Read an Excerpt

An Introduction to Authentic Confidence

Why Not You?

Before I began writing books and speaking, I often studied authors and speakers who were doing what I wanted to do with my life. Their lives seemed somehow magical, as if they knew some special secrets that I didn’t. Of course, that wasn’t true.

I had within me everything I needed to begin living the purpose for which I was created. But what these other authors and speakers had that I didn’t was confidence. Perseverance. That belief in yourself and your potential for success— so much so that you refuse to give up when success doesn’t happen in your own timing.

I began asking myself, Valorie, why not you? Why don’t you fulfill your vision of inspiring others through your writing? Can you relate to that kind of internal questioning? Perhaps it’s a similar area of life for you—a professional or business aspiration—or that conversation in your head may be about your weight, your dream of home ownership, your finances, or a successful relationship. Perhaps doubt or uncertainty results in your remaining quiet when you really want to speak up.

I had my moment of insight about the importance of boldly and confidently stepping into God-given opportunities, and it came within just a couple of years—back in 2001—after I began asking, Why not me? Around five o’clock one Wednesday afternoon in October 2001, my phone rang as I was preparing to leave for a six-o’clock book signing at Black Images Books in Dallas. I lived in Dallas then; it was an exciting time. I was in the midst of a tour for my first book. Rich Minds, Rich Rewards had been self-published nearly two years earlier, but a major publisher had picked it up, and now their edition was on the shelves. I’d already been to Chicago, Detroit, and Los Angeles for interviews and book signings; now I was stopping back in Dallas for two days before heading out to Atlanta early the next morning.

When I answered my home-office line on the second ring, I recognized the voice on the other end immediately. “Hi, Valorie,” said Rosilyn. We’d met six weeks earlier at the Texas Trailblazer Award luncheon, which I was chairing. Rosilyn was one of two representatives sent when Sister Serita Jakes, my pastor’s wife—whom I’d invited to give the invocation—couldn’t make the lunch because of her travels. I’d enjoyed Rosilyn, and we’d emailed back and forth a couple of times, promising to get together for lunch sometime. We hadn’t managed to put a date on our calendars yet, so I thought this may be why she was calling.

It wasn’t.

“Listen,” she said. “Bishop Jakes is launching a new daily television show.”

“Oh, yes, I’ve heard about that,” I replied. “That’s really exciting.” Trying to contain my own excitement, I wondered, Is she going to ask if I want to be a guest on the show!? My first book had just been released, and I was overjoyed at the idea of being on Bishop Jakes’ s television show. I’d been up late one night when, during a broadcast, I heard Paul Crouch, founder of Trinity Broadcasting Network, offer a yearlong timeslot to Bishop Jakes if he would provide a daily show for the viewers. Mind you, Rosilyn was still in midsentence, and already my mind had launched ahead to figuring out the reason for her call. Of course, if I would just be patient and listen, I’d find out soon enough.

“We haven’t yet found a co-host for the program,” she continued. Maybe she wants me to recommend somebody? I thought before she had a chance to finish.

“I know you’re not a television person…,” she said, almost apologetically. No, she can’t be asking if I want to co-host a national television show? “But we’re here in the studio, and I prayed about it, and your name is the only name God dropped in my spirit.”

Did she just ask me…, I started to wonder.

“Would you be willing to serve as our co-host for the first few weeks while we figure out what direction to take?” Rosilyn finally asked.

“Wow. Um, yes,” I said. “I would love to.” I was excited and in a state of disbelief. After all, it isn’t every day that someone calls you out of the blue to ask you to host a national television program with someone you greatly admire and respect. Is this really happening?

She explained that I would need to come to the studio right away or at least by the next day and that I should bring an assortment of clothes.

Oh no, I thought, and then I had to explain that I was already on the way to a book signing that would start in an hour and that I was scheduled to leave before sunrise the next morning for a flight to Atlanta. I wouldn’t be back until the weekend!

But maybe…

I suggested, due to their schedule and my book tour, the only option was for me to rush over after my book signing.

“Could you?” Rosilyn asked.

That’s exactly what I kept asking myself as I packed my clothes and headed off for a whirlwind evening. Can I do this? I wondered as I finished the book signing at Black Images downtown and headed to the studio about twenty-five miles north.

It was going on nine o’clock, and when I arrived, there were about ten people there—producers, camera people, and ministry staff. They explained what was needed, a few ins and outs for five days worth of programming, and just one catch.

There was no script, and I wouldn’t be able to see the show I’d be referring to on-camera.

Oh.

I took a deep, quiet breath for composure. I was unsure, but there was no need to show it.

They sat me in a chair, aimed a camera at me, and “Three…two… one,” the director said as his fingers counted down. On “zero,” he pointed at me.

I prayed and then felt a sense of confidence rise within me. I’d spent the previous three months being interviewed weekly on KXAS-TV (NBC5) in Dallas, so I’d begun to get used to talking into a camera. I decided that experience must have been God’s preparation. To calm my nervousness, I did a reality check and took stock of the situation. I knew if I thought of this as a big deal—a show that would be seen daily around the country and in multiple foreign countries—I’d get nervous.

So I told myself, “You’re just talking to some people while they start their day by enjoying great biblical teaching from T. D. Jakes.” I reminded myself that television is experienced one person at a time. By thinking in these terms, I was able to find a peaceful place from which to speak.

I’ve since pursued my passion of inspiring others to live fulfilling lives, and along the way, I’ve gained tremendous confidence in God’s ability to carry out His purposes through each one of us. It’s our confidence in Him that bolsters our confidence and belief in ourselves. Knowing that God created you and wants to use you also means acknowledging that He accepts you as you are. Simultaneously, He’s offering you daily opportunities to grow into more of the person He created you to be. He accepts you, despite the criticisms, doubts, or insecurities you may impose on yourself and the obstacles you erect for yourself.

So why is the issue of overcoming doubt and building confidence one of the most important for you to address? Maybe because it impacts your: relationships, as in whether you stand up for yourself, set good boundaries, and choose mutually beneficial friendships; finances, since insecurity and self-doubt are leading contributors to overwhelming credit-card debt as people attempt to fill a void through overspending; ability to parent your children effectively; chosen career (or the career you don’t choose), including how quickly you advance and how much money you earn.