Gratitude — Dominique Sensabaugh

“Gratitude is a powerful catalyst for happiness. It’s the spark that lights a fire of joy in your soul.” – Amy Collette

Beautiful Photos captured by @shotbykmarie

A year ago, in January 2018, I made an unbreakable promise to myself that I would commit my all to my Dominique Sensabaugh Lifestyle Brand and my blog. Despite how tired I was from parenting my infant or how frustrated I might become from the constant hustle and bustle of life, I would give this endeavor 1000% of my effort and that unwavering commitment paid off. This past year of traveling the country, meeting and learning about amazing people, telling their stories and in turn learning about myself has transformed my life for the better.

When describing my feelings toward this year of transformation, the most dominant emotion I feel is extreme gratitude- gratitude for the individuals that sacrificed their time, gratitude for their transparency and vulnerability, gratitude for their inspiration, their friendships, hospitality, love and most importantly- gratitude for the opportunity to share their stories with the DSLB audience. Because in sharing their profound stories with the world, I am shaping and redefining my own. It is in recognizing their triumphs, setbacks, skill sets, hopes, and dreams that I am growing and evolving through my journey.

It is not often that I have the rare opportunity to switch the lens and tell my truth. However, in this interview here, you will be able to read about what drives my passion. To my loyal readers, viewers, and supporters, I thank you- your love and encouragement keep me going and motivate me to strive toward greatness.

Stay tuned for the exciting journey that DSLB will take in 2019.

JD: Oprah stated, “A Queen isn’t afraid to fail. Failure is just another stepping stone to greatness.” How do you define greatness and at what point in your life, will you feel that you have achieved it?

DS: Greatness, to me, is when you can lay your head on the pillow at night knowing you gave every ounce of everything you had in you. The beauty of achieving greatness is that the metrics of measuring greatness have permission to fluctuate depending on life circumstances. If you are a new mom, like I was a year ago, greatness was surviving the trenches of motherhood, learning on the fly and making it day by day. If you are an entrepreneur like I am also, greatness is counting and appreciating the small wins as you grow an idea into a powerhouse. If you are a wife and your spouse is chasing their dreams, greatness is supporting them wholeheartedly and learning when it is ok to take the back seat to your aspirations so your partner can shine. If you are a creative genius, greatness is bringing your dreams and ideas to fruition and acknowledging your worth. These are my definitions of greatness and as I achieve these moments of “greatness” daily, I do not take any of these feats for granted.

JD: If you could choose one chapter out of your life to share with Michelle Obama, Olivia Pope and Beyonce—which chapter would that be?

DS: Ahhhh! How can I choose between who I want to share my life journey out of these amazing queens? I would have to share the chapter with all three of them because they are phenomenal women and who can choose just one? The defining moment of my life came when I stopped caring what others thought about me and I no longer allowed the opinions of others drive how I felt about my potential, my skills, and my worth. The moment I let go of this “need for approval” is the moment I felt liberated from all fears, could wholeheartedly pursue my passions, and freely walk into my calling. As a believer, I know that I am an audience of one, and as long as I am walking into the path that Christ has laid out for me to pursue then I am moving in the direction that I need to go. I am on a journey that is solely designed for me. When we forgo the need for outside approval and forget about what others think about us then we are liberated to move into a higher power and vibrate on a level that is untouched, unmatched and unparallel. When we realize we are our own true competition, we are unstoppable.

JD: Do you believe that success is a right or a privilege?

DS: Success is something you work for day in and day out. You have to do your due diligence in order to be successful, you have to make sacrifices and fight for your right to succeed. Will you feel fatigued? Yes! Will you feel depleted? Probably. Will there be constant uphill battles and setbacks? Absolutely. But if you want success you have to keep showing up and keep fighting through adversity each and every day. That’s how you earn the right and privilege to be successful.

JD: Why you, why now?

DS: “If not us then who, if not now, then when?” It is my responsibility to be a leader, it is my responsibility to use the resources that God has blessed me with to move individuals forward. It is my job to use my voice to help those who are muted. It is my job to leave this world better for my children, and their children and subsequently all those who come after me. This is my calling and I do not take it lightly or for granted.

Thank you for joining me on this journey. I promise there are so many amazing things to birth from the DSLB entity.

Stay tuned, 2019– I have arrived.

Edited by Joy Davis