June 18, 2024

From Crash to Clarity: Esther's Story of Plane Crash Survival and Growth

Give us feedback,suggestion or make a request What if the life you’re living today is the dream your past self once yearned for? Join us in this episode of the Unleashed Podcast as we sit down with the inspiring Esther Longe, who takes us through her transformative journey embracing gratitude and perspective. Esther helps us explore the idea that our current realities, often taken for granted, were once the fervent wishes of our former selves and the unspoken aspirations of those around us. W...

Apple Podcasts podcast player badge
Overcast podcast player badge
Castro podcast player badge
PocketCasts podcast player badge
RSS Feed podcast player badge
Apple Podcasts podcast player icon Overcast podcast player icon Castro podcast player icon PocketCasts podcast player icon RSS Feed podcast player icon
Resilience Confidence Self-Improvement

Give us feedback,suggestion or make a request

What if the life you’re living today is the dream your past self once yearned for? Join us in this episode of the Unleashed Podcast as we sit down with the inspiring Esther Longe, who takes us through her transformative journey embracing gratitude and perspective. Esther helps us explore the idea that our current realities, often taken for granted, were once the fervent wishes of our former selves and the unspoken aspirations of those around us. We delve into the rich cycle of human desire and fulfillment, the importance of pausing to appreciate our blessings, and seeking guidance for the future.

We also tackle the age-old struggle of wanting to be universally liked and the liberating realization that this is neither possible nor necessary. Using relatable analogies, Esther and I dissect the notion of embracing your unique identity and how channeling your energy towards those aligned with your values leads to genuine connections and fulfillment. We also discuss the importance of resilience and sticking through life’s challenges to fully appreciate our environments, rather than making hasty exits when the going gets tough. Learn to invest in relationships and opportunities that genuinely value your presence and contributions.

Esther's gripping account of surviving a plane crash and her subsequent emotional journey is nothing short of miraculous. She shares how she transformed her initial terror of flying into a path of healing and spiritual awakening. This episode uncovers the public scrutiny she faced, the pressure to find purpose, and the profound impact on her mental health. Esther's story is a testament to resilience, mental fortitude, and the power of rediscovering one’s purpose. You'll be inspired by her incredible journey and motivated to confront and overcome your own challenges with newfound strength and perspective.

This episode is sponsored by MyCareerLabs

Support the show

00:02 - The Power of Gratitude and Perspective

09:53 - Embracing Your Unique Identity and Journey

19:00 - Unexpected Journey of Self-Discovery

22:48 - Miraculous Survival in Plane Crash

36:09 - Journey of Surviving a Plane Crash

41:54 - Unraveling Mental Strongholds

52:57 - Heart as Superpower

01:02:00 - Discovering Your Unique Purpose

WEBVTT

00:00:02.044 --> 00:00:13.590
this podcast with Femi Akinyemi, the podcast where we bring amazing guests to share the amazing stories that could transform our lives and help us to unleash our greatest selves.

00:00:13.590 --> 00:00:18.914
It's been a minute since I've come to you a long time actually but you know what?

00:00:18.914 --> 00:00:24.829
If I did have to come back, it was going to be for an amazing, amazing guest, and that is what I have for you today.

00:00:24.829 --> 00:00:49.743
I have with me someone who needs no introduction for those of you very familiar with her and, by the end of this podcast, for those of you who didn't know her but now do, you will be gobbling up all her content and following her up, because she is someone who is just all about faith, execution, passion, and even when I was just following her, I just realized she was just a person of action.

00:00:49.743 --> 00:00:51.950
Go, go, go, go go.

00:00:51.950 --> 00:00:56.143
So I love tapping into her energy and her story is unique and amazing.

00:00:56.143 --> 00:00:59.173
So it's really a pleasure to have you, esther Lunger.

00:00:59.173 --> 00:01:01.280
Esther, welcome to the Unleashed Podcast.

00:01:01.280 --> 00:01:02.826
Thank you so much for joining us.

00:01:03.628 --> 00:01:05.012
Thank you so much for having me, Femi.

00:01:05.012 --> 00:01:07.265
I'm so excited to be here.

00:01:09.010 --> 00:01:09.531
Thank you.

00:01:09.531 --> 00:01:21.662
So I mean, I look at your profile and you have a very, very unique story and you probably fall into maybe less than 100 people in the world by the time you share your story.

00:01:21.662 --> 00:01:29.870
Probably I mean less than a hundred people in the world who have been through what you've been, and I'm making that number up through my head.

00:01:29.870 --> 00:01:33.748
But do you know how many people have survived where you survived?

00:01:33.748 --> 00:01:35.052
Do you follow that?

00:01:35.052 --> 00:01:36.323
You know broadly how many?

00:01:36.323 --> 00:01:39.617
No, okay, but we can assume it's probably going to be very low.

00:01:39.617 --> 00:01:42.665
Right, it's going to be very low, which makes you a very unique person.

00:01:43.286 --> 00:01:46.012
So I don't want to get into that first, because that would make everyone go wow.

00:01:46.012 --> 00:02:00.313
So I guess I want to say the first thing I want to say is, as you look back on your life, to everything you've been through to get to where you are today, when you look back, what's your number one feeling?

00:02:00.313 --> 00:02:06.472
Looking back on your journey of life to get to where you are today, what's your feeling when you look back on your journey of life to get to where you are today?

00:02:06.472 --> 00:02:07.659
What's your feeling when you look back on your life?

00:02:09.521 --> 00:02:18.711
I think, as cliche as it sounds, it's probably going to be gratitude, and I know you asked for one, but gratitude and joy, you know.

00:02:18.711 --> 00:02:28.473
Gratitude because I get to be here, and joy in that I haven't even started to scratch the surface.

00:02:28.473 --> 00:02:35.759
So it's exciting to know that there's still another half of my life yet to unfold.

00:02:35.759 --> 00:02:40.372
So I'm excited, you know, and that is encapsulated in joy.

00:02:41.881 --> 00:02:54.622
Yeah, and I get that because that must be, be and, ultimately, that should be the feeling for all of us, because everybody here, as I was speaking to one of my friends and, um, her daughter goes to a really good school.

00:02:54.681 --> 00:03:07.450
As you're saying, her daughter, that, look, life is a fight, because the moment you were conceived, even then it was a fight because, if you know the way biology works, you have, or you are, the one that survived to be conceived in my womb.

00:03:07.450 --> 00:03:09.105
So, day one, life is a fight.

00:03:09.105 --> 00:03:15.248
So the fact that you're here, you have to be grateful from day one and make the most of every opportunity.

00:03:15.248 --> 00:03:24.092
So I think it's quite amazing what you say, which is about gratitude, and I think a lot of us, we go through life not realizing how blessed we are.

00:03:24.092 --> 00:03:26.929
Right, we don't realize how fortunate we are.

00:03:26.929 --> 00:03:44.228
Yeah, yeah, and there was something I read in one of your profiles, I think in your instagram post, where you said where you are is someone else's prayer point, and that struck me, which is kind of like saying what you have is what someone else wants.

00:03:44.268 --> 00:03:45.651
Right, speak on that a bit.

00:03:45.651 --> 00:03:48.502
When you say that, dig deep into that, what do you?

00:03:48.502 --> 00:03:49.625
What do you mean by that?

00:03:51.127 --> 00:03:52.431
I think that a lot of times.

00:03:52.431 --> 00:04:05.820
So it's an, it's an interesting cycle, and sometimes I wonder how god feels, because we're praying oh lord, oh lord, oh lord, please, please, please, give me my husband, give me my wife, give me my job, give me this thing.

00:04:05.820 --> 00:04:10.961
And you're praying, you're fasting, you know, you're in fact you're praying like never before.

00:04:10.961 --> 00:04:18.221
You're crying, and then the job comes, and then you're like oh God, you know, I really would like to spend time with you, but you know I got to be at work.

00:04:18.221 --> 00:04:20.783
You know time's going.

00:04:20.783 --> 00:04:27.028
And then you get this manager and this thing that you testified in church and said oh father, I just thank you for this amazing job.

00:04:27.028 --> 00:04:30.011
And everybody knows that it was a God job, right?

00:04:30.011 --> 00:04:33.793
You know, all of a sudden you get this manager and you're like I don't even think that.

00:04:33.793 --> 00:04:35.574
Did I even hear from God?

00:04:35.574 --> 00:04:36.896
Was this really the will of God?

00:04:36.896 --> 00:04:38.197
Is this really?

00:04:38.216 --> 00:04:51.680
you know, as in am I here?

00:04:51.680 --> 00:04:51.942
Oh no, please.

00:04:51.942 --> 00:04:52.502
And the cycle starts again.

00:04:52.502 --> 00:04:54.408
You begin to pray oh God, oh God, please, give me a new job, give me a new job.

00:04:54.408 --> 00:04:57.815
But if you would actually pause and reflect and take a second, you will realize that you are living in some of your answered prayers.

00:04:57.836 --> 00:05:00.961
The house that you're living in now was once a prayer point.

00:05:00.961 --> 00:05:11.485
The job, the life that you are living right now was once a prayer point, and it was once a prayer point for you.

00:05:11.485 --> 00:05:14.452
It is also right now somebody's prayer point.

00:05:14.452 --> 00:05:18.420
There's somebody that is looking at you, no matter where you are and you're complaining.

00:05:18.420 --> 00:05:21.769
Somebody is looking at you and saying, oh, I wish I had what this person had.

00:05:22.620 --> 00:05:32.564
And so if we're able to stop and reflect, then we're able to be grateful and then, from that point of gratitude, now begin to say okay, lord, I thank you for what you've done.

00:05:32.564 --> 00:05:38.007
Help me to know if my time in this season is over, if it's time for me to move on to something new.

00:05:38.007 --> 00:05:40.946
And what is this new thing that you're asking me to move on to?

00:05:40.946 --> 00:05:47.283
So, just as an example, yesterday I me to move move on to.

00:05:47.283 --> 00:05:54.708
So, just as an example, yesterday I was teaching a class and, um, as what he was saying, you know, um, you know god answered my prayer and got me and gave me well, I mean, I got this job that allowed me to stay on in the uk.

00:05:55.009 --> 00:06:09.548
You know, I don't know, for I mean, I'm not that grateful, but and I'm looking at this person like you do know that there are people who, they finish their courses, they cannot find anybody to file, you know for them and they are kicked back to wherever it is that they're coming from.

00:06:09.548 --> 00:06:10.410
You know.

00:06:10.410 --> 00:06:12.422
So can you hear yourself?

00:06:12.422 --> 00:06:20.204
You know you have somebody paying for you to stay in a different country while you figure out what your next move is like.

00:06:20.204 --> 00:06:20.726
You know.

00:06:20.726 --> 00:06:26.550
So I think a lot of us could do with a little bit more reflecting on wherever we are, you know in life.

00:06:27.360 --> 00:06:28.947
It's that word, perspective, isn't it?

00:06:29.581 --> 00:06:30.843
We lose perspective sometimes.

00:06:30.843 --> 00:06:32.548
Definitely One of my favorite words.

00:06:33.490 --> 00:06:37.149
Yeah, yeah, and I think we also.

00:06:37.149 --> 00:06:39.860
We measure ourselves by ourselves.

00:06:39.860 --> 00:06:46.851
Sometimes you look at someone else and one of the things I'm always learning to do myself because, like you, I do a lot of coaching as well One thing that I always try to do.

00:06:46.851 --> 00:06:52.507
Or everyone understand that all of us are in the school of life, but my curriculum it's even to your curriculum.

00:06:53.581 --> 00:06:55.148
My assignment is even from your assignment.

00:06:55.148 --> 00:07:06.622
The path set for me is even from yours and that's only formed by my background, who my parents were where I'm from, background who my parents were where I'm from.

00:07:06.622 --> 00:07:07.846
So the distance I have to travel and yours are different.

00:07:07.846 --> 00:07:13.646
So, someone who came from absolutely nothing, getting to be a humble civil servant is a lot.

00:07:13.646 --> 00:07:17.899
It's a big achievement, um, someone who started with everything they'd be given.

00:07:17.899 --> 00:07:22.396
So it's really about making but using the five talents kind of thing.

00:07:22.396 --> 00:07:27.487
Scripturally it's almost like it's with everyone has one, someone have one, someone have three, someone have five.

00:07:27.487 --> 00:07:29.091
It's what you do with it.

00:07:29.091 --> 00:07:30.463
That is success.

00:07:30.483 --> 00:07:36.545
Success is not the same for everyone, but we all have responsibility to make the best of what we have to get where we should be.

00:07:36.545 --> 00:07:44.571
And so don't say, because he had five and I don't have three and I don't have five, I'm my three, I have, I'm not going to bother with it because it got more than me.

00:07:44.571 --> 00:07:45.853
No, it doesn't work like that.

00:07:47.141 --> 00:07:54.572
You know, when we even talk about this analogy, you know some people think that quantity supersedes quality.

00:07:54.572 --> 00:08:12.372
So you can have five, right, and the five I mean local businesses, this and that, and you can have one and your one is apple or facebook or tesla, or do you know what I mean, like your one your one blows one million out of the water, you know.

00:08:12.512 --> 00:08:15.788
And so, like you said, even the problem is to compare ourselves to ourselves.

00:08:15.788 --> 00:08:16.410
It's foolishness.

00:08:16.410 --> 00:08:19.011
So a lot of times you're looking oh, I wish I had five talents.

00:08:19.011 --> 00:08:24.968
But sometimes the problem that the person that has five talents is that they have is to even concentrate on which one should.

00:08:24.987 --> 00:08:27.812
I will focus on per time, per season, because I have all these ones.

00:08:27.812 --> 00:08:28.560
You know you have one.

00:08:28.560 --> 00:08:29.161
You can't focus.

00:08:29.161 --> 00:08:29.963
This is what I have.

00:08:29.963 --> 00:08:31.127
I'm going to mine it.

00:08:31.127 --> 00:08:39.322
Make sure that you know I take it to the nth degree and make sure that everything that is of value inside of it, you know I show, showcase it to the world, you know.

00:08:39.322 --> 00:08:43.070
So, like we are saying now, perspective changes everything.

00:08:43.070 --> 00:08:45.333
It changes the way that we even show up to the world.

00:08:45.333 --> 00:08:50.172
It changes the way that we, you know we value the things that we have been giving.

00:08:50.172 --> 00:08:57.191
Somebody can say, oh, my one talent is speaking, but you can be the best orator that there is.

00:08:57.191 --> 00:08:57.732
You know what I mean.

00:08:57.732 --> 00:09:01.630
You know, like you can become a president based on your speaking ability.

00:09:01.630 --> 00:09:06.591
Like there's no cap, you know, the only cap that is put is the one that we put on ourselves.

00:09:09.500 --> 00:09:10.600
Yes, and that's where you have to find.

00:09:10.600 --> 00:09:18.672
We're going on to your next thing I saw that I'm curious about to do is you said you have to find your tribe, and there was something you said.

00:09:18.672 --> 00:09:19.952
You said I'm not for everybody.

00:09:19.952 --> 00:09:27.280
You said I'm not for everybody, I have to find your tribe, and it's one of those messages that is easy to it's.

00:09:27.280 --> 00:09:34.384
I would say it's easy to say it's, we all know it, but we struggle to practice it because, ultimately, we all have a.

00:09:34.765 --> 00:09:40.303
We are social human beings and we all want to be loved, we all want to be wanted, we all want to be appreciated.

00:09:40.303 --> 00:09:43.951
So, to be able to go, this is.

00:09:43.951 --> 00:09:49.582
These three people are my people and these are people that champion me, support me and everyone else.

00:09:49.582 --> 00:09:51.726
I love you, we're all good.

00:09:51.726 --> 00:09:59.552
How easy do you find it to get to that point where you understand that you're not for everybody?

00:09:59.552 --> 00:10:10.328
And because I want what I'm trying to do is also encourage our listeners to help them understand that you have to start focusing on yourself and being the best you can be, and being the best you can be is for the people you are sent to, not to everybody.

00:10:11.110 --> 00:10:11.511
That's right.

00:10:11.511 --> 00:10:20.586
Honestly, you are subject of what I'm now walking, because the truth of the matter is this there are at least 7 billion people in the world, at least.

00:10:20.586 --> 00:10:23.373
But let me backtrack.

00:10:23.373 --> 00:10:28.331
There's something in us as human beings, inherently, that wants to be liked by everybody.

00:10:28.331 --> 00:10:43.706
But as we grow older and begin to understand and hone our identity, you realize that you're not like everybody else and you're not for everybody.

00:10:44.067 --> 00:10:44.791
And I always say this.

00:10:44.791 --> 00:10:59.644
I say, look, there are people that don't like bread, there are people that don't like ice cream, there are people that don't like pineapple, you know, and the ice cream that they don't like is not because they are lactose intolerant or they just don't like ice cream.

00:10:59.644 --> 00:11:01.350
There are people that don't like chocolate, do you understand?

00:11:01.350 --> 00:11:02.221
You know?

00:11:02.221 --> 00:11:04.576
And if I want to even go deep, there are people that don't like chocolate, do you understand?

00:11:04.576 --> 00:11:06.682
And if I want to even go deep, there are people that don't like Jesus.

00:11:06.682 --> 00:11:09.630
So why do you think they must like you?

00:11:10.980 --> 00:11:15.630
But the people that you are called to, they will respond to your message.

00:11:15.630 --> 00:11:31.265
They will respond to you like you're literally the best thing since sliced bread, and you will not have to work as hard to convince them of your value, to convince them of why they should track with you or why they should go through life with you, because they already see you, they already see your value and they're like.

00:11:31.265 --> 00:11:33.030
This is somebody that I want to align with.

00:11:33.030 --> 00:11:45.436
So a lot of times we waste very valuable time and energy trying to convince people that are not our stakeholders to buy into the message of our lives.

00:11:45.436 --> 00:11:58.128
But if you use that time and energy to refine your message, to continue to mine your value, you will find that those that love you love you even more and they make up for the ones that don't.

00:11:58.128 --> 00:12:04.748
So even if you look at even brands because my background is in marketing we look at Apple there's always this Apple versus Samsung debate.

00:12:04.748 --> 00:12:08.586
Do you understand the people that are Android users?

00:12:08.586 --> 00:12:09.234
They swear on their Android.

00:12:09.234 --> 00:12:11.807
People that are Apple, meanwhile, people will be abusing Apple.

00:12:11.807 --> 00:12:13.346
Apple, your design does not change.

00:12:13.346 --> 00:12:22.328
That's for your pocket, because the people every September, the minutes they stand up, do their presentation by December.

00:12:22.480 --> 00:12:24.327
There are people that are queuing for this product.

00:12:24.327 --> 00:12:29.802
There are people, so you can say what you want, but the people that are brand loyalists are the brand loyalists.

00:12:29.802 --> 00:12:31.986
There's a lot that they will live and breathe.

00:12:31.986 --> 00:12:34.393
Die with Android, no problem.

00:12:34.393 --> 00:12:39.210
Jiggets, the markets, the stage, the world is big enough for everybody to fly.

00:12:39.210 --> 00:12:45.919
It is when there's a lack mentality, meaning that, oh, if this person doesn't like me, then I'm finished.

00:12:45.919 --> 00:12:49.147
No, if this person doesn't like you, there are 10 others that will.

00:12:49.147 --> 00:13:04.942
And so when you look at life from an abundance mindset, through a you know, I am the value mindset, then you find that people are drawn to you and what you carry, and you don't have to convince them as much as you know, because they already see what is inherent in you.

00:13:05.966 --> 00:13:16.072
Yeah, and I love that you connected it to your marketing, because you got there ahead of me, because, ultimately, the best businesses are the ones who are sure of who their customer is.

00:13:16.072 --> 00:13:18.403
Because you can target your marketing, your everything, and it's the same for all of us.

00:13:18.403 --> 00:13:25.913
Not everybody can be your friends and I think when I do a lot of career coaching for people as well as well, I always tell them you can't work for every company.

00:13:25.913 --> 00:13:39.269
There are some companies you go to and they just celebrate you, the thing you did somewhere else, that everyone looked at it like you go somewhere else and they say, wow, you're amazing, and yet you want to go.

00:13:39.269 --> 00:13:41.232
So and this comes back to my mind.

00:13:41.273 --> 00:13:44.206
I think when I was younger, I always wanted to work for really, really, really big companies.

00:13:44.206 --> 00:13:52.769
But when I got there, I realized that for the big brands, they're very impersonal, it's very process-driven, and I was always like just a face in the crowd.

00:13:52.769 --> 00:13:57.350
But when I worked for smaller companies, I love interaction with people, I love meeting people.

00:13:57.350 --> 00:14:03.765
So all of a sudden, when I was in these smaller places, my engagement came to life and I felt like I could have more of an impact.

00:14:03.765 --> 00:14:13.163
I think the message is kind of for people here is that in your personal life, in business, in everywhere you have to find where you are celebrated and where you are appreciated and wanted, right?

00:14:13.163 --> 00:14:13.846
Isn't that the message?

00:14:14.879 --> 00:14:15.280
That's it.

00:14:15.280 --> 00:14:18.549
That's it In life, in life in general.

00:14:18.549 --> 00:14:22.610
Wherever you are, just go where you are celebrated, not tolerated.

00:14:22.610 --> 00:14:29.349
Now, I must put a caveat to that, because I find that you know parts of our generation and definitely the generation that is coming after.

00:14:29.349 --> 00:14:35.808
There is something that is missing, which is the ability to stick, stick at it ability, the ability to stick through things.

00:14:35.860 --> 00:14:53.667
A lot of people say, oh no, no, no, no, it's not giving, it's not working for my mental health, and before you even get a chance to even find out why you're there and what it's about, you're moving on to the next thing.

00:14:53.667 --> 00:14:54.489
This is not what we are saying.

00:14:54.489 --> 00:14:59.020
What we are saying is be so secure in your identity and in the value that you carry as a person that you go and you expect to be valued.

00:14:59.020 --> 00:15:02.308
You don't have to convince people of your value.

00:15:02.308 --> 00:15:05.009
You don't have to convince people to partner with you, to track with you.

00:15:05.009 --> 00:15:06.413
It doesn't have to convince people to partner with you, to track with you.

00:15:06.413 --> 00:15:20.272
It doesn't say that you're perfect or there are no places to improve, but it just lets you know that the people already celebrate you for the essence of you and, whatever needs to be added, they're willing to work with you through whatever the processes are.

00:15:21.301 --> 00:15:22.003
Yeah, that's true.

00:15:22.003 --> 00:15:25.610
It's about knowing your identity and knowing that you're you're.

00:15:25.610 --> 00:15:31.682
You are who you are, and your experiences make up who you are, and that gives you your own unique perspective.

00:15:31.682 --> 00:15:40.782
That somebody would value, and I think the also that thing is I don't know if that's what you find as well is try not to take it personal when people, when you're not for people, don't take it personal.

00:15:40.782 --> 00:15:45.457
I think that's why a lot of us we take it personal right doesn't like me.

00:15:45.457 --> 00:15:46.881
Oh, I don't get on that person.

00:15:46.902 --> 00:15:52.982
We try to force ourselves and then we cause more stress and make it even worse yeah, that's so good.

00:15:53.003 --> 00:15:59.724
That's actually really good yeah so I couldn't let you go before we now start getting to, because we're kind of going back to fun.

00:15:59.724 --> 00:16:03.974
So when I tell your profile he said plane crash survivor.

00:16:03.974 --> 00:16:08.644
And I looked at her and I went I've never seen that before and I'm like is this possible?

00:16:08.644 --> 00:16:19.606
And I guess that's why, when we started the conversation we're speaking about, you are one of the few, the few people who have been through this near death experience of being plane crash.

00:16:19.606 --> 00:16:28.325
So by sharing as much as you feel comfortable sharing, I mean, what was life like before for you?

00:16:28.325 --> 00:16:32.388
Who were you before and this whole event happening.

00:16:32.388 --> 00:16:40.355
How does that, when you look at your life and that chapter, how have you come to reconcile yourself with it and how did the whole thing happen?

00:16:40.355 --> 00:16:44.662
I mean, in your own words, talk us through that whole when you narrate it.

00:16:44.662 --> 00:16:46.909
How do you narrate that whole chapter of your life and that whole thing?

00:16:48.181 --> 00:16:50.649
I feel like you've asked me like three or four questions.

00:16:51.039 --> 00:17:12.683
I know I have, but it's because it's such, and the reason why is because and this is where you can also help as well is because there are some people I've met who have been through let's call them, traumatic events that sometimes they they struggle to deal with, articulating the shame because maybe it's not something they've dealt with on part themselves yet.

00:17:12.683 --> 00:17:28.603
So part of me was trying to find the right way to ask you so you can feel comfortable, but also I kind of also know I've been with you long enough and followed you long enough to know that you've embraced it and you've used it as part of your story to become who you are today.

00:17:28.603 --> 00:17:40.375
So I guess the way I'll put it is tell us more about your experience as a plane crash survivor what led up to it and how it shaped you to who you are today.

00:17:40.415 --> 00:17:41.277
Okay so, thank you.

00:17:41.277 --> 00:18:03.952
Okay, so, as concisely as possible, so I grew up in a single parent home, right, and up until that point in my life, yes, I, yes, you know, I went after things, you know, and by the grace of god, I had good education, um, but I never really thought that there was anything remarkable.

00:18:03.952 --> 00:18:14.246
I mean, yes, I had, I was driven, I had ambition, but remarkable that God would single me out for anything.

00:18:14.246 --> 00:18:18.961
In fact, I even thought that God was like a heavenly uncle, so I didn't think I was on his radar.

00:18:18.961 --> 00:18:36.152
And then fast forward to 2006, which is when it happened, when I go for National Youth Service, which is something that happens in Nigeria when you finish your first degree, right?

00:18:36.152 --> 00:18:38.414
So I was posted to Sokoto.

00:18:38.454 --> 00:18:51.849
Now, as a bit of background, in the year 2000, my auntie died in a plane crash, so she went on a missionary journey for Deeper Life, which is Deeper Life Christian Ministries.

00:18:51.849 --> 00:19:00.522
It's a church in Nigeria, and the Kenyan plane that she was in crashed into the sea.

00:19:00.522 --> 00:19:06.342
And then we're told that we're lucky or fortunate to be able to find her body to bury.

00:19:06.342 --> 00:19:15.556
But that had an impact body to bury, but that had an impact, I mean on me.

00:19:15.556 --> 00:19:23.296
I just pretended that she remained in Port Harcourt where she lived, you know, and that's how I processed that grief, but for my mom it impacted the way that she flew right.

00:19:23.296 --> 00:19:31.721
So she stopped flying internationally and locally and it wasn't broken until 2014, when my younger brother was getting married.

00:19:32.371 --> 00:19:33.761
Yeah, so my mom's younger sister.

00:19:33.761 --> 00:19:35.076
Yeah, my mom's younger sister.

00:19:35.076 --> 00:19:42.443
So my mom did not fly until 2014 when my younger brother got married.

00:19:42.443 --> 00:19:46.353
Wow, so when we had got so fast forward.

00:19:46.353 --> 00:19:55.163
Now to 2006, when we finished uni, nyc lists come out and they say I'm posted to Sokoto.

00:19:55.163 --> 00:20:07.585
I'm like you said what I do not even remember that Sokoto was a state in Nigeria, because the last time I heard about Sokoto was in states and capital you know, a primary school right.

00:20:08.451 --> 00:20:09.094
So I'm like who?

00:20:09.094 --> 00:20:23.778
So I said what you know, and it was, I think, 36 hours by road and an hour and a half by plane, so it was almost like a no-brainer.

00:20:23.778 --> 00:20:25.135
You'd have to fly, you know.

00:20:25.135 --> 00:20:27.818
And I remember my mom being so prayerful, you know.

00:20:27.818 --> 00:20:31.023
In fact she wanted me to defer my NYSE posting.

00:20:31.023 --> 00:20:32.192
She was like wait for batch B.

00:20:32.192 --> 00:20:39.432
But I'd heard stories about how, um, you wait six months for batch B and they'll push you to the exact same place.

00:20:39.432 --> 00:20:43.750
I'm like I'm not gonna wait six months to end up having to go there, you know.

00:20:43.750 --> 00:20:52.392
So she prayed for me and she was like Lord, this is my firstborn, you know, take her and bring her back safely to me at the end of this process.

00:20:52.392 --> 00:21:01.900
And so I go to sokoto and I'm there for nine months, you know, and it was an interesting time you spent nine months there I spent nine months in sokoto.

00:21:02.099 --> 00:21:06.659
My idea when I was going was I was going to, only going to spend three weeks in camp, right.

00:21:06.659 --> 00:21:13.160
But you know, the people that were, yeah, people that were redeploying, or they were saying, oh, they have brain surgery, they have this.

00:21:13.160 --> 00:21:16.472
I say, god forbid, I cannot swear for myself because I want to redeploy.

00:21:16.472 --> 00:21:26.141
So I just, you know, I was like, okay, it looks like I'm here, and it taught me a lot about myself.

00:21:26.141 --> 00:21:27.683
I think that's a different conversation for you.

00:21:27.683 --> 00:21:28.730
I was there for nine months.

00:21:28.730 --> 00:21:40.946
Now I'm 21 at that time, about to be 22 in november, so you're 21 and you think, oh, you can fight, because every time I would come home, it was a dramatic production because my mom, you know, would pray fast and pray.

00:21:40.946 --> 00:21:42.575
You know, do you really have to come back?

00:21:42.575 --> 00:21:43.396
Do you really have to?

00:21:43.396 --> 00:21:44.159
You know, do this.

00:21:44.159 --> 00:21:46.394
And I'm like, please, I need to come for my sanity's sake, I need to come back to civilized.

00:21:46.394 --> 00:21:49.243
I need to come for my sanity's sake, I need to come back to civilized.

00:21:49.243 --> 00:21:52.732
I need to come back, right, and I would come.

00:21:53.374 --> 00:22:05.109
And when I was returning, because the flights were on Wednesdays, fridays and Sundays, my mom would start fasting on Monday and wouldn't stop fasting until Wednesday when she knew I'd landed safely, right.

00:22:05.109 --> 00:22:09.095
So it was always a strain on her.

00:22:09.095 --> 00:22:17.184
You know, for me, I always used to tell people that I believe that air travel is one of the safest means of transportation.

00:22:17.184 --> 00:22:24.923
Because I'm promising, yeah, because you know how many people die, you know, in road accidents on a daily basis, right?

00:22:24.923 --> 00:22:27.172
So I always used to say this.

00:22:27.172 --> 00:22:45.423
You know, I even had friends who were afraid of flying, who would change their flight tickets to fly on the same day as me because I was so confident in this thing that I was saying so fast forward to October, right, my friends have been flying up and down.

00:22:45.423 --> 00:22:46.250
So I'm like, I want to fly.

00:22:46.250 --> 00:22:47.531
I'm an adult, I'm 21.

00:22:47.531 --> 00:22:49.974
Why do I have to tell my mom I'm flying?

00:22:49.974 --> 00:22:56.604
So, the very first day and time in my life that I would fly without telling my mom.

00:22:56.624 --> 00:22:58.026
So you know there's some of us.

00:22:58.026 --> 00:22:59.435
You went outside the cover.

00:23:01.175 --> 00:23:03.997
There are some of us, you know, everybody can be climbing fence.

00:23:03.997 --> 00:23:07.419
Climbing fence, it's not going to school the day you climb fence, that's when the principal catches you.

00:23:07.419 --> 00:23:17.272
There's some of us, I'm telling you.

00:23:17.272 --> 00:23:19.618
There's some of us, I'll tell you.

00:23:19.618 --> 00:23:22.223
There's some of us that don't have the liberty to, you know, color out of the safety lines, right, you know.

00:23:22.223 --> 00:23:23.307
So I, I go to abuja.

00:23:23.307 --> 00:23:29.239
So one of our um nyc cohort mates, or course mates, right, she had redeployed after camp, so she was in abuja.

00:23:29.239 --> 00:23:30.340
So we said we'll, oh, we'll, visit her.

00:23:30.340 --> 00:23:32.673
So my flatmate and I said we're going to go see her in Abuja.

00:23:32.673 --> 00:23:33.938
So we left on Friday.

00:23:33.938 --> 00:23:35.063
Now we're leaving on Friday.

00:23:35.063 --> 00:23:45.011
The plane is full of the Sultan of Sokoto's entourage, so he was flying on Friday, so he's flying from Sokoto into Abuja, so the plane is full.

00:23:45.011 --> 00:23:47.134
I'm there for the weekend.

00:23:47.134 --> 00:23:49.355
We're coming back on Sunday morning.

00:23:50.016 --> 00:24:00.023
Sunday morning I'm woken up at 5 am by some minor ruckus in the house that I was staying and you know I decided OK, let me have my quiet time.

00:24:00.023 --> 00:24:03.226
So I open our daily bridge.

00:24:03.226 --> 00:24:17.336
You know, at the time, and the reading for that day was James 4, 4, 13 to 17.

00:24:17.336 --> 00:24:19.263
That says, and I summarize who are you that says today you will do this, tomorrow you do that.

00:24:19.263 --> 00:24:20.328
That life is like a vapor and you're about to travel.

00:24:20.328 --> 00:24:23.549
I'm like, oh no, if you still have my life, be like a vapor, but you don't really think that anything is going to happen.

00:24:23.549 --> 00:24:27.137
You just pray those prayers, right, don't just cover myself, you know, and all of that.

00:24:27.137 --> 00:24:33.071
So we get to the airport and I never went to Abuja before that day, so I didn't know.

00:24:33.071 --> 00:24:35.861
You know where the exits were and all of that.

00:24:35.861 --> 00:24:45.489
But because I was serving in the airport in Sokoto and in Sokoto there's not a, then at the time there wasn't a middle class.

00:24:45.648 --> 00:24:51.633
You're either very rich or very poor, and so it was the rich people that were flying, because plane tickets were expensive.

00:24:51.633 --> 00:24:58.557
And so I looked around and I was familiar with it, because there's certain people that are flying over, and as I looked around saw familiar faces.

00:24:58.557 --> 00:25:03.400
I said, when they get up to go, I will follow them, because I know that we're going to the same destination.

00:25:03.400 --> 00:25:06.615
And when they got up to go, I followed them.

00:25:06.615 --> 00:25:27.084
Now I got outside and I don't know if you know the northern heat, so it's very hot in the north, and then there's a rain that comes after it's been so hot, and it's usually very heavy rain, and so it starts to rain and we're, you know, queuing to board the plane, and I remember thinking to myself that, oh, I wonder if the pilot can fly when it rains.

00:25:27.084 --> 00:25:34.996
But then I also thought to myself that they don't cancel flights every time that it rains, so it must be okay.

00:25:34.996 --> 00:25:43.817
So we get on the plane, and I used to say then that patience was not really my virtue, so I like to sit in the front of the plane, so as soon as the plane lands, I'm one of the first people out.

00:25:43.817 --> 00:25:57.423
That was impossible, however, because the plane was full of the Sultan of Sokoto and his entourage going back to Sokoto, and so they are taking business class and some of the you know, the early seats and so on, you know.

00:25:57.423 --> 00:26:04.961
So I'm in the middle, so I'm trying to find my seat in the middle and then I hear somebody call my full name at the time, esther Kemba Modana.

00:26:04.961 --> 00:26:11.143
I'm like who knows me, you know, and there was somebody as another copper who was serving, you know, with the airline adc.

00:26:11.143 --> 00:26:20.818
So I served with the federal airport authority of nigeria, she served with adc, so she called my name now for somebody who was already adverse to sitting in the middle of the plane.

00:26:20.818 --> 00:26:31.651
You know, the next few things that will happen, you get a part of the things that are supernatural about the testimony, because I heard like a voice in my head saying, oh, you know, go sit next to her.

00:26:31.651 --> 00:26:39.595
And I was like, okay, and I also, you know, heard a voice saying, oh, be nice to everybody, because you never know when you'll need people.

00:26:39.595 --> 00:26:48.432
So I was like, so it was like my friend's voice in my head, right, but now, with the knowledge that I have, I realized that it was the voice of the Holy Spirit right now.

00:26:48.432 --> 00:26:52.282
So I sat down beside her and the plane took off.

00:26:52.369 --> 00:26:56.750
Now the flight had been delayed for a few minutes, so this is like 11 o'clock or around then in the morning.

00:26:56.750 --> 00:27:00.986
And so we took off and the plane is gaining altitude.

00:27:00.986 --> 00:27:04.961
Now, the flight had been delayed because the pilot was supposed to be refueling the plane.

00:27:04.961 --> 00:27:13.582
So we're gaining altitude, gaining altitude, and all of a sudden the plane drops and we just think that, oh, it's normal turbulence, right?

00:27:13.582 --> 00:27:14.523
So everybody's still okay.

00:27:14.523 --> 00:27:17.134
Then we're going again and then it drops.

00:27:17.173 --> 00:27:23.471
This time, you know when the plane drops like a roller coaster, when you feel it in your stomach, when you're almost like the seat of your stomach drops.

00:27:23.471 --> 00:27:24.653
That's how it felt.

00:27:24.653 --> 00:27:25.854
Boom, and I was like aha.

00:27:25.854 --> 00:27:30.817
So by this time, even though it's in the morning, the lights in the plane are on.

00:27:30.817 --> 00:27:35.542
You know, the Muslims are calling Allah, the Christians are calling Jesus, children are crying.

00:27:35.542 --> 00:27:40.487
But even at that point in time, we just think that it is really bad turbulence.

00:27:40.487 --> 00:27:48.730
We don't think that anything untoward is about to happen.

00:27:48.730 --> 00:27:53.099
And so I look out the window and I hear so what do you give me the language for it.

00:27:53.099 --> 00:27:54.367
I said I had a big bow, but first of all you had a big bang.

00:27:54.367 --> 00:27:54.730
Yes, I had a bang.

00:27:54.990 --> 00:28:06.403
A bang does not really convey the same thing as bow you know, but I heard a big bang and then I looked out and then looked back to the front.

00:28:06.403 --> 00:28:10.876
So I looked out, the window had the big bang looked to my front and I was sitting the same way.

00:28:10.876 --> 00:28:13.821
I was sitting in the air, but in front of me was grass.

00:28:13.821 --> 00:28:15.704
The plane had crashed.

00:28:15.704 --> 00:28:18.835
Now people ask me did I black out?

00:28:18.835 --> 00:28:42.717
I know I didn't black out right, but I used to say that before that day I believed in God, but that day I believed in angels, because literally the way I was sitting in the air is how I was dropped on the ground and you may think that, okay, that dropped you yes dropped me sitting and you think, oh, that's everybody, you know that survived, that's how they were dropped.

00:28:42.737 --> 00:28:45.131
But no, the person was sitting right beside me.

00:28:45.131 --> 00:28:51.364
The impact of the plane crash flung her somewhere else and she was trapped under her seat right.

00:28:51.364 --> 00:28:58.582
So I unhook my seatbelt and you know, I had my hand luggage under my back.

00:28:58.582 --> 00:29:02.895
Under my seat I had my Motorola Razor.

00:29:02.895 --> 00:29:03.938
It was all still there.

00:29:03.938 --> 00:29:05.020
It was there.

00:29:05.020 --> 00:29:10.401
It was under my seat, my Motorola Razor, clip by my side.

00:29:10.401 --> 00:29:21.434
The phone was on the floor beside me, clipped it, unhooked myself, heard the person beside me screaming for help, unhooked her from her own seat and then we climbed out of the debris.

00:29:22.817 --> 00:29:24.663
Climbed out of the debris and went in the field.

00:29:24.663 --> 00:29:26.633
We did not know where we were right.

00:29:26.633 --> 00:29:35.012
When it filled, it was raining and when the person beside me saw I had my stuff, she went back to go look for her stuff.

00:29:35.012 --> 00:29:45.241
Now I saw three ladies on top of each other and the one on top was trapping the ones below and you know they were screaming for help.

00:29:45.241 --> 00:29:49.256
And there was a guy that was sitting on the ground, spread eagles, just looking.

00:29:49.256 --> 00:29:52.781
And I remember thinking to myself that we're all in shock here.

00:29:52.781 --> 00:29:54.404
You know, like help.

00:29:54.404 --> 00:29:58.540
It was later that I found that he couldn't move because his legs were broken.

00:29:58.540 --> 00:30:06.203
So I'm unhooking the person on top, you know, and she's trapping the ones below.

00:30:06.203 --> 00:30:09.430
And I remember, you know, because her, you could see the white of her bone.

00:30:09.430 --> 00:30:15.261
It was not a very pleasant sight, but I remember saying to her that at least you are alive, they can fix your body right.

00:30:15.261 --> 00:30:19.897
And those three ladies ended up being the daughters of the Kogi state governor.

00:30:20.859 --> 00:30:24.372
Now we were in a field, we don't know where we were.

00:30:24.372 --> 00:30:26.317
There was a lady that was crying.

00:30:26.317 --> 00:30:38.199
So she had a broken hand, you know, and I'm not sure if her leg was broken, but she had a broken hand and she was crying her brother, her brother.

00:30:38.199 --> 00:30:40.930
In the Northern culture the men sit in front, the women sit at the back, and so I thought so I said to her your brother is fine.

00:30:40.930 --> 00:30:43.614
Because in my mind, the plane had broken in half.

00:30:43.614 --> 00:30:51.105
We were in one part and there was probably another group of people in another part, somewhere, and so Adi said you're alive, they'll find your brother.

00:30:52.290 --> 00:30:59.740
Now, in the middle of all of this, villagers had heard the commotion and then they start to run, you know, in our direction.

00:30:59.740 --> 00:31:05.421
And that's when we now discover that the plane had crashed outside of the airport.

00:31:05.421 --> 00:31:09.152
But the people in the airport did not know that the plane had gone down outside of the airport.

00:31:09.152 --> 00:31:11.713
Yeah, so they ran in the airport, did not know that the plane had gone down outside of the airport.

00:31:11.713 --> 00:31:35.019
Yeah, so they ran to the airport, came back with a pickup truck for the three of us that could move Right, and so they put us in that truck and we were in this muddy field and so the truck was just slink and by the time we got to the airport hospital we're bringing in bodies and all of that stuff.

00:31:35.058 --> 00:31:36.884
I just had this irrational desire to be as far away from the airport as possible.

00:31:36.884 --> 00:31:41.347
So I called my friends who had literally dropped me like an hour or so before to say this is what has happened.

00:31:41.347 --> 00:31:42.311
Please can you come and get me.

00:31:42.311 --> 00:31:49.176
And so they came to pick me, and then he took me to a private hospital where the first thing that they would do was to put me on a morphine drip.

00:31:49.176 --> 00:31:54.097
You know, because of the headache Now they are fixing the morphine drip.

00:31:54.097 --> 00:31:56.096
And then my mom calls me.

00:31:56.096 --> 00:31:59.838
She's like ah, cnn breaking news.

00:31:59.838 --> 00:32:02.394
They say that the airport in Sokoto.

00:32:02.394 --> 00:32:09.698
It must be going crazy, because a plane that should have come to Sokoto did get crashed, you know, in Abuja, and I was like yeah, it's crazy.

00:32:09.698 --> 00:32:12.218
I couldn't tell her that I was on the.

00:32:14.509 --> 00:32:24.325
So, you know, I slept, woke up and, you know, my flatmates parents wanted to go greet my mom whatever the greeting is for surviving plane crash.

00:32:24.325 --> 00:32:32.281
You know, my friends were telling me you need to go to the military hospital where they are keeping survivors, because they'll just think that you died, that you couldn't find your body.

00:32:32.281 --> 00:32:38.257
And so I had to now call my mom to let her know that I was one of the survivors of this main crash.

00:32:38.257 --> 00:32:46.059
And so I called her and I told her and she just gave the phone to my brother that I don't know what your sister is saying, you know.

00:32:46.059 --> 00:32:51.442
And she says that she looked in the mirror and asked the Lord like, why me?

00:32:51.442 --> 00:32:52.531
What is this about?

00:32:52.531 --> 00:32:57.163
And the Lord says that my grace is sufficient for you and my strength is made perfect in your weakness.

00:32:57.163 --> 00:32:59.858
And that was what she held on to through that process.

00:32:59.858 --> 00:33:05.042
So I go to the military hospital and they keep me there for three days to make sure that I had no internal injuries, which I did not.

00:33:05.042 --> 00:33:12.203
And so the next morning, monday morning, 4 am, I wake up and CNN is playing the story.

00:33:12.910 --> 00:33:33.311
I now realize, and I start to weep, because I realized that the only part of the plane that survived was literally the tail end, which is where, you know, I was in, and so of the 105 people that were on the plane, only nine survived, and of the nine that survived, only one had no injuries, and that was me, you know.

00:33:33.311 --> 00:33:36.883
Know, to the glory of god, so I'm crying, you know.

00:33:36.883 --> 00:33:39.309
And then the nurse comes and says why are you crying?

00:33:39.309 --> 00:33:40.071
You should be grateful.

00:33:40.071 --> 00:33:42.980
I'm like, I'm crying because I'm grateful, auntie, you know, like.

00:33:42.980 --> 00:33:55.112
So anyway, um, oh, the president comes, ministers come, and because I'm one of the more lucid ones, you know, there are so many interviews that happened in that state, so people were telling me oh, I heard you on the radio, and I'm which radio?

00:33:55.112 --> 00:34:06.971
I didn't do any video interview, but literally they must have been interviewing me while these people were speaking to me and it's all a blur right now it's all a blur, because you were just doing interview exactly.

00:34:06.991 --> 00:34:08.853
So I didn't know who was who and what was what.

00:34:08.853 --> 00:34:18.740
So, but I had a conundrum, because I was in Abuja, right, and it was nine hours by road to Sokoto, nine hours by road to Lagos.

00:34:18.740 --> 00:34:20.161
So I was right in the middle.

00:34:20.161 --> 00:34:22.143
Where am I going from here?

00:34:22.143 --> 00:34:24.684
And my mom was like, are you crazy?

00:34:24.684 --> 00:34:25.925
You're coming back to Lagos.

00:34:25.925 --> 00:34:32.070
So destination sorted us.

00:34:32.070 --> 00:34:32.711
So destination sorted.

00:34:32.731 --> 00:34:36.661
And I had a friend who worked in Virgin Nigeria at the time and he said to me he said, esther, god did not save you on Sunday to kill you on Wednesday.

00:34:36.661 --> 00:34:41.235
You will fly back Now by Wednesday morning.

00:34:41.235 --> 00:34:47.132
I'm excited to be leaving the hospital because I want to go home, I want to be with my family.

00:34:47.132 --> 00:34:49.016
So I'm excited.

00:34:49.016 --> 00:34:57.485
Until I get to the airport, get on the tarmac and see the plane, I start to weep, I'm crying, I'm crying, I'm crying.

00:34:57.485 --> 00:35:08.371
And so the airport manager takes me to the cockpit and he shows me the pilots right, and you know my dad says, um, he calls me a word.

00:35:08.371 --> 00:35:14.228
I'm not gonna use the word because you know what he's like, because I said, my heart was calm when I saw that they were rainbow people that were flying.

00:35:14.228 --> 00:35:15.431
I said, okay, people know what you are doing.

00:35:15.472 --> 00:35:20.733
Carry on so they now asked me, they now asked me do you want to stay in the cockpit with us?

00:35:20.733 --> 00:35:21.856
I said, do I look like I'm mad?

00:35:21.856 --> 00:35:23.298
You fly the plane.

00:35:23.298 --> 00:35:25.590
We are the back of the plane.

00:35:25.590 --> 00:35:32.282
And so I cried throughout the hour or so of the flight and and people were looking like who is this one that is just entering plane for the first time?

00:35:32.282 --> 00:35:32.903
Because, you get it.

00:35:32.903 --> 00:35:41.884
I was like this village girl, but at the end of the flight they said we want to dedicate this flight to Estamada, one of the survivors of the ADC plane crash.

00:35:41.884 --> 00:35:47.697
And so, you know, people were asking who, who, who, pressing money, taking pictures, all of that stuff.

00:35:47.697 --> 00:35:56.114
Anyway, I got home and my mom carried me on her laps, just like she had done when she was releasing me to start the NYC process.

00:35:56.114 --> 00:35:59.597
And you know, channel television carried it all of that stuff.

00:35:59.597 --> 00:36:03.721
But my house was inundated with people.

00:36:03.721 --> 00:36:08.070
People wanted to see this person that had survived the plane crash.

00:36:08.974 --> 00:36:11.096
Nigerians are interesting people.

00:36:11.096 --> 00:36:15.576
God made you survive for a reason, asking what is your purpose?

00:36:15.576 --> 00:36:16.914
I'm like which purpose?

00:36:16.914 --> 00:36:17.657
Now, jiggy has a.

00:36:17.657 --> 00:36:18.932
That's what he gives you a Bugatti.

00:36:18.932 --> 00:36:19.454
Do you understand?

00:36:19.454 --> 00:36:20.016
What do you want?

00:36:20.016 --> 00:36:22.315
You want my firstborn, like what do you need from me?

00:36:22.315 --> 00:36:23.480
Right, you know?

00:36:23.480 --> 00:36:25.652
And then people are like, oh, second Jesus.

00:36:25.893 --> 00:36:39.858
So it was a lot of pressure and before I knew it I started to have panic attacks, you know, and even entered into a two-year period of survivor's guilt right of depression, and it wasn't until I was in my church.

00:36:39.858 --> 00:36:45.137
I left Nigeria the year after because my parents didn't want me to be in Nigeria for the one-year anniversary.

00:36:45.137 --> 00:37:04.594
And it wasn't until the year after, which is two years after the plane crashed, and I was in my church in Cardiff and I got, you know, deliverance, because the Lord was like listen, if I give you the gift of eternal life and you can accept that, then you can accept this second run or second you know turn at life, even with all these trials and tribulations.

00:37:04.594 --> 00:37:12.195
And it was such a simple yet profound statement that pierced through the darkness that was over my mind, profound statement that pierced through the darkness that was over my mind.

00:37:12.195 --> 00:37:16.804
And then I was like, even if all I have to do is just to testify of your goodness, right, then I'll do that.

00:37:17.670 --> 00:37:25.072
And so a lot of times when people think about even what I do now, they think that it's a direct result of surviving a plane crash.

00:37:25.072 --> 00:37:28.824
But it's not true, because I actually didn't like telling people that I survived a plane crash because I don't look like someone that survived a plane crash.

00:37:28.824 --> 00:37:34.179
But it's not true, because I actually didn't like telling people that I survived a plane crash because I don't look like someone that survived a plane crash.

00:37:34.179 --> 00:37:35.293
If I don't tell you, you won't know.

00:37:35.293 --> 00:37:40.293
So I only committed to once a year, on the anniversary, sharing it in a new place.

00:37:40.293 --> 00:37:45.835
But then I had this journey with intimacy with God and that is what has changed the trajectory of my life.

00:37:45.835 --> 00:37:52.079
But I do admit willingly that the plane crash has given me some of the platforms that I enjoy today.

00:37:52.079 --> 00:37:54.938
Surviving the plane crash has given me a platform.

00:37:56.130 --> 00:37:57.617
Thank you so much for sharing that.

00:37:57.617 --> 00:37:58.811
I think what you said.

00:37:58.811 --> 00:38:00.898
You had to catch a plane three days later.

00:38:00.898 --> 00:38:02.641
I'm not being funny, it was me.

00:38:02.641 --> 00:38:03.960
I walked to Lagos.

00:38:03.960 --> 00:38:04.947
I was just thinking about it.

00:38:04.947 --> 00:38:07.918
I walked over, I was cycling to Lagos.

00:38:07.918 --> 00:38:11.414
I was so brave of you.

00:38:11.414 --> 00:38:14.702
Wow, wow and have you out of trusty.

00:38:14.702 --> 00:38:15.563
How are the kids?

00:38:17.353 --> 00:38:21.360
so my daughter is is seven and my son is five okay.

00:38:21.380 --> 00:38:29.061
So they're still a bit young to kind of no, oh no, oh no.

00:38:29.081 --> 00:38:31.025
My mother, whoever played crash.

00:38:31.025 --> 00:38:36.826
So I have a plane crash video that went viral like three years ago, okay, and I think it's my mom that plays the video.

00:38:36.826 --> 00:38:38.150
I was like how are you gonna do this?

00:38:38.150 --> 00:38:40.378
So my son doesn't get it, but my, my daughter.

00:38:40.378 --> 00:38:43.849
But I was like, oh no, I don't want to see.

00:38:43.849 --> 00:38:46.445
So anytime she sees the black and white, so the video is in black and white.

00:38:46.445 --> 00:38:48.273
So every time she sees black white, no, I don't want to see.

00:38:48.273 --> 00:38:49.717
Oh, I wish you didn't survive.

00:38:49.717 --> 00:38:53.730
I was just like I think that this is too much information for your mind to process right now.

00:38:53.730 --> 00:39:00.181
But she knows, yeah, she knows, she's very aware, yeah wow, thank you so much.

00:39:00.242 --> 00:39:01.764
I mean there's so much.

00:39:01.764 --> 00:39:03.875
There's so much in that story.

00:39:03.875 --> 00:39:04.878
I was interested.

00:39:04.878 --> 00:39:10.782
You're the first person to confirm to me when I've heard that sitting at the back is actually safer on planes.

00:39:10.782 --> 00:39:14.085
I don't know if that's true, but I've heard that sitting at the back is actually safer in the.

00:39:14.085 --> 00:39:24.061
In the unlikely event that what happened to you happens again sitting in the back, I mean it's very rare anybody makes it, but if you're gonna have a chance at the back is probably better chances than being up front.

00:39:24.811 --> 00:39:27.376
So yeah, yeah yeah, amazing.

00:39:27.777 --> 00:39:35.199
So thank you so much for that and I won't even unpack that much because I think everyone else it's a big enough testimony for everyone who's heard it to take what they want from it.

00:39:35.199 --> 00:39:36.512
But thank you so much.

00:39:36.512 --> 00:39:43.702
But the other thing when I was following you, what I now heard was you said that and you've kind of confirmed it was that it didn't immediately lead to this.

00:39:43.702 --> 00:39:47.373
You didn't wake up next day and be like I'm all for God, I'm on fire.

00:39:47.373 --> 00:39:58.085
It was a gradual process and you mentioned somewhere that actually you went into a depression for a while and you suffered survival's guilt.

00:40:05.409 --> 00:40:08.831
Tell us a bit more about that, that survival's guilt, that whole feeling and depression.

00:40:08.831 --> 00:40:12.612
Yeah, so on that plane there was a s Sultan of Sokoto, his son and his grandson.

00:40:12.612 --> 00:40:15.492
There was a mom with four kids.

00:40:15.492 --> 00:40:18.152
There was a deacon living in my church growing up right.

00:40:18.733 --> 00:40:34.559
So there were so many amazing people that died World standards really high, amazing people yes, and then you know there's this little peep squeak of a girl that all the headlines miracle girl, did you know.

00:40:34.559 --> 00:40:36.463
And I'm just like, why?

00:40:36.463 --> 00:40:37.626
Like, what do you want?

00:40:37.626 --> 00:40:53.599
Especially because it really messed with my mind and my theology up until that point because, like I said, coming from my background of a single parent, you know, whatever, where god is, heavenly uncle, you know, and then people are now ascribing my oh, this, did you see the thumbs of this?

00:40:53.599 --> 00:40:56.630
Uh, mac and his thing, you know anyway.

00:40:56.630 --> 00:41:12.163
So I'm coming from my, coming from my, you know, from my background, coming from you know, people are saying, oh, god saved you for a reason, for purpose, you know, second jesus, and I'm like I didn't know that he knew me, I would care about me to do this amazing thing.

00:41:12.163 --> 00:41:13.527
So, what do you want?

00:41:13.527 --> 00:41:15.161
Do you want me to be a missionary somewhere?

00:41:15.161 --> 00:41:18.643
Like, what do you require from me, please?

00:41:18.643 --> 00:41:20.557
What's the price I pay for this?

00:41:20.557 --> 00:41:22.722
Thank you, like, what do you need?

00:41:22.722 --> 00:41:23.684
Like why?

00:41:23.684 --> 00:41:25.088
Why me, you know.

00:41:25.474 --> 00:41:35.489
And so it was a lot, it was a lot and, to be honest, I'm not even somebody till now that really likes spotlight.

00:41:35.489 --> 00:41:42.623
So all the attention was a lot, it was a lot and I don't know how to process it.

00:41:42.623 --> 00:41:44.643
It gave me panic attacks, you know.

00:41:44.643 --> 00:41:48.422
And so I remember, in January or so of 2008,.

00:41:48.422 --> 00:41:56.186
One of the ladies that was, she was like my junior in Queen's College and she committed suicide and people were like how, why would she commit suicide?

00:41:57.817 --> 00:42:06.885
And I was like I can understand it, you can be in such a dark place, you know that the hope, the will to live, you know, and I was the funniest person.

00:42:06.885 --> 00:42:08.349
I could make everybody laugh.

00:42:08.349 --> 00:42:11.320
I would see life from a third-person perspective, laughing.

00:42:11.320 --> 00:42:12.302
What's funny?

00:42:12.302 --> 00:42:12.905
Do you know what I mean?

00:42:12.905 --> 00:42:19.114
Like I'm having a concern and I'll just be, you know, almost like outside an out-of-body experience, looking at like why are you laughing?

00:42:19.114 --> 00:42:26.097
You know, and it wasn't until that simple but profound statement just brought light and broke the darkness.

00:42:26.097 --> 00:42:29.621
So, but I have a lot of.

00:42:29.621 --> 00:42:34.909
Therefore, that's why the mind is so powerful, because the mind can literally halt you in your tracks.

00:42:34.909 --> 00:42:49.969
It can make you disengage from the world as you know it, you know, and so one of my own life's messages is a message of hope and encouragement and also deliverance, you know, just making you embrace freedom on different planes of your life.

00:42:51.349 --> 00:42:57.105
Thank you, and that kind of leads us, natalie, into one of your flagship programs.

00:42:57.105 --> 00:43:06.842
You do, and I encourage everyone to check out Esther Lunger's Instagram and she talked a lot about her Fortified Mind program and we go there for more information.

00:43:06.842 --> 00:43:10.623
I'm sure she'll share a bit more about it for you before we finish as we come to the end.

00:43:10.623 --> 00:43:22.456
So when I look to the Fortified Mind mind, it talks about sort of identifying and dealing with strongholds and overcoming battles of the mind, dealing with imposter syndrome and elevated visioning.

00:43:22.456 --> 00:43:26.365
And tell us a bit more, because you've spoken about the mind so clearly.

00:43:26.365 --> 00:43:27.295
The mind is something you're.

00:43:27.295 --> 00:43:45.362
Even when we spoke about the book you're reading, the mind is something that fascinates you and, for any number of reasons, for a lot of us that are struggling, and fortified mind what is the problem is trying to solve for a lot of us, because I find that.

00:43:46.003 --> 00:44:00.360
So I'm called to like high achiever, high achieving individuals, and I feel like they are often overlooked because people believe that oh for you to be so accomplished, you know, intellectual, to get to where you are, you know you don't have problem.

00:44:00.360 --> 00:44:21.795
Literally, we intuitively put a cap on ourselves and the things that we aspire to, because of what our mind conceives about what we can aspire to, right.

00:44:21.795 --> 00:44:29.829
So there are some people that, no matter where they have gotten to and you'll see this in your career coaching I'm sure they believe that is luck.

00:44:29.829 --> 00:44:31.480
They have gotten to and you'll see this in your career coaching.

00:44:31.480 --> 00:44:32.262
I'm sure they believe that is luck.

00:44:32.262 --> 00:44:36.514
Or, you know, one day they'll realize that I'm not really worthy of this space that I'm occupying.

00:44:36.514 --> 00:44:37.076
You know.

00:44:37.076 --> 00:44:41.106
You know everybody else is looking at them like are you serious?

00:44:41.106 --> 00:44:42.936
You are the best thing since sliced bread.

00:44:43.579 --> 00:44:48.438
You know how, you know people just say you know that it's almost like I got lucky, or am I that good?

00:44:48.438 --> 00:44:49.300
And it even happens to me.

00:44:49.300 --> 00:44:51.445
Sometimes People go look at what you've done.

00:44:51.445 --> 00:44:53.768
I go what have I done, what have I done?

00:44:53.768 --> 00:45:00.835
And you minimize, you minimize, you minimize everything you've done in relation to what others see.

00:45:00.835 --> 00:45:03.568
So when others talk about it, like who are you talking about?

00:45:03.588 --> 00:45:05.822
They're talking about exactly exactly.

00:45:05.822 --> 00:45:08.041
It's like they're seeing something that you can't see.

00:45:08.041 --> 00:45:16.505
You know, and because things come easily to you, you almost minimize the efficacy of those things, because for you, like everybody should be able to do this.

00:45:16.505 --> 00:45:17.699
This is not a big deal.

00:45:17.699 --> 00:45:21.217
Well, you don't realize that there are gifts and graces that are operating in your life.

00:45:21.217 --> 00:45:24.505
So things that are easy for you are not necessarily easy for other people.

00:45:25.436 --> 00:45:37.588
I've also seen the most remarkable people, strong, even people that other people lean on, most remarkable people, strong, even people that other people lean on, but they don't believe that they deserve better than where they are.

00:45:37.588 --> 00:45:39.855
They don't believe that they can have everything.

00:45:39.855 --> 00:45:47.059
They believe that, okay, I'm thriving in one area and I thank God for the area I'm thriving in, but this is as good as it's going to get.

00:45:47.059 --> 00:45:48.382
And I'm like, based on what?

00:45:48.382 --> 00:45:50.407
Based on what?

00:45:50.407 --> 00:46:12.844
Oh, there are some people who and you know, when it's about strongholds, people think, oh, strongholds are such a strong, but it's literally a faulty mindset that keeps you, imprisoned, from entering into the freedom of everything that is possible for you yes, yes so it's not the enemies of your father's house, you know, for that is literally because those ones at least you can fight demon, you can pray, but how do you fight your mind?

00:46:13.525 --> 00:46:13.764
Yes.

00:46:14.106 --> 00:46:15.086
The mind is about you.

00:46:15.086 --> 00:46:18.400
I'm telling you how do you fight yourself.

00:46:18.400 --> 00:46:26.471
So somebody can be telling you I think you should go after this, I think you can do this and you're like no, you don't know what you're saying.

00:46:32.894 --> 00:46:38.797
You actually do it, and what I find amazing about it you're saying is that in their heart of hearts, all these people, they know they can do it, but when it comes time, it's almost as if they're also afraid of success.

00:46:38.797 --> 00:46:41.143
Sometimes they're not even afraid of failure.

00:46:41.143 --> 00:46:49.324
It's like they're afraid of what if I'm successful, it's going to ask more of me, and more of me, and more of me, and then the virus stays safe.

00:46:50.186 --> 00:46:53.030
I feel like running around this room right now.

00:46:54.096 --> 00:46:58.041
What I'm saying also was I see it and being vulnerable as well.

00:46:58.041 --> 00:47:01.356
I see it in myself sometimes Me too.

00:47:01.356 --> 00:47:05.217
My hands are up, so be consistent I'll do a bit and I'll go back.

00:47:05.217 --> 00:47:13.565
I'll do a bit and I'll go back, instead of just step on the accelerator and just push to the very end I always.

00:47:13.585 --> 00:47:22.807
So that's why I'm running around, because we see with our own clients generally for me to identify it, because because you know, they're not afraid of failure.

00:47:22.807 --> 00:47:24.452
I'm not afraid of failure.

00:47:24.452 --> 00:47:25.034
Do you understand?

00:47:25.034 --> 00:47:28.891
You know, because the with the knowledge that we have, we don't fail.

00:47:28.891 --> 00:47:29.655
Do you understand what I mean?

00:47:29.655 --> 00:47:35.565
Like we adapt, you know, know, but success, then what will happen to this life that I've built?

00:47:35.565 --> 00:47:37.641
Then what will it demand from me?

00:47:37.641 --> 00:47:39.300
Then I have to expand into this.

00:47:39.300 --> 00:47:40.423
Then I have to do this.

00:47:40.423 --> 00:47:41.659
Then what if I cannot?

00:47:41.659 --> 00:47:43.204
I don't have the capacity for it anymore.

00:47:43.204 --> 00:47:53.289
What if, as you now talk yourself out of things and then you know, a lot of times I have people say you know, a lot of times I have people say, well, it's okay, I'll just help other people, I'll just coach other people.

00:47:53.349 --> 00:48:04.340
Shots fired in both directions usually such people are also intelligent enough to know that life is passing you by.

00:48:04.340 --> 00:48:09.500
So it becomes a mental torture as your life is passing you by your dreams are fading.

00:48:09.500 --> 00:48:14.539
So it's not like that ignorant of so when people are even coaching them.

00:48:14.539 --> 00:48:18.599
Sometimes it's even harder to coach or speak to such people because they can answer.

00:48:18.599 --> 00:48:19.742
They can everything you want to say.

00:48:19.742 --> 00:48:20.585
They will say it for you.

00:48:23.981 --> 00:48:33.701
You just have to do it yourself, because I can't help you, because intellectually you know what you already know the answers, and so that's why I believe that even my own strategy I go.

00:48:33.701 --> 00:48:39.478
So I go to do roots, because a lot of these things have their foundations in childhood.

00:48:39.478 --> 00:48:48.086
They have their foundations in things that that accessed our minds before we had the ability to defend ourselves.

00:48:48.086 --> 00:48:52.621
So there are things that people will say to you now, as an adult, that you're like are you crazy?

00:48:52.621 --> 00:48:54.885
What did you smoke, did you get before coming to me?

00:48:54.885 --> 00:48:55.507
Do you know what I mean?

00:48:56.014 --> 00:49:04.614
But as a child, it has the ability to devastate you, and so you don't realize that you're now beginning to take position based on what happened in childhood.

00:49:04.614 --> 00:49:10.103
From that age, you begin to take a position and you begin to protect yourself.

00:49:10.103 --> 00:49:20.000
These are the parameters of my life, julia, so that I never feel this feeling again.

00:49:20.000 --> 00:49:24.257
I will never put myself in a position, and every time you put those parameters around you, you're literally walling yourself in, and some people say what's wrong with that?

00:49:24.257 --> 00:49:28.027
I'm protected, I don't get to be hurt, but you also don't get to experience.

00:49:28.027 --> 00:49:34.385
So you don't feel the low lows of being hurt, but you don't feel the high highs of the joy that comes from accomplishing what your destiny is.

00:49:34.385 --> 00:49:41.601
And so we now have to begin.

00:49:41.621 --> 00:49:42.603
We have to unpack it.

00:49:42.603 --> 00:49:55.418
Right, but yes, because it could it be also that you were so young that you may not even visually remember what the event was that caused you to be like this?

00:49:55.418 --> 00:49:56.804
Could that be as well that you can't?

00:49:56.804 --> 00:49:58.050
You can never have it.

00:49:58.050 --> 00:50:03.646
Yes, you can never really remember what the event was that made you as you are yes, and so that's why.

00:50:03.666 --> 00:50:15.902
That's why even the profile mind is such a unique course, because it is both um intelligence systems, but also God, where, as I'm talking to people, they now remember oh, my primary school teacher said this to me.

00:50:15.902 --> 00:50:17.481
Why am I remembering my primary school teacher?

00:50:17.481 --> 00:50:19.340
I've not thought about them in 30 years.

00:50:19.340 --> 00:50:29.782
I'm not struggling, I'm going to stay there because there's something there, there's something that happened in that timeframe that the Holy Spirit is bringing to your remembrance so that you know that that's where the issue started.

00:50:30.262 --> 00:50:43.503
So a lot of times, if you're talking to adults and you're saying, oh, I see that you know there's a fear of rejection, I see that you know you don't allow yourself to be seen or pursue your life, they'll say, oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, five years ago, my best friend did this to me Ten years, you know.

00:50:43.503 --> 00:50:46.335
No, that is just a symptom.

00:50:46.335 --> 00:50:47.976
It's not the root, the it's not the root.

00:50:47.976 --> 00:50:49.958
The root usually would have happened in your childhood.

00:50:49.958 --> 00:50:55.440
And so what you find is that your experiences are just corroborating this script that has already been planted.

00:50:55.780 --> 00:51:15.409
And so I say I use an analogy which I feel captures it, where I read in the book years ago about this elephant, that when the elephant was a baby elephant, you know it was tied to a tree and so, as a baby is trying to you know, like you know remove itself from that and trying to yank, but it can't because it doesn't have the strength.

00:51:15.409 --> 00:51:19.152
And so he tries a few days and then stops.

00:51:19.152 --> 00:51:28.387
As that elephant becomes older, the owner can just tie it to the tree and walk away, because the elephant is not even going to try to shift.

00:51:28.387 --> 00:51:36.963
Meanwhile, at that point of vision in its lifespan, it can destroy the whole forest, if you allow it, at its size it can just walk away.

00:51:37.534 --> 00:51:42.041
So a lot of us we are free, the prison is open.

00:51:42.981 --> 00:51:43.552
The door is open.

00:51:44.074 --> 00:51:48.304
But we don't realize that we're not sitting down in the prison thinking we're in prison, even though the door is open.

00:51:48.324 --> 00:51:56.068
Number one and number two you also even have the strength not just to free yourself but to free others because you are that powerful.

00:51:56.068 --> 00:51:58.177
So that's what even the battle is.

00:51:58.177 --> 00:52:05.831
For that's what the battle is about, because you find, you know for me, just like you and I, that the lessons that we have learned, we are paying it forward.

00:52:05.831 --> 00:52:07.335
So you're doing it through your coaching, I'm doing my coach.

00:52:07.335 --> 00:52:07.836
You know what I mean.

00:52:07.836 --> 00:52:17.981
So there is something about people that are strong, people that have gone through stuff that the devil even knows that inside of you is the ability to liberate other people.

00:52:17.981 --> 00:52:30.340
So if he can keep you trapped, you know, not even understanding the power that you carry, and also the power that you carry for liberation for others, then he has not just stopped you in your tracks, he's probably stopped another generation that is coming after you and.

00:52:30.360 --> 00:52:31.182
And so that's why the battle.

00:52:33.135 --> 00:52:36.748
The temptation of Jesus Christ was really about not just him.

00:52:36.748 --> 00:52:44.547
But if you tempt Jesus and he falls, then God's plan for salvation of the whole of humanity is destroyed.

00:52:44.547 --> 00:52:57.556
It's not just you the enemy is attacking, but also and if you don't even want to go spiritual by you not achieving yourself, you're not fulfilling your purpose and destiny and liberating everyone else you should liberate.

00:52:57.556 --> 00:53:05.001
So it's like for the price of one, a thousand others are locked down as well, forever so now think about, think about this for me.

00:53:05.141 --> 00:53:07.135
So I mean, let's like, don't know, it won't be in spiritual.

00:53:07.135 --> 00:53:07.777
I think about it.

00:53:07.777 --> 00:53:16.641
Imagine inside of I don't want to say another apple, but a tech solution that has not even been conceptualized yet.

00:53:16.641 --> 00:53:22.766
Yeah, but imagine that the person is now riddled with self-doubt, imposter syndrome, all of those things.

00:53:22.766 --> 00:53:24.161
And they know that they have that.

00:53:24.161 --> 00:53:25.358
They've seen that vision.

00:53:25.358 --> 00:53:34.217
Clearly they won't see the end, but that self-doubt, no, no, no, is it me, can it be they shut it down.

00:53:34.217 --> 00:53:43.222
Meanwhile, you pursuing that vision not only changes the landscape of your finances, your family's finances, forever, but there are people that will be employed by you.

00:53:43.222 --> 00:53:46.916
Look at all the people that apple is, or tesla is, you get even.

00:53:46.916 --> 00:54:09.902
It was not even that they're employing, but that by virtue of their stocks and shares they have made, there are so many people that are connected to you we are connected through Apple devices because of us, we are also creating content that helps others, so the multiplier effect of your gift and that is why, for anybody that looks at themselves and says, do I even carry value?

00:54:10.034 --> 00:54:11.701
I'm thinking are you like, do you know?

00:54:11.701 --> 00:54:12.202
Do you know?

00:54:12.202 --> 00:54:19.398
You don't know, if you knew, you would stand up and shine your light, because there's so many people that are dependent on what it is that you're carrying.

00:54:20.322 --> 00:54:21.284
No, that's amazing.

00:54:21.284 --> 00:54:22.206
That's amazing.

00:54:22.206 --> 00:54:34.898
No, as I'm talking to you, as we are bonding on this, I can see that we're going to have to look for more time to just do a series on unpacking some of these things yes yes so yes, definitely one more thing I want to talk about.

00:54:34.898 --> 00:54:36.483
You said your heart is your superpower.

00:54:36.724 --> 00:54:43.106
As I wrap up, yeah when you say your heart is your superpower, how is it?

00:54:43.106 --> 00:54:48.443
Because you seem like someone like so clear thought, so have clarity of thought.

00:54:48.443 --> 00:54:48.963
But the heart?

00:54:48.963 --> 00:54:52.219
When people say heart, they usually think it just means emotion.

00:54:52.219 --> 00:54:55.896
Does that mean you, you are in touch with your emotions or you're able to control their emotions?

00:54:55.896 --> 00:54:57.661
When you see your heart, your superpower, what?

00:54:57.661 --> 00:54:59.266
What does it mean for you?

00:55:01.338 --> 00:55:01.539
so?

00:55:01.539 --> 00:55:25.329
So, first, I think there's almost like this um misconception that being um, a feelings based person means that you are unstable and or, you know, you're erratic, all about emotionally, almost like, oh, you're so emotional, um, yes and no, right, you can be in touch with your feelings and use so like gut instinct.

00:55:25.329 --> 00:55:37.048
You do not mean, your gut instinct tells you that this thing is off, and then you pursue it logically and you realize that, actually, did you get my gut instinct already told me that these flaws that I'm now uncovering through my research, do you understand?

00:55:37.048 --> 00:55:38.797
You know, but my gut instinct has led me.

00:55:38.797 --> 00:55:43.088
So being a feelings based person is not a flaw.

00:55:43.088 --> 00:55:56.739
It is actually something that if you can hone and we've been talking about this, you know, throughout the thread of this conversation it's about being aware and honing yourself, honing your gifts.

00:55:56.739 --> 00:55:59.311
Even if you're logical as well, you must also be able to give space, for I feel like this is right, let me do it.

00:55:59.311 --> 00:56:00.655
It may not always make sense, you know.

00:56:00.655 --> 00:56:01.878
So we have to balance things.

00:56:01.958 --> 00:56:09.163
Now, when I say that my heart is my superpower, I am very clear in thoughts.

00:56:09.163 --> 00:56:13.661
Right, I have logic, but at the base, if I was between feelings and logic.

00:56:13.661 --> 00:56:18.824
I'm a feelings person, right, I go with my gut first and then my mind catches up after.

00:56:18.824 --> 00:56:29.364
But what I actually do mean is that I believe that a lot of my purpose, a lot of my calling as an individual is people-based right.

00:56:29.364 --> 00:56:39.697
And for you to be able to serve people, your heart must be it's not something that is a mind thing your heart must, you must love people, you must care about their success.

00:56:39.697 --> 00:56:41.721
You may almost want them to do.

00:56:41.721 --> 00:56:46.436
You must feel they're empathetic, you know, or even sympathetic, you know.

00:56:46.436 --> 00:56:49.802
You must be able to enter the trenches and bring them out to the other side.

00:56:51.123 --> 00:56:55.110
Now, so my ability to see where people are.

00:56:55.110 --> 00:56:59.387
So even like I said, I was talking about how I'm called to strong individuals.

00:56:59.387 --> 00:57:03.516
A lot of times people say, oh, how are you If you're a strong person?

00:57:03.516 --> 00:57:07.039
And they don't wait for the answer because you are a family.

00:57:07.039 --> 00:57:08.440
You're a family, you're not living in London.

00:57:08.481 --> 00:57:09.681
You're not living in Jigga.

00:57:10.161 --> 00:57:12.264
But a lot of times people don't look in the eyes.

00:57:12.264 --> 00:57:18.550
And in the eyes, as they say in Yoruba, it's the eyes that the Jigga, the conversation is the stool.

00:57:18.550 --> 00:57:40.175
Yeah, I'm telling you, and a lot of times I'm able to look at people's eyes and look beyond the facade of how they present to the world, to see where they are really and to see if they're in pain and to enter the trenches with them, create a safe space for these strong leaders to be able to unpack and say you know, today I don't got this jiget.

00:57:40.215 --> 00:57:46.389
I need help, I need encouragement leave the facade, leave the facade aside, let's cut.

00:57:46.389 --> 00:57:46.614
Yeah, yeah.

00:57:46.614 --> 00:57:47.155
I see what you did there.

00:57:47.155 --> 00:57:49.882
I see what you did there the heart of the matter.

00:57:49.902 --> 00:57:51.465
I see what you did there, I see what you did there.

00:57:51.465 --> 00:57:52.266
The heart of the matter.

00:57:52.266 --> 00:57:53.889
I see what you did there, I see what you did there.

00:57:53.889 --> 00:58:20.490
But for a lot of leaders, right, people that are type A people that are leading other people they don't have that luxury a lot of times because, whatever you're going through, you must have to suck it up and get on with it, because there are people that require you to show up every day and that's why you find that at that level, exactly at that level, exactly at that level, when burnout happens is epic, because the person says I'm not doing again.

00:58:20.490 --> 00:58:21.574
They take their backpack.

00:58:21.574 --> 00:58:29.277
I'm telling you, mountain climbing, yeah, they don't want to be in any office environment, but it doesn't have to get there.

00:58:29.277 --> 00:58:36.416
So one of my life's duties is to provide safe spaces for you know, high level people to unpack.

00:58:36.416 --> 00:58:39.246
You know, before they get to that place of burnout or crashing.

00:58:40.195 --> 00:58:45.307
Now, when your heart is your superpower, it also gets attacked, right.

00:58:45.307 --> 00:58:47.994
So hurting people hurt people, right.

00:58:47.994 --> 00:58:52.275
So that's why you know a lot of of work I do and that's why I'm so aware.

00:58:52.275 --> 00:59:03.195
You know of the different aspects of my life, what I'm feeling, how I'm feeling it, because I have to be careful to make sure that I'm always able to function optimally for the people that I'm called to.

00:59:03.195 --> 00:59:14.481
So, even when I am hurt and all of those, I have to process it quickly and I have my tool kits to process you know what I mean so that I can show up and be the person that my people need me to be, my tribe needs me to be.

00:59:14.481 --> 00:59:19.023
So I like how we're pulling everything together, even with the different aspects that we're speaking about.

00:59:19.023 --> 00:59:23.666
So that's what I mean when I say my heart is my superpower Over my brain.

00:59:24.135 --> 00:59:27.543
Because my heart has actually led me into places and spaces that my brain could not.

00:59:28.125 --> 00:59:36.284
Yeah, yes, and because the heart, ultimately, people can feel the heart and a genuine heart is what people are drawn to.

00:59:36.284 --> 00:59:50.547
You can get logic in books, you can get logic anywhere, but genuine people and in this world of ai and everything, the people that are going to win are people that are authentic and genuine and are real, because everything else you can get from you can just go into chat, gpt or whatever.

00:59:50.547 --> 00:59:54.159
I get the information you need yeah amazing.

00:59:54.260 --> 00:59:55.663
Thank you so, so much.

00:59:55.663 --> 00:59:57.626
So where can people find you?

00:59:57.626 --> 00:59:59.235
Where can people what are you up to now?

00:59:59.235 --> 01:00:00.079
What's happening?

01:00:00.079 --> 01:00:01.784
Anything big happening over the next few months?

01:00:01.784 --> 01:00:06.242
Where can people find you or learn more from you, or just tap into you and get more from you?

01:00:07.505 --> 01:00:13.916
okay, so the easiest place to get you know um updates on what it is that I'm up to is my Instagram Esther Lunge no A.

01:00:13.916 --> 01:00:16.264
Esther Lunge, lunge with an E.

01:00:16.264 --> 01:00:20.625
And yes, this year is a big year for me I'm 40.

01:00:20.625 --> 01:00:22.759
And you know so.

01:00:22.759 --> 01:00:24.664
I have a book coming up in November.

01:00:24.664 --> 01:00:31.469
One of my flagship coaching programs is called Unicorn Program and that starts in in january.

01:00:31.469 --> 01:00:40.800
So there are different ways to connect, but the easiest way to find all of that information is on my instagram page at esther long fantastic, thank you.

01:00:40.840 --> 01:00:57.961
So if you had one party message for people today, you know, mentor, with esther, your mentor, if you're going to leave something, if you're going to leave a message for the world, what will you leave for all our listeners and guests to wrap up, I would say that you matter.

01:00:58.034 --> 01:01:11.184
You are created on purpose, for purpose, and so the best thing you can do is to discover why on earth you are here and to lean into it, own your uniqueness.

01:01:11.184 --> 01:01:12.876
Stop trying to be like everybody else.

01:01:12.876 --> 01:01:16.704
You are created, purpose-built for whatever it is.

01:01:16.704 --> 01:01:25.016
That is the message of your life, and there are people that are waiting for you to find it, so that they can align with what is being built in and through you.

01:01:26.137 --> 01:01:28.682
Bless you thank you so much, esther.

01:01:28.682 --> 01:01:30.907
It's been an absolute pleasure you heard it there.

01:01:30.907 --> 01:01:37.887
It's really about purpose and also connecting your life story all together to bring it to where you are today.

01:01:37.887 --> 01:01:42.545
But also your faith is one of your, is your compass as well, to direct you as you go.

01:01:42.545 --> 01:01:44.637
I can't speak more about this podcast.

01:01:44.637 --> 01:01:45.719
You've just got to listen to it.

01:01:45.719 --> 01:01:46.822
It's been transformational.

01:01:46.822 --> 01:01:50.782
It has been for me as well, and I leave here inspired, motivated.

01:01:50.782 --> 01:01:55.121
I encourage you as well to go back, and you're going to need to listen to this more than once.

01:01:55.121 --> 01:01:58.063
Make sure you do, make sure you get everything out of it.

01:01:58.063 --> 01:02:03.476
So for me and Esther, it's get unleashed, stay unleashed and have a blessed week you.

Esther Longe