This speech has been published with permission from the author: Yoleen Naidoo. 

I was asked to talk at the Swazi Canadian International Foundation on how I am making such a huge difference in the community. Instead of speaking on the things I have done. I decided to speak on how I became a whole person, reached my dreams and how I became a powerful role model in the community. This is my speech, I hope it will help you. And it was a real pleasure being asked to also close with God’s blessings.

Hi, my name is Yoleen. I go by a lot of different titles in the community but the most important title that I have achieved was to become an overcomer by the help of God in every area of my life. I realized my dream as I walked the road. On the road of life, I have encountered different challenges and I have had only two choices either to stand still or to move forward and overcome it. I have learned in life that there is power with someone holding your hand through this challenge and walking me through it. That is why I am such a huge believer in family and in having a united community.

We need people and that is how I came up with the campaign called COFFEE OF ENCOURAGEMENT to encourage people to motivate, build and strengthen each other over a cup of coffee for between 5 to 15 minutes. Everyone goes through challenges in life but everyone also wants to reach their destination. How beautiful it would be for us to hold each other's hand and help each other achieve each other's dreams? This would definitely make everyone strong and in turn, create a strong community. I encourage you all today to take 5 to 15 minutes a day, buy a cup of coffee and encourage one another.

It is time we bring back positive conversations with no judgements. It is time we show each other we care. It is time we all become overcomers. There is enough room for all of us to reach our dreams. I believe we can all be overachievers, we all have it inside of us, we all can multi-task, even if people say you can’t. 

Be confident of your self, value yourself and be proud of yourself. Remember you are made powerful and nobody should stop you. I love what I do and we all should. We spend a minimum 8 to 9 hours at our job and it should be a job that gets us closer to our dream. Never forget your dream.

My most rewarding job is being a mum. Who knows the beauty of it? It has its joys and then it has its moments. But I am here to say to all the mums, it’s the most rewarding job, enjoy it, and don’t give up being the best mum you can be. When you have those moments where you think you don’t know what to do, remember this line you are an overcomer and you are going to get through this. You don’t let go. You have the power in your tongue to say I have the most blessed, talented and most precious child in the world. That’s the very next generation in your hand. And you always cover your children with prayers and with powerful good words.

I own a few companies. I am the  CEO of a magazine, a wedding business, a few talk shows and a community-based platform called COFFEE OF ENCOURAGEMENT.  You ask how I do it all and I will tell you I live by a bible verse that says I can do all things through Christ that strengthens me, and I know I can. That is the motivational encouragement that I live by. What is your motivational encouragement? You need to find the motivational strength that will carry you through tough times. I have had dreams for years but only now It has started coming to pass because only now did I decide to go forward as fear held me back and I decided I am not turning back. 

My Top Tips To Achieving Your Dreams
1. Write it down and stick it on your wall
2. Stay focused. I use praying and reading my bible as my compass. How many of you know that our dreams are huge and we do need supernatural power to achieve it?

3. Find three to 10 strong motivators in your life and surround yourself with them during this process for support. They do not have to be educated. It is the simple things that teach us to go a long way like love, listening to each, forgiving each other and telling the truth.

4. Remember you are given a dream because you were uniquely made and you are highly gifted. 

5. Do not listen to negative voices around you and remember if you think you are at the worst time in your life, rejoice because you are only a few steps away and a couples decisions away from reaching your goal, its called the distraction brought along to throw you off course.

6. Stay on track. Stay in purpose and prayer. Do not let that dream die. That is why you need people, and I mean strong positive people to surround you during this time.
7. You are where you are today because of your best past thoughts. If you are not happy about in your life, change, you are not a tree.

8. Change your thought process. Listen to positive people and develop positive habits and if you stay on course you will achieve your dream. If you stay focused you will achieve it in a short time.
 

9.  The secret is to learn to forgive and let go of it. Whatever you hear can be either life or death. Forgiveness opens the door to all possibilities and that gives you the freedom to fly. If you don’t you will be held back and you won't be able to walk through. Be the difference, be different.

10. Forgive and truly forgive and set your standards.  Above all, be that leader and role model. If you spend your time worrying, it will stop you from going forward. Think of it as your roadblock. It always comes just before your big breakthrough which is only a few steps away. That’s the trick between success and loss. Forgive and release, and love that person. You never know what that person is going through and it so happened that you were the first person they saw and they impacted you negatively with their words. Nothing they can say or do will affect what people think about you as you will rise above it. Just go and achieve your dream.
 

My Final Word

You are valuable, you are so unique, the world is waiting for you.  Take time to pamper yourself and don’t feel guilty about it. You are valuable, you are so unique, the world is waiting for you.  Take time to treasure yourself. Go and live your dream. Remember you are not a failure, you are on a journey, you will always come out an overcomer.

Now take what you heard and buy a coffee for someone, spend 10 to 15 minutes motivating someone. Empower people.

Follow me on Facebook called Coffee Of Encouragement and twitter @YoleenNaidoo for daily motivational words.