Five provocative questions answered by an inspiring and fabulous woman – a woman with something to say.
Meet S. Rasheem
Shvilla Rasheem is the C.E.O. of Be More LLC. , an organizational development agency that makes Nonprofits Profitable and assists new and emerging Nonprofits in building their Organization from the ground up.
Being the product of teenage pregnancy and having a father who was a heroin addict subjected S. Rasheem to some less than ideal life experiences. She decided that she would not simply be a product of her environment – she works to create an environment that is a product of her. As a Certified Nonprofit Professional with a Masters in Nonprofit Management, S. Rasheem has extensive experience and education in Nonprofit Management and Organizational Leadership. She uses the combination of pragmatism and passion to create powerful and lasting change in people’s lives.
People would be surprised to know that: In less than 5 years, I went from being homeless, jobless, degreeless and having no transportation, to owning my home, starting a business, writing a book and having two post-graduate degrees – all while working for the federal government.
The WTL 5:
What’s the conversation that changed your life?
The most life-changing conversation I’ve ever had was a conversation with myself. In this conversation I told myself that it was no longer okay to play small. We are all in this world to help each other. I realized my playing small was selfish.
What are you most conscious of today?
I am most conscious of the existence of Ego and how ego gives an illusion of separation that is the basis for all conflict. We cannot attack unless we perceive something or someone as separate from us. The more space or difference we put between us and the other, the easier it is for us to attack or condemn. When I am having a conflict or being judgmental internally or externally, I ask myself two questions. 1) Where am I perceiving separation? and 2) Where am I not allowing Love to flow?
What part of you have you yet to give voice to?
I have yet to give voice to my inner painter. She peeks her head in every now and again but something else comes up or I give in to the illusion that I can’t be a mom, C.E.O., poet, and a visual artist. Which is baseless. I cannot imagine why a creator would create a person with innate skills in multiple areas and tell them to only use one or two. I believe God(ess) is a God of expansion and growth, and yet, I have not given voice to my inner painter.
What’s the conversation women need to be having collectively?
More women all over the world should speak out against Sex Trafficking. We need stronger laws and regulations that deter predators. The idea that a person gets less time for trading a young woman into sex than he gets for drug transportation is appalling. A 2010 report in WomensHealth.gov reported that today, the business of human sex trafficking is much more organized and violent. These women and young girls are sold to traffickers, locked up in rooms or brothels for weeks or months, drugged, terrorized, and raped repeatedly. We all need to take a stand against this.
What needs to be said bigger, louder, stronger?
We need to not only speak bigger, louder and stronger about our children, we also need to take actions to heal and protect them. Let’s not wait until it’s our daughter or son, niece or nephew to decide that we care about their futures. Find a Nonprofit that is addressing the issues that you care about and support them. We are a village and it is time we started acting more like one.
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Thank you, S. Rasheem, for sharing your powerful voice
with WomanTalk Live.
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