When you interview for a job they will often say to you, “Tell us about yourself”. Some people struggle with how to respond. They immediately search for something significant that will impress the interviewer. The truth is that we should always be ready and willing to tell anyone “our story”.
The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines history as the study of past events. When we celebrate African-American history we hear about the life, actions, and accomplishments of people such as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Rosa Parks, Malcolm X, George Washington Carver, and Barack & Michelle Obama. It is important to recognize all of the amazing people who have made an impact on the world including you.
Each of our lives collectively have contributed in some way to the world. The things you have done, your experiences have made history. They are part of your story that matters. You must believe your story matters. You might not be the first person in the world to do something, but you can be the first in your family. You can be the first in your neighborhood.
It is important for us to get the knowledge of our history from our parents and grandparents. The details of their lives add value to our own lives that allow us to pass down to our children and their children. I love talking about my father who was born in Mississippi and eventually moved to Miami, Florida to become a professional boxer. He worked with a man named Angelo Dundee in the early 1950’s. Angelo Dundee later went on to train Muhammad Ali and Sugar Ray Leonard.
When I was in the fifth grade my brothers and I were part of the historic Chicago Public Schools bussing program. We left the overcrowded school in our neighborhood to ride a bus to the north side of Chicago to an all-white school in an all-white neighborhood. The first week, we had to have the police escort us to the school. People threw things at our bus and we were called names. My story is history and so is yours.
Begin to see yourself as a history maker and do your best to live your best life. Who you are is important and what you do makes a difference whether great or small. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. once said “If a man is called to be a street sweeper, he should sweep streets even as Michelangelo painted, or Beethoven composed music or Shakespeare wrote poetry. He should sweep streets so well that all the hosts of heaven and earth will pause to say, ‘Here lived a great street sweeper who did his job well’.”
Don’t compare yourself to anyone else. Live your life well and the next time someone says, “Tell us about yourself” be ready and willing to tell YOUR STORY!
About Author
Aretha Tatum is the author of the award-winning book The Problem with Jesus and The Wonderful Counselor- My Sheep Hear My Voice. Follow her on social media to learn more about her.
IG: @MsRespect1
Twitter: @MsRespect1
YouTube: Ms Respect Speaks – Aretha Tatum
Yes, that’s right we all have and come from a past that was history making in some shape form or fashion! Once again another excellent article by Aretha Tatum! Thanks for the reminder of the Greatness we all possess! Keep articles from positive writers like this coming!