coach . The gratitude I have for the opportunity to teach such amazing leaders how to get more results in their health equity and overall DEI efforts is something that I struggle to put into words. I love what I do, and teaching others about it is the cherry on top of it all. Thanks to Mary E. Fleming, MD, MPH, FACOG for your outstanding leadership on this program and to Karin Buck for your coordination that allows us all to partner and make the world a better place.

4. We've also been working very intensely on the surprise that will be dropping tomorrow, so stay tuned!

About the DEI Disrupters Newsletter

The?DEI Disrupters?newsletter is a weekly LinkedIn newsletter designed to stimulate positively disruptive conversation about diversity, equity, and inclusion while providing process-driven tips on how to level up your DEI practice and positively disrupt your organization. If you enjoyed this newsletter, please share with others you feel would gain value from it. The newsletter is curated by Britney Scott MD, LSSBB a physician, a Lean Six Sigma Black Belt, a teacher, a speaker, a podcaster, a poet, the CEO of a DEI Process Improvement Consulting Firm, and a dreamer who believes that above all else, people matter. Dr. Scott is the host of the DEI Disrupters podcast, a diversity, equity, and inclusion-centered podcast that brings together the most positively-disruptive voices in the DEI space and gives them the opportunity to tell their stories. Dr. Scott is also a faculty lecturer for the Leadership Development to Advance Equity in Health Care course at the Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health. In this course, she teaches leaders from top companies around the world how to turn their DEI ideas into action and communicate the value of their important work for the broader business structure to understand via dollars, data, and moral dogmas.?Dr. Scott's work is focused at the intersection of DEI and process improvement,?and she has devoted her life to improving equity and inclusivity especially in healthcare through means that align with overall business goals as CEO of her DEI Process Improvement Consulting Firm, The Clinic Doctor . If you are seeking guidance and consultation around diversity, equity, and inclusion in your workplace, visit the website to learn more about services that can be tailored to your specific needs or book a FREE 30 MinStrategic Planning Session if you're interested in learning more about her DEI Process Improvement Coaching Program.

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