S1E44: Rediscovering God After Trauma and Understanding the Freedom of Obedience - Imani Ackerman
What a JOY it was to sit down and chat with my dear friend from the world of Instagram, Imani Ackerman!
I am so grateful for Imani's incredible authenticity and transparency in sharing her story of brokenness in her family as a child, of feeling jaded toward God in her teens while finding herself in abusive relationships, and how God kept pursuing her heart through it all. Hearing how her faith was reignited as she understood the truth and power of God's forgiveness really took my breath away. Seeing how God has redeemed her story with so much beauty will absolutely bless you, dear listener!
I also love how Imani shared this concept of being FREE to OBEY, and how having the choice to choose the things of God or not is actually so liberating, and how He honors and blessed that obedience while simultaneously giving us much grace for mistakes and missteps along the way. Additionally, He's place His Spirit inside of us, so we can trust that we can make decisions that are in line with His heart, and that in our weaknesses He is always strong!
I know you will relate in so many ways with Imani's story of faith and hope and healing. I can't wait to hear your thoughts!
And, as always, if you are enjoying this podcast - please rate and review!! Thank you times a million!
More About Imani:
Imani Ackerman is a serial entrepreneur and homeschool mom who believes that women can have it all. She uplifts and celebrates modern Proverbs 31 women so that they thrive in their calling. She understands firsthand the challenges of living in healing, freedom, success, and purpose after surviving trauma. Imani is an author and sought-after speaker and consultant. In 2023 she graduates with her bachelors degree in English with a minor in Theology.
Connect with Imani:
Instagram - @theimaniackerman
Connect with Gabi:
Instagram - @gabiruth
TikTok - @gabiruth84
Facebook - facebook.com/gabiruth84
Website - gabiruth.com
Coach with Gabi - gabiruth.com/book-a-1on1-call
Invite Gabi to Speak - gabiruth.com/speaking
(TRANSCRIPT) S1E44: Rediscovering God After Trauma and Understanding the Freedom of Obedience - Imani Ackerman
Note: Transcript is created by AI. Please excuse any errors.
Gabi: Hello friends. Welcome back to Pain to Passion Live. So as you guys have probably gathered at this point, I meet a lot of people on Instagram and this beautiful soul. Imani is one of those people that I have connected with and she is just such a bright light and we, we just have. So many things that we could talk about, like so many similar passions and I really was excited that she said yes to being on the show.
So thank you for being here, Imani.
Imani: Thank you so much for having me. Yay. Yay.
Gabi: It makes me so happy, like when I get to have a real conversation with people you meet on social media cuz like you know that people are real, but then you actually talk to them in real time. You're like, this is so cool.
Imani: A real relationship.
People have come from social media friends. No, really?
Gabi: It's amazing. It really is amazing. You can use it as such a tool for relationships and I love that. But I don't tend to read bios on the show because I love for people to introduce themselves cuz cool things come out. When you do, so, if you just want to go ahead and take it away, tell us who you are, what you do.
Like who, who's Imani.
Imani: All right. So, um, I am Imani Ackerman. I am a wife and mom, and doing all of the things and not necessarily doing them all well, but by the grace of God I'm doing a lot, uh, really grateful just to be able to homeschool our girls who are seven and three. I am an entrepreneur. I would call myself a serial entrepreneur and a jack of all trades.
And I'm just owning it in this season. Like that's who I am. I'm gonna try things, I'm going to see if it works. And I've been able to use my gifts and talents, um, God-given, and some learned to help and, and bless people. So really fortunate to be able to do that. Um, I'm also a full-time student. I'm graduating in May.
Yay. Yay. Yay. Thank you. I'm trying to think what else. Doing a lot. Oh, very involved in ministry at my church. Author, speaker, consultant, et cetera. And again, not necessarily doing them all well, but by grace and trying to be excellent every day. So that's me.
Gabi: I love that. And listen, the fact that you just go after things, that's the piece that so many people miss is like, just do it.
Imani: If you don't do it. Nothing's gonna happen.
Gabi: Yes. Let alone perfection. So I love that about you. I think it's, it's awesome. For sure. Thank you so much. Yeah. I would love to hear about your faith journey because that is something that we've definitely connected on and that you are so encouraging. Like your content even about church and all of those things has really blessed and encouraged me.
But I'd love to hear just, what's your story of faith?
Imani: Praise God. Thank you for that. So I'll try to keep it short, but I was raised in church even though my parents weren't necessarily living out the faith at home. Um, and my dad was very active in leadership at our church. He was a deacon. And I remember my mom having some issues with that be because the church knew that they weren't married, they were just living together.
And, um, she was, she growing up in her background. Really, even though knowing she wasn't living the way. Uh, she knew God wanted her to still had those convictions. Um, and I remember falling in love with church, with ministry from a very young age. And then my parents got married, which I was very excited about.
And then they split up very soon after, like within, um, Uh, within a year, and I was a teenager, so, you know, teenage life, ugh. It was so, so difficult. And I remember being very angry at God, um, really praying desperately and just feeling like, what's the point? Um, and so I walked away from my faith in the sense of I'm gonna do my own thing.
Like, not that I don't believe in God, but what's the point of even obeying him? I remember from a very young age, um, I became involved with, uh, sexual activity. Um, and unfortunately there were some guys in high school who were just. Uh, I can give them the benefit of the doubt now and say, wow, their home lives must have been terrible, but mm-hmm.
Um, just were like very abusive guys. Mm-hmm. And, um, really misused me and I remember feeling so, um, ashamed and disgusted by myself. And there were lots of things said about me in, in high school freshman year coming into high school. Oh wow. Just being, um, unfortunately they're all the names that women are called.
That was called very publicly in high school and just the self-esteem. And by junior year I had a boyfriend and you know, at this point I was like, man, someone cares about me after everything I went through. That's awesome. Um, we ended up, Conceiving a child, so I was pregnant as a teenager and I realized, okay, I need help.
It was very much a wake up call because I was kind of a goodie too, shoes growing up, and my boyfriend was not interested in being a dad. Understandably at 16 years old. And, um, my dad, who wasn't really in the picture as much at this point, was pressuring me to have an abortion. And I remember even though up to that point, not living for the Lord, I said, no, I know better.
Like, that's, that's not the way to do it. My mom thankfully, was super supportive and that was what really pushed me back to the Lord. And I said, okay, I need a second chance. I need. I need something to just rescue me out of this. And then I realized, you can't just ask God for forgiveness. You see all the things that you did like the contrary to his word.
And that's when it clicked for me the cross, that this is the reason Jesus died for me, so that when I needed him, I could ask for forgiveness and receive it. And I did. I believed it. And when I tell you that completely changed my life. Um, I ended up having a miscarriage, which was very traumatic as a teenager, but I had this new life spiritually.
And that transformed me into being someone who knew how to love herself, knew how to make better choices. And of course this took some time. Um, I went into the ministry, so let's say. 17, giving my life to the Lord. Um, and then age 21, I'm a youth pastor. I'm marrying like the best guy in our youth group, which I was like, why would he be interested in me?
And like, he's literally the best guy. Um, and we've had a couple of kids. We did the ministry thing, and that's the, that's the. How I came to know the Lord and then later on we've, we've gone through some things in ministry, but uh, it's all led me here. I'm so grateful. I'm so grateful for Jesus.
Gabi: Oh my gosh.
Me too. Understatement of the year, for sure. But yeah. Wow. I mean, your story is so powerful. It's so beautiful. I think it's really relatable to a lot of people in different aspects. Just like when you go through significant pain as a child or a teen, it's very, very confusing. And when you've kind of had this trust in a God who's good and then something like that happens, I think your anger and questions and all of that makes a lot of sense.
You know? And I'm sure you have tons of compassion for that younger version of yourself at this point. Um mm-hmm. But I just think it's incredible how. I mean, Jesus held onto you the whole time. He didn't let you go and getting freedom from that condemnation, like that's, that's huge.
Imani: And to be able to release from that,
Gabi: which really, I, I feel like this is a good question for you.
What, what you would say to someone who's struggling with condemnation because it's a journey. To really, especially I feel like for those of us who grew up in church to make mistakes and then feel like you're separated from God. Mm-hmm. What would you say to a person who's in that scenario right now?
Imani: The first thing that comes to mind is give up, like, You have to acknowledge that there is no way you will ever be good enough on your own to earn God's love, favor and mercy. He wants to give it period. So stop trying to earn it. Don't beat yourself up because that's not going anywhere. That's not doing anything for you.
Um, I would say bring that to the Lord. Um, he wants that. He wants you to acknowledge. I just can't do this on my own. And when we realize that that's, I don't even know how to explain. Just the Holy Spirit is able to come in and somehow, not only take away that shame, but also help us to be, I. The version of ourselves that we desire to be and that he wants us to be, but not from a place of religious, trying to have it all together, trying to be perfect, but from a place of freedom.
Like we get this freedom to obey is the big thing. Um, and my relationship with God. So I would say give up. Like you're absolutely right. No, like you did mess up. You can't, you can't get better on your own. You need Jesus. And he made a way for that out. And out of love, he made a way for that. So just, just accept his forgiveness.
Um, and I know I'm saying that. And I don't, and I won't even say it's easier said than done. It really is as easy as it sounds. And I think the reason that we sometimes think it's easier said than done is because we're trying so hard. Um, I hope I'm making sense. Yes. But it is that. Simple, just surrender.
God, I can't, like, I'm not good enough. I'm not measuring up. And it's, it's usually, um, our own idea of what it means to measure up. Yeah. He really doesn't require all of that. He really just requires the acknowledgement that as human beings, we have all fallen short of the glory of God. And his gift to us is that love in that eternal life.
So, yeah.
Gabi: Oh, that was so good. That was so, so good. Thank you. I just loved all of that. It totally makes sense. Um, I think you're right. Those things that really weigh us down, like self condemnation, we feel like almost there needs to be a complex ritual or something to get through it. So when you are faced with simplicity, it's almost alarming cuz you're like, really?
It's that simple. But you're right, it is. He doesn't make it complicated, so I love that. Thank you for sharing in that way. And then you said another thing, um, for those of you watching on YouTube, you'll be able to see if I have a tattoo that says Freedom. So whenever someone says freedom, anything, I'm like, Ooh, what are we talking about?
So you said freedom to obey has been a big part of your journey with God. Can you expound on what that means?
Imani: Absolutely. So it's interesting, even though I had this like moment of, wow, I can't do it and I can speak to condemnation, I also very much in real time struggle with perfectionism, and so understanding what a big deal it is at.
Jesus rescued me from myself and from just the nonsense of this world. Um, I've taken it very seriously for my life to be lived for him, which is a really awesome opportunity. But sometimes I overcomplicate that and I have these ideas in my head about how things should be, and I have super high standards for myself.
Mm-hmm. Um, Yeah. And partly because I know what I'm capable of. I know I can actually do a lot of really great things, but sometimes I just don't always get it right. And I remember, um, going through seasons of either, um, how do I make this all work and do it the right way? But I've also been through seasons of well-meaning, I think well-meaning, um, people.
Saying, um, oh, you should wait until you know the right time to do that thing for God. Or on the other hand, you should make sure that what, uh, you should make sure that that's exactly what God is telling you. Mm-hmm. So you have on one hand, Struggling to to measure up and on the other hand, wanting to just do things for the Lord and live for him.
But now having to second guess, am I doing it the right way? Am I doing it at the right time? Is this really a God idea? So freedom to obey. I really feel like it's not verbatim from Romans eight, but um, Romans eight shows us that we have the same spirit. That raised Christ from the dead living in us when we believe in him.
Um, and because there's now no, no condemnation and because God is for us, why wouldn't we just go for it? Mm-hmm. Like, you don't have to know everything. You don't even have to have all of the pieces. Um, there are many times that I've tried things and I've just said, for example, if I may, um, At my church, um, they're really awesome.
We're a church plant and they're really awesome about, um, just. Uh, accepting ideas from the different members and saying, okay, cool. Like, let's, let's try that. So I remember having this idea in my head about, um, waking up earlier. I wanna try waking up at 5:00 AM in the morning and see what that looks like for mm-hmm.
Just my life, how that, you know, resets. And I remember bringing this idea to them and they said, sure, let's try it. So we called it the 5:00 AM Club, and we would just meet on Zoom, not necessarily talk. Into each other because sometimes it's way too early to talk to each other. Yeah. But, um, taking that time to spend with God.
Mm-hmm. Um, sometimes building that daily habit is really hard. And that came outta my weakness. That came out of just me. Like, Hey, I, uh, if I don't have to wake up super early, I'm probably not going to, to be quiet. I love to sleep in. And my family, um, I won't say they enable me, but they really do that. So, um, wanting that discipline and, but that wasn't something that I said, God, do you want me to start the 5:00 AM club?
Mm-hmm. Like, I mean, if you think about the elements of it, it's me trying to make myself better, me trying to spend time with God, me looking for community. I mean, those are all ingredients that God loves. Mm-hmm. Ultimately, he'll steer us. In the direction that we need to go if we're, if we're off. But if we're desiring the Lord and we know that his spirit lives in us, we are free to obey and free to live out this life with him.
So that's what I mean.
Gabi: Oh my goodness. So cool. I didn't know what you were gonna say, but that was perfect. I mean, just the whole concept of it is really liberating right? To remember, and you're, you're the second person who actually has said something like this to me this week, just to remember like the spirit of God lives inside of you.
So if you're making decisions, can you trust that the spirit of God is leading those decisions?
Imani: Right. That is so good. I love that. Yeah,
Gabi: I know. It's so good, right? Mm-hmm. And even the other thing that you said about the 5:00 AM Club specifically was that it came out of your weakness, and I love that too.
Because isn't that biblical as well? Like in your weakness? He is strong. Yeah. So it was an opportunity for God to show up anyway. Cause he's like, oh, I know Imani is not gonna like this, like waking up at 5:00 AM thing, so let's do something here. You know, let's move in. Her weakness because you were just like, Hey, I'm gonna do this.
And I think obedience often looks like that of us operating out of something we don't really know what we're doing. And that allows God to be the perfect one so that we don't have to be perfectionists.
Imani: Oh my gosh. Yes, yes, yes.
I love that.
Gabi: Yeah, so I loved that. That was awesome. I jotted down another note too, a little bit earlier at near the beginning when you were talking about how you reconnected with God, um, as a teenager and you learned how to love yourself.
This is something that I feel is like a catchphrase in a lot of the social media world right now is like love yourself, et cetera, but sometimes in. Church world or religious circles, that can be a little bit like off-putting, you know, focusing on loving yourself. Mm-hmm. I feel like it's very important, but it's also important to have a conversation about, I.
How do you feel freedom to say that and what does it mean to you? So I'd love to hear your perspective on that.
Imani: Yeah, that's a really good point. So I will say just like bring it to Bible and then maybe sharing what that means to me, but like I believe the. The negative connotation in Christian circles around loving yourself comes from maybe first or second Timothy where it talks about how in the end times people will be lovers of self and that is not a good thing.
Um, so I get that. But then like the whole, first of all, love your neighbor as yourself being a part of the greatest commitment. Well, And the second is like it. So the second greatest commandment, right? Yeah. The person being love the Lord your God, God with all your heart, soul, mind string. Um, so I get it, but it's like, let's keep things in context.
People, God does not want us to not love ourselves. Um, we ca Yeah. He doesn't want that. Um, for, so, okay, now I need to figure out, Rephrase your question one more time, really
Gabi: just what does love yourself mean to you?
Imani: Yes. So to me it is a balance of, um, Okay. We believe that love is not just a feeling. Like when we come to know Jesus, we recognize that love is not just this romantic thing.
Um, which is great and I think God created that. Um, but it's also a choice and it's also kind of, Like sacrificial. So for me, the journey of loving myself started first with I am going to sacrifice my, uh, the desires of my flesh. Which ultimately led to destruction. I know you use the strong words, but like, you know, being promiscuous and letting abusive guys into my life was not it.
Mm-hmm. But I was doing it cause I wanted a feeling of love. Right. Like, so that's what I mean with flesh and destruction. Yeah. Um, so the sacrificial choice for myself was, I'm going to cut off these guys and do what's best for me, which, Which was remaining celibate until marriage. That paid off really well, I have to say so.
Mm-hmm. Um, and so something I often tell my kids is God's way is the best way. Part of loving myself has been choosing God's best. Hmm. And then along with that, really coming to, and this is still a process for me, but really coming to see myself the way God sees me. Yeah. So, To be able to look at yourself in the mirror and really believe that you're beautiful.
Um, I feel like not a lot of people have that. And for me it has been a journey of al allowing God to remove my shame, fully accepting his forgiveness, because when you, um, when you make choices contrary to. Your body like, um, without mincing my words, just like, for me personally, like sexual sin, um, affected my self-esteem and my identity for sure.
And so like when you have. When you have believed that you were disgusting or people have said things about you, like to look at yourself in the mirror and to think highly of yourself can be such a challenge. But God has been able to show me like I don't have to carry that shame anymore. Um, he's showed me how to, as you said, have compassion on my younger self, my inner child.
Um, Man, the self-talk that I have, and again, it's been a process, but even recently I, I found myself calling myself. You know, we have names that we call ourselves. I don't know, I might be a, I might be a weird one, but I'll be like,
Gabi: no, I think, I think we all do this.
Imani: Okay. I'm like, ah, come on, Imani. You know, recently, I found myself going back to a place and being reminded of something.
I felt myself being triggered about something and remembering something negative from my childhood, and I found myself saying, it's okay, mama. And that's why I talked to my kids and I was just like, Lord. Wow. The work that you're doing in my life that I, the self-talk is nurturing and mothering. I'm like, thank you, Jesus.
Gabi: Um, I literally just got chills, like, that was so good.
Imani: Oh, praise God. So, yeah, that's, that's been my journey of loving myself. It's choosing God's best, but also there are feelings that come with that as well, and unpacking those negative feelings that really God doesn't call us to have, and really seeing ourselves the way he sees us.
Gabi: I love that. That's beautiful. Which all ties into your simple explanation of connecting with God and forgiveness and all of that. Release from condemnation, all of those things that we were talking about earlier. Um, I just love that because once you can stop with that. Thinking that it's very complicated to reconnect with God and understand his forgiveness and accept it.
You can still make mistakes today.
Imani: We probably will make mistakes today,
Gabi: but still be able to look at ourselves in the mirror and say, you're good. It's okay, mama. Like all of those things, because ultimately it's God who's the one. Who makes it good, right? Yeah. So I love that. That's wonderful. Um, so you've clearly been through a lot in your life with your parents and what you went through in high school, and you can share however you'd like to share, but I know a lot of people listening to this podcast have been through hard things and are working on their healing.
So, Kind of twofold, but what has your healing looked like? We've covered some of it, obviously with your relationship with the Lord, but how has that also fed into your dreams and how you're the serial entrepreneur and go-getter? I'd love to hear that.
Imani: All right. So, um, I'll say upfront that therapy is, is huge.
I'm like, yes, huge advocate for therapy. Um, having a professional. I work through because I've been counseled by non-professionals who didn't realize that they were traumatized and re-traumatized.
Gabi: Yes. Oh my gosh, me too.
Imani: Totally professional. Please. Um, a Christian professional would be great. Um, so therapy, um, safe people figuring out, um, yeah, figuring out safe people.
Um, And definitely time in the Bible reading the Bible prayer, which is just talking to God, just like I'm talking to you. Mm-hmm. Um, and then, um, community is super important. Um, and I guess that ties in with safe people. Um, with the dreams I have always kind of been. Someone who was inspired by, I really just was thinking about this recently.
I've always been inspired as a child by people with these like really like intense stories like Maya Angelo, she's my favorite poet, and um, different people like that who just went through a lot. But then were able to do all of these amazing things. One good thing I have to say about my parents is they recognize gifts.
And me and my sister, and they said, um, they encouraged them and they also encouraged us to think about who we wanted to be, what we wanted to be when we grew up. Yeah. Um, so when I, um, came back to the Lord, it was very important to me to help other people who went through what I was going through, and I've gone through other things.
Since then, lots of other hard things. Like I do wanna acknowledge that once you become a Christian, it's not all sunshines, sh sunshine and rainbows. Maybe rainbows actually, because there's the rain and the sunshine to make the rainbows, but not all sunshine. There's some rain in there, so, yeah. Um, yeah.
But, and along the way, just as. God has helped me to go through things. Um, I've said, okay, how can I help someone else who's going through that same thing? Um, interestingly. Coming to serial entrepreneurship was because of seasons of financial struggle with my family. Mm-hmm. Um, seasons of man, I want to be more than just a mom.
I was at home with our firstborn. Obviously I'm still at home with both of them, but, um, I was at home with her. My husband was at work. I was like a milk machine and that was just really hard and mm-hmm. I really wanted something to do and so I was trying to create something of myself, which interestingly people tried to discourage, but I look back and I'm like, that was all God, because he is using those things today.
Um, So I guess my encouragement would be to people who have experienced, um, different trauma, what can you do for the person who, the person like you? That in itself is very healing. Um, and I wanna also encourage that you may not have it all together. Um, someone once told me, which I think is valid, but not always, right.
Someone has once told me, um, do you wanna be a tour guide or do you want to be a travel agent? And I said, like, so in the sense that the travel agent doesn't go to the destination, but the tour guide walks you through because they've been there before and. Mm, I get it. Kind of where, okay. You do wanna be helping people with something that you've, you've gone through, but um, lots of us are happy to have travel agents.
Let's just, so you'll have a strategy or something that God has given you because of your experience. Maybe because you did not have those things when you were going through it. Mm-hmm. That can absolutely be used by God. So I wanna encourage those people one. Um, a couple of things. Um, definitely have those dreams.
Go for it. Like worst case scenario, it, you can change. I've, I've pivoted business things many times, but nothing is wasted. And also, um, part of this journey will be remembering how to trust your gut and trust that. In your creating or repurposing your trauma, recreating something out of your trauma or repurposing your trauma, um, that you will know what to do.
I don't know if that makes sense, but there will be people who try to discourage you and. Walk really closely with the Lord and try and be willing to fail because you really don't fail. Um, that was kind of all over the place. But yeah, no relatable.
Gabi: That was really, really good. I agree with all of it.
First I was thinking about the travel agent versus tour guide thing and thinking like my therapist specifically is both, you know, so I think we can all be both. Like you said, because she's been through things, so she understands those things and can help me walk through it. And I can do that for people as well.
But she can also kind of pave the way for where I want to go, even if that's not somewhere she's been because she has those tools and strategies. And that's kind of how we can all be wired as we're on this healing journey. And look back to who I was even a year ago and be like, I can help that person.
Imani: Yes, I was a year ago. I wanna add to that because that makes me think of, um, the people who speak into your lives. Like hopefully they are guiding you to a place where you walk on your own in a sense. Mm. So, um, I think part of learning to trust my gut, which it sounds like your therapist is awesome. Um, part of learning to trust your gut is, Not being told what to do all the time or having to rely on the tour guide, like eventually, yes.
You have to be free to explore and go down your purpose path ultimately. Mm-hmm. So, um, I know for me, and I'll just throw this out there, a safe person is someone who ultimately says, but at the end of the day, that's what I think. But go back and pray about it. Um, or go back, go and see for yourself and isn't like, Ooh, why would you do that?
You know, that's probably not a safe person. So, um, I love that.
Gabi: Thank you. Definitely. I even had a friend, I think it was just yesterday, cuz I was trying to make a decision about something that seemed really big and I was like, what should I do? You know? She's like, well if you do this or if you do that, you're gonna succeed either way.
So she didn't answer me like, I think this is better. And I was like, that's a good friend. Oh yeah, that's a really good friend who just trusts that your process is your process and doesn't, she didn't really wanna sway me either way. But that ultimately there will be something good at the end if I go this way or that way.
Imani: I loved that.
Gabi: Oh, good. Yeah. Well, you mentioned before we got on here that you had recently written a speech. Yes. And I've been very curious about it ever since. So if you don't mind, Because we talked about it a little bit, can you share some of those little pearls of wisdom that you put in this speech with us?
Imani: Yes. Okay. So I had the opportunity to apply to be a commencement speaker because I'm graduating next month. I did not, uh, I was not chosen to be the commencement speaker, but that's okay because, um, the message will be shared ultimately. Yes. It's a part of. It's what God put on my heart. Um, so I wanted to encourage people to, um, be unstoppable.
Like those of us who have, well, honestly, all of us just coming out of this global pandemic. Mm-hmm. Um, is it really over? I don't know. I don't think people are really officially saying that it's over. Yeah. Uh, but we've all really. Gone through something so hard and anything that we were able to accomplish during this season, even if it means I learned how to rest, I learned how to sit down and do nothing during this season is huge.
And so I realized we don't really need too many talks. I'm like, I. This is how to persevere. This is how you don't give up. Because I really feel like we all have done that. Yeah. Um, so I really wanted to encourage like, what's next? What's the next step? Um, so my four keys, especially as someone who, um, I did really well in school this semester, uh, the past four years and now, um, I actually had my daughter Zuri.
While doing my associate's degree, long story. Um, and so like God has done so awesome, he's just been so awesome in this journey. So I wanted to just share some keys that I have learned with going back to school as a mom starting and doing well in my various businesses. So the first thing is that we need to dream bigger and dreaming bigger really.
We're considering what are the problems in the world that we want to change? And I think as trauma survivors, uh, we see that there are problems out there, and I think we are well suited to help. Solved those problems because we may, we, maybe we've been there, um, maybe we had that help or maybe we didn't.
Um, but we are the ones who can come up with those solutions. So the first is to dream bigger. The second, which was really huge for me, is to take inventory. So I have learned that you need to keep track of how awesome you are. Honestly, cause there is a world out there that wants to like pay people less, take advantage of people because they don't realize how amazing they are.
Mm-hmm. And I think. Especially for those who have survived trauma, we can take on, um, other people's projections of, uh, their own issues. Mm-hmm. And not realize, oh my gosh, like in spite of, and maybe. Along with everything that I've been through, I am amazing. God made you and he has helped you to overcome some crazy things, um, that maybe people don't even realize.
The fact that you are as amazing as you are is a miracle. Um, so take inventory of what are the lessons that you learned, what are the things that you've taught yourself? What are the strengths? That you've developed all of these different things, um, so that you can go confidently in the purpose that you are called to.
Um, third is to ask for help. None of us are self-made so, so good. Ask for help, um, get that safe, supportive community around you and know that it is completely okay to not have it all together. Um, We cannot do any of this alone. Mm-hmm. And lastly is to celebrate, this is one that I'm learning in real time.
Um, celebrate all the things big and small, especially the small things. Don't just save it for the big things, um, because that way you realize, oh my goodness, this is all that I've been able to do. This is who I have become. Um, Which is a big deal. We downplay ourselves so much. Um, so celebrating helps us to really solidify, I can do this.
Um, it builds our self-efficacy, our belief in ourself so we can do all the things God has called us to. So that's like my little speech in a nutshell. That was amazing.
Gabi: I love it. I definitely have takeaways from that. So we'll get you on a stage doing that soon.
So good. Well, I of course could just chat with you for hours.
Um, but I so appreciate you being here today. This is such a blessing and I know that our listeners will be really encouraged. So I appreciate you taking the time. Um, I'd love for everyone to be able to connect with you. I'll put links and stuff in the show notes, but if you just wanna share like the best ways to connect with you, we can let them know that too.
Imani: Sure. So I'm pretty active on my Instagram, even though I may not be posting, I'm on there. So feel em me at the @theimaniackerman. That's because I used to be Imani Ackerman and there's another Imani Ackerman in the world and oh, she took it, so, but I'm @theimaniackerman. Ah-huh. So, yeah.
Gabi: Love it. Very.
So, so good. Well, yes, definitely guys. Go follow her, reach out, um, build that Instagram community that are real people who are really genuine and really amazing. So again, thank you Imani. I know we'll connect soon, but I just really appreciate your time here today.
Imani: I appreciate you. I, you're the space you're, you're creating here is so necessary and mm-hmm.
I'm just praying God continues to bless you and multiply everything that you're doing. It's powerful. We love you. I love you. Oh, I love you too.
Gabi: Thank you so much. All right. We'll chat soon.
Imani: Yes.
Gabi: Bye.