Being Brave
Waiting in the wings as a stand up comic is a little like riding into life's battles... who knows what is out there? A�But the determination to succeed is the same, sometimes we as ladies are required to FIGHT for what we believe in. A�Don't look back, feel the rush of adrenaline and just press in when someone shouts 'CHARGE!'.
<b>I walk onto an open stage with just the microphone as a friend, I hold up a large picture of my white family and me as a little black baby and tell the audience how people would often ask me as a child</b>
<strong>a�?When was the moment you realized you were adopted?a��A�</strong>A�As I hear the huge swell of laughter resound in my ears as people laugh in unbelief, pleasure and absurdity of the situation, I realise that I have finally won the war on my troubled past.A� The sting, shame and pain of my transracial adoption story is as good as gone. A�I cannot deny that aspects of my challenging past will always upset me, some answers I will never get closure on but thata��s OKa�� Some healing continues but the great fight is won. Like the great heroine Joan of Arc, sometimes a battle is worth fighting for! - A�Albeit, for your life...
The intense heat generated from stage lights cause my eyes to squint and delicate tiny beads of sweat cause my forehead to glisten, in a split second my memory wrenches me back into the playground again aged 12. I remember the painful playground taunts at my colour screeched by a chorus of belligerent little scruffy children mocking the lack of self-confidence now evident to all. I would coil into a crying corner walled in by the void of identity, purpose and shamea�� Who am I? Why do these people hate me? There was always a sadness of having lost my natural family and as I open my mouth to screama�� suddenly I am back on stage again but now my mouth is filled with the scream of laughtera�� ita��s 2013! Thank God! I am loving every second of my show and I realise the journey from childhood to comic has been a great one indeeda�� A�When you finally win a personal victory it is yours forever and no one can take that away from you. A�Life is a battle at times, but being victorious is a state of mind needed to win.
Quite simply humour heals, it allowed me to voice, explore and unravel unmentionable traumas and it has given me a unique framework to share my story through my 1 hour solo show called a�?GET CARTERa��.
Now I work as a travelling professional comedian and campaigner on adoption/fostering and care in the UK and abroad, I have come to realise that little is actually known about the subject in the public domain and stifled with scary media stories, fears and social stigmas.A� This year I decided to do something about it and set up my own companyA�<a href="http://www.zealfi.com">www.zealfi.com</a>, zeal because that is the emotion that is required to change and fi like wi-fi I want to take this concept to the world.
<strong>Laugher brings in the brightness of hope.</strong>
<strong><i>a�?You can turn painful situations around through laughter. If you can find humour in anything you can survive ita��,A�</i><i>Bill Crosby.</i></strong>
Once we recognise a hurt, then we can look at getting help to overcome it, A�then in time become healed from a past we can use the experience to springboard us into our destiny. A�Without a fight their can be no victory chant of 'Laughter, joy and a battle has been won!'
The most important gift we all have is our unique-ness and once we come to realise how precious life is, coupled with how precious we are, it can inspire the ordinary into the extraordinary! A�Quite simply we can do anything, the only thing that limits us is - US! (That is 'us'... not the U.S. God love America!)
On setting up my company I researched that 1 in 3 people have a link to cancer and 1 in 5 people have a link to adoption, and yet we know more about cancer and less about adoption.A� This truth hurt my heart and I realized it was time to a�?go for ita�� and broaden my life path. A�Time to get my horse, saddle up and ride into the unknown.
Lady Diana was right in her belief that what people remember about you is how much you loved them and what you did about it, everything else will not last.. Fame, career, money whatevera�� A�There is a good 'fight of Faith', before us, our integrity and self belief in our purpose and destiny. A�So whether you are fighting money troubles, family issues, sickness, fear, lack of direction, being alone whatever it is rest assured that you are on a mission to win. A�Battles can be long and bloody but our diligence to overcome is sometimes our greatest weapon.
Whatever you have overcome or overcoming be encouraged that others will be encouraged by your bravery. Joy :-) x