“At the age of 15, she had had enough, and did the thing her mother had done, she walked out the door to never return.”
Student reaction: It was stories like that of Delores Williams which allowed me to change my mentality and use the energy I put into justifying my failures to exploring the opportunities I did have and to succeed.
From The Hot Mommas Project Learning Series: Delores Williams’ “Moving From Abandonment to Defining Herself“
Case themes include: professional drive and creativity, family, confidence, individuality, dreams, change, and relationships.
Student contributor: GW student and Hot Mommas Project intern Kaitlyn McAuliffe.
The Hot Mommas Project Learning Series showcases a female role model’s story selected by a students. Role models are tied to women’s success. Read, listen, and learn. More about the Hot Mommas Project here and here. Want to be a featured student? Contact us on Facebook or Twitter.
Continue reading Delores Williams’ story and Kaitlyn’s reaction…
Click here to listen to the online version of the podcast with Kathy Korman Frey and Kaitlyn McAuliffe. Or, click here to listen and subscribe to our podcast on iTunes.
Case excerpt
“This feeling of disconnect had infiltrated Delores’ life. She did not trust people, would not accept love, and was given to bursts of anger. The thing that went through her head as she moved from home to home, “mommy to mommy” was, “What is wrong with me?” That question had been pounded in because any time she displeased someone there was always a comparison to her mother and how the apple didn’t fall far from the tree.
At the age of 15, she had had enough, and did the thing her mother had done, she walked out the door to never return.”
Comment from student Kaitlyn McAuliffe:
Too often I have seen people blame others, especially their parents, for their own failures or as justification as to why they have not achieved success. I’ll even admit that I used to be one of those people. And it was stories like that of Delores Williams which allowed me to change my mentality and use the energy I put into justifying my failures to exploring the opportunities I did have and to succeed. Ms. Williams’ case, Moving from Abandonment to Defining Herself, explains her journey from abused and abandoned youth to an accomplished writer. I think in life, but also in business, a person’s mentality and attitude is an essential component to success. Although it is especially hard to overcome personal struggles related to family since they are often thought to be one’s strongest support system, the time and energy a person could gain from eliminating that negative aspect of his or her life could be used much more efficiently. Ms. Williams had the choice to either let her past relationships with people hinder her from moving forward with her talents, or to accept that the past is the past, but that she has control of her future. She chose to use her past as a reason to succeed, which is truly inspiring, because although many people do not take this route, a person’s failures do not affect the people that have hurt them. Success, however, proves that a person is a strong enough individual to take his or her life into their own hands. Exhibiting a positive attitude and having the strength to take on a challenge under the worst of circumstances is heroic and encouraging.
Summary:
To use Hot Mommas Project cases in a learning, training, or bookclub environment:
- Read this blog post and Williams’ case, “Moving from Abandonment to Defining Herself”
- Listen to the podcast online or on iTunes.
- Discuss!
You can find other cases in this series by clicking “Role Models in the Classroom” under the Categories heading in the right column of this blog.