He tried to Colin Kaepernick me. While I didn’t land a lucrative Nike deal (like Colin) in the midst of my own challenging season, I did gain some valuable lessons about taking a stand, moving through fear, and the power of God’s hand, His strength, and His will when things happen as a result of standing for what you believe in. If you’ve followed Kaepernick’s story, then you may already know what happened. If not, the short version is that he was essentially shut out by the NFL and still remains unsigned (which is a shame since he’s still young and very talented) because he refused to stand for the national anthem due to his beliefs about wrongdoing towards minorities and the oppression of people of color. That move cost him a lot and made him a bold, respected, and yet controversial figure in the world of sports. Around this time last year, I took a stand of my own too. I stood up to a guy we’ll call Mr. Anonymous. He and I didn’t get along and I’m certain he didn’t like me. He was abrasive, condescending, sarcastic, and dismissive and the moment I refused to tolerate his behavior or disrespect, things got heated. In return, he tried to damage my reputation and make me out to be someone and something I wasn’t. Defiant. Unqualified. And a troublemaker. He tried to Colin Kaepernick me. Believe it or not, someone else’s views or words about you can negatively impact your reputation, opportunities, and future. I believe in standing up for myself and for others who may feel defenseless. Some people believed some of the negative things said about me (some didn’t) and as a result, I was mishandled, humiliated, and at one point felt powerless. I felt like I was going through what I went through by myself which is one of the most discouraging and loneliest feelings ever while enduring a trial. I later learned this happened with other people who never spoke up either. I even spent wasted time trying to change Mr. Anonymous’ mind about me, and others he talked to. It didn’t work. Please know there will always be people who don’t like you or what you stand for. Even if what you’re standing for is legit. Things like respect, being different, having a voice, standing up for yourself, standing up for other people, and sharing your story will make waves and likely unsettle some people. Some people may have legit reasons for disliking you. Some may not. But don’t you dare try to convince how “likable” you are to gain anyone’s approval. You’re far too cool for that. Anyways, for months I stayed silent out of fear that if I ever shared my story openly something bad would happen. See what fear can do? It keeps people quiet. When I finally spoke up, I spoke, and I cried. I felt that crying while sharing made me look weak, but people who learned what had happened described me as brave, kind, and authentic. Some people had no idea what had transpired all those months I stayed quiet and maintained my composure while being mistreated. My professional posture was able to shield a lot. I figured, if I can maintain a good game face and professional posture, I’d eventually start to feel better. And I did. Things did get better too. Not overnight. But still, with time, things got better. Defiant and unqualified began to be replaced with words like focused, positive, wise, and gutsy. God built me up where I was torn down. That experience was humiliating, humbling, discouraging, and refining. Mr. Anonymous and some of his friends and I crossed paths some time ago. To my surprise, things were cordial. Mr. Anonymous even gave me some props. When I saw him again, I wasn’t mad, bitter, sad, or anxious. Underneath all the things he’d said about me, and the things he did to myself and to others, I could still see some good in him. If it wasn’t for him I might not have prayed at the capacity I prayed, learned to grow a tougher skin, to speak up in the face of adversity, be okay with being a woman with a voice, hopefully make the journey easier for others, and to understand the true meaning behind Romans 8:28, “And we know all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” That trial worked for my good. It let me know that God can use adversity for good. He can use all things.