Photo Credit: Brian Freeman
Sarah Jakes Roberts wants YOU to overcome your fear of failure, and she’s sharing her hard-earned lessons with Haute Living. The bestselling author released her latest book, Woman Evolve: Break Up with Your Fears and Revolutionize Your Life yesterday, which revolves around life-lessons she’s learned and new insights from the story of Eve. Woman Evolve shows you how the disappointments and even mistakes of your past can be used today to help you become the woman you were meant to be, that everyone faces trials, but failure should not be the focus. Your focus should not be on who you were but rather the pursuit of who you can become. In Woman Evolve, Sarah helps you to understand that your purpose in life does not change; it evolves. Here, she discusses her latest and greatest, and shares five powerful tools she uses to overcome fear of failure and harness inner greatness.
Photo Credit: Brian Freeman
You released the book “Woman Evolve: Break Up with Your Fears and Revolutionize Your Life” on April 6th. Can you tell us a little bit about your inspiration?
I’ve been connecting with women who are on a journey to identify barriers that keep them from release the fullness of their identity for years. I wanted to compile what I learned about their stories and offer every woman a manual to revitalize her faith and trust in herself and the world she lives.
In your book, you share hardships you faced surrounding your teen pregnancy, and the hostility you felt towards yourself at the time. How did you channel that hostility, and what did you learn from it?
I thought that channeling the hostility would help me, but there are some experiences that cannot be turned into fuel for our purpose until it’s gone through a process. I learned that ignoring our disappointments don’t make them go away. I learned that wounds that are not inspected can’t heal. However, when humility, vulnerability, and intimacy meet our wounds transformation can take place.
What drew you to the story of Eve?
I began studying women’s issues throughout history, some personal (bloating, cramps, pain in childbirth) and others more historical (suffrage, equal pay, employment) and it all pointed back to Eve. Every woman has been affected by her moment in the garden. Initially I felt frustration towards her, but when I dared to see her through the lens of my womanhood journey I saw so much of myself in her. I saw Eve as a woman who made a misstep, but recovered brilliantly. I know many women who get stuck in their missteps and felt like studying and rescuing Eve would help me to push them forward.
Do you think we all have a little Eve in us?
Definitely! As we should. We’re human and we’ve all got a little “Know better, but don’t do better” in us.
What does vulnerability mean to you?
Vulnerability means leaning in to the moments when your insides feel fragile to discover what lessons await in that space.
Do you see power in being vulnerable?
Certainly. Vulnerability unlocks confidence and trust. We become powerful not because we are unbreakable, but because we know how to piece ourselves back together.
How do you practice soul-care vs. self-care and why is it vital to practice both to avoid a burnout?
Self care is how I take care of my physical body. It’s getting my run on, my nails done, my hair done and body rubbed down. Soul care is me asking myself, “How are you?” and waiting long enough my recent highs and lows to respond with a reflection of my insides.
Photo Credit: Brian Freeman
How do you bring the best version of yourself to both your marriage and motherhood?
I don’t! I bring me to my marriage and motherhood. Most days I hope it’s the best, but on the days that I know it’s not my best I keep an apology in my back pocket. Pressure to be the best already takes up too much space in our careers. It has no place in our homes. The best me is the real me and the real me recognizes that humility is necessary for the journey.
How do you conquer fear and how can women challenge themselves to begin making plans without fear of failure or the unknown?
Conquering fear is spending less time trying to focus on removing fear and more time figuring out how to do it afraid. If fear is a part of the journey then we have to decide is fear going to be driving the car or tied up in the trunk. We have to embrace that fear doesn’t stop productivity unless we give it permission to do so.
What does your “Woman Evolve” community mean to you?
Community is a reminder to me that difficult is not impossible. Through connecting through our stories we’re able to empower one another to heal, grow, and dream.
What lies ahead for you?
Hopefully a nap and LOTS of soul care. After that, I’d like to continue to build intentional programs for women interested in practical tools and curriculum for their personal and professional development.
After your first big literary success, what was the most luxurious thing you purchased for yourself?
A HOUSE! I was living with my parents with my two children and all I wanted was to get a home for us to make our own.
What to you is the greatest luxury in life and why?
Laughter. With all of the calamity in the world to be able to access joy and laughter is a luxury. I try to savor the moments in life that make me audibly laugh because LOL doesn’t count.
SARAH JAKES ROBERTS SHARES FIVE TIPS FOR OVERCOMING YOUR FEAR AND UNCERTAINTY
