Kindness is Living Your Truth: Choosing your own path and doing so boldly with educator & wellness coach Alexis Shepard

In this thought-provoking episode, Kaitlin welcomes on Alexis Shepard, a growth obsessed, educator and side-hustler that is passionate about empowering people in their professional and personal evolution. Since 2018, She has been the face of The AfroEducator, championing teacher wellness on her platform. Recently, though, Alexis announced that her journey as The AfroEducator has come to an end and now, she's hard at work building what's next. They engage in a heartfelt conversation about womanhood, motherhood, and the societal expectations that often come with them. They share personal stories and insights, exploring the challenges and joys of choosing different paths in life, including the decision to be child-free.With vulnerability and empathy, Kaitlin and Alexis discuss the pressure women face to define themselves primarily through motherhood and challenge the notion that a woman's worth is tied solely to her role as a parent. They highlight the importance of honoring one's own truth and values, regardless of societal expectations.The hosts delve into the complexities of navigating relationships and finding support as women who have chosen non-traditional paths.Through their powerful conversation, Alexis emphasizes the significance of living authentically, embracing one's true self, and cultivating kindness towards oneself and others.Join Kaitlin and Alexis as they explore the multifaceted nature of womanhood, challenge societal norms, and inspire listeners to embrace their own unique journeys.Full TranscriptQuotes"As women you're socialized to be nice and to be "kind", and you know how nice and kind are equated.""I started teaching in 2012... I burned out for the first time when I was about three or four years in""I just believed this is what I signed up for, this is what happens when you work hard at something and when you're in a service-based, profession is you just burn out.""I want to empower people through knowledge"" I have this deep understanding of what is important to me and what my priorities are, and what my values are, and anything that I touch and am involved In a meaningful way needs to have value alignment for me""I want to continue to empower and serve specifically women who are overwhelmed""It's really for any woman who is navigating messy, self-care personal growth and professional evolution.""There is this expectation. It feels like once you become a parent that you are going to parent a certain way and that you're gonna have certain feelings and then if you ever have different feelings, you better not be honest about them.""What I realized was that for years I was waiting for something to have the feeling to make me feel that instinct that says, Hey, you want to be a parent, you want to have children. And I had I've never had it. And so the choice for me has really been about honoring what feels right.""Anytime you choose to live on your terms and you choose to live in your truth. It is bold, it is audacious. It is courageous. And it takes a level of bravery and of resilience""I think that's the greatest kindness that you can I think give the world and yourself. Because when you show up as your most authentic self, I think it's not just enriching for you, but it is evident to the people that you interact with as well.""Most of us are not comfortable standing boldly in our truth to people because number one, it is so deeply personal, but also because we fear the judgment or because we don't know if we're going to get that validation or that affirmation""There's also that tug where, as a woman, I feel compelled to be nice, I feel compelled to over explain or to somehow divulge, this deeply personal choice to people. Because otherwise, what will people think, will people think that I'm being nice? Will people think that I'm a b****?""I think it's just having a lot of clarity around what your values are and then lining everything up so that they fit into those buckets""Whomever is listening to this, I want to encourage you to show up in the way that feels right for you and that isn't always based on the expectations of society or others for how that should look. because at some point that value misalignment creates tension and fuels or can fuel that overwhelm that we're all naturally going to experience.""It is challenging but also it is something that I think every day that goes by, I am starting to pat myself on the back a little bit for standing in that truth, even when it is hard because my hope is that other folks around me, our God children, my friends, our family and other folks, are seeing me seeing us stand in our truth. And do so boldly. Even when it's challenging.""Affirmation is the language of love and validation is the language of belonging"Connect with us on social media:'Kindness Is' Podcast InstagramKind Cotton InstagramKind Cotton TikTok