Dr. LaTarsha Holden about finding the way up from rock bottom

Dr. LaTarsha Holden is a very impressive woman whom I‘m very happy to have this conversation with. Her life story is simply mind-blowing, and it stands for so many things. LaTarsha has raised her six children alone on the streets before finding to God and finally stepping up, catching up on her school education, becoming, among many other things, an inspirational speaker and last years «National Mother of The Year 2020»! Brace yourself for a heart-warming talk that will not only touch you but also inspire you in many ways.

Dr. LaTarsha Holden is 48 years old, mother of six children, an inspirational speaker, a 13-times published author and a comic book creator. And that‘s not all, throughout the conversation I discover many more sides of this incredible woman! «In 10 years, I went from being homeless to one of the city council in the 2017 election, from a GD to a doctor degree in leadership studies».

We start with my favorite question: What brings you joy?

«I look for little ways to do humanitarian work, I don't believe you need a whole lot of money to bless others», Dr. LaTarsha Holden

«I find joy in blessing, in joy and compassion», Dr. LaTarsha Holden

LaTarsha starts her mornings with prayer and a morning meditation. «I‘m big on reflection», she says and «I'm in a good peaceful place. I just try to embody peace so that I can zoom that out».

LaTarsha had her first child before the age of 17 and 4 kids before the age of 20, but «I always found time to incorporate peace. I used to escape with reading. Reading was my escape time».

How do you write your books? Where do you find inspiration?

«I write when the inspiration hits», Dr. LaTarsha Holden

LaTarsha says that when something comes up, when something is important to her, when she feels, that she should write about something, she just starts. No matter the circumstances, no matter if there is no money to publish it. Just starting and not waiting for the perfect moment is key.

«I use writing as a source to advocate», Dr. LaTarsha Holden

How did you change your situation from being homeless to where you are now?

«I remember, I just had to do something to save my children». LaTarsha and her children were homeless for close to 4 years. At one point LaTarsha couldn‘t take it anymore, she went to as hospital and confessed, that she was even thinking of suicide. She stayed there under observation for one week and it was during that time, when she found to God. «It was in that room I met God. God are you there? Please help me, I don't have anything, I'm lost and I'm scared. My situation didn't change immediately but I knew something was different», LaTarsha recalls.

Despite the situation they found themselves in, raising her children in the best way possible was very important to LaTarsha. She told them: «If I can show you how to give back now, when we don't have anything, I'm giving you a strong foundation to build on to become great leaders».

«I believe leadership starts inhouse», Dr. LaTarsha Holden

Her incredible approach of motherhood was also what led to somebody nominating her for «National Mother of The Year 2020». «Even though my children saw me depressed and crying and they saw humiliation, they never saw me giving up».

«I have learned how to enjoy the journey as the journey goes along», Dr. LaTarsha Holden

Where have you learned public speaking?

I heard at a workshop from Bo Eason or Brendon Burchard, that the no. 1 fear in America is the fear of public speaking and the no. 2 fear is dying.

LaTarsha says to that: «I'm an ordained pastor. I'm speaking from a place of love and compassion for people, that brings me joy to be able to make that connection with others».

«It just warms my heart, that I'm giving people hope», Dr. LaTarsha Holden

LaTarsha took speaking classes in school, but she says that once you're starting your message and you know you're trying to deliver a message, it works. Describing herself an introvert, speaking makes her nervous but «whenever God opens something up for me to go speaking, it's a signed mission», she adds. «The first 3 to 4 minutes with all these eyes watching… but you know the reason why you're there». Latarsha says, that she is also a good storyteller.

«99.99% of the time, it's just perfect because you're doing it», Ronja

«I'm sharing parts of me, hoping to inspire others», Dr. LaTarsha Holden



«Being an introvert, we energize by being alone», Dr. LaTarsha Holden

«I've learned not to panic over things, I've learned how to enjoy the journey», Dr. LaTarsha Holden

Do you have strategic habits or discipline?

LaTarsha says that she has learned how to chase purpose and not perfection. «You have to start now. The best thing I have ever done is bid on myself».



It‘s an analogy that I love myself as well: «Become like a river. When you chase purpose, it's not force, the next steps unfold in front of you. Stay in the flow like a river». LaTarsha adds something, that I find very important to know: «God did not magically change my life, I had to be a willing participant in my own deliverance».

«Sometimes you have to go back to the last place where you gave up at. When was the last time that you stopped believing in yourself?». Wow. This is such a powerful message!  When you can find that spot, that moment or that situation in your life, start from there. Don‘t be discouraged about what you didn‘t do then, do it now.

«Are you willing to look crazy in front of people?» LaTarsha asks. In the beginning it's going to be hard, you're going against the grain of the way you used to live. Latarsha adds smiling, that it's like working out. When you first work out you get sore, but when you stick to it, you start seeing results.

«Are you willing to get the work in, past the pain?», Dr. LaTarsha Holden

Another big thing: «Celebrate the small steps». LaTarsha says that she didn't wait until she graduated to celebrate, «who is to say you're going to be here to celebrate the big events». Celebrate small wins too, you can do that each and every day.



How did you find out what you want?

The fear of failure is so big that some people just don't decide anything.

LaTarsha answers, that starting from the bottom is a good place, because all the way up from the bottom is up.

«When you were a little kid, the person you were, that's who you are. I'm living my life according to what I believe. Just do the work, write a book, go back to school, go for that certification». Latarsha says. «It really comes down to «I'm just going to try», you owe it to yourself to at least try. Find the joy and go for it».

What also helped LaTarsha to keep pushing and keep trying was knowing, that she was the only person who could safe herself and her family.

LaTarsha didn‘t have money to get a publisher or a PR person to help her with the book but she started anyway. «If you're a baker, be the best baker you can be. If you‘re a writer and you're writing from your heart and if your book touches one person, it's successful»,

I love an exercise that I often share within my Joy Universe and that I have even made a whole blog video about (I‘ll link it below) and that is: Write a list of 100 things that bring you joy. Like feeling the sun rays on your skin, hearing the birds sing, drinking out of your favorite cup. And then: Do and enjoy at least three things from this list every day.

LaTarsha adds that children give themselves a permission just to be, as adults we forget to just be.



Many people don't give themselves the permission because they are afraid of that other people won't like it and that's where you get to a point of asking yourself: Who cares? «The people who don't like what you're doing are too scared to get into the rain and do something themselves».

How was your childhood and how did you become the mother you are?

LaTarsha says that her parents told her, that she had to do this, or be that, to become successful. That‘s something dear to LaTarsha‘s heart, to have raised her own children differently: «I gave my kids the freedom to be whatever they wanted to be. I'm an empath, I'm an encourager by nature. They saw me live free, no matter who was laughing at Mama. When I liberated me, I liberated them».

«I was loving them according to who they were individually, but they all got the same love. I loved my kids in a way that freed them». LaTarsha points out another thing that she really lived whilst raising up her children. «All I have to do is nurture who they are. I'm preparing my kids for life so that when my time is up, they'll be responsible adults».

What is your message to the world?

«You have the power to do everything. Everything that God has given you to succeed is already in you, it's already there, it's not from outside, you just have to tap in and believe in yourself. You have the power to rewrite your story. Nobody is coming to save you but yourself and God. It's up to you to change the narrative of your life. Everybody has the power to rewrite their story. Is it going to hurt? Of course. Will you want to give up? Yes. You're going to go through so many different emotions but never give up, that's key, just keep going. I guarantee that if you keep going, you will see the light at the end of the tunnel».

And with these words this conversation ends, and I really hope that it touches you as deeply as it touched me. I‘d love to hear how you liked it, so please write a review here or send me a message.

You can reach out to LaTarsha as a speaker or facilitator via her website: www.drlatarshaholden.info or email to [email protected]. You can also order her books (she shows them in the video too) on her website.

This is where you can find the blog article about «100 things, that bring you joy».