Don’t Tell Me the Sky’s the Limit When There Are Footprints on the Moon

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We often limit ourselves with our thoughts, erected barriers that hold us back from reaching our highest potential. This is an experience I’m deeply familiar with. As a woman of color, I know the challenges we face, the self-doubt that can creep in, and the societal pressures that can make our goals seem like distant dreams.

I still remember the day when I stood at a crossroads in my career, filled with self-doubt and uncertainty. Everything seemed stacked against me. But one day, something within me shifted, I decided to fight the internal voices telling me I couldn’t, and chose to believe the one that said, “I can.”

Redefining my mindset was not an overnight process. It was a journey filled with long nights, tough conversations, endless reading, and lots of soul-searching. I began to learn the power of positive affirmations, the importance of surrounding myself with those who not only believed in my dreams but also pushed me to believe in them too.

Over time, I watched as the possibilities began to outweigh the limitations. Opportunities started to unfold where there once were obstacles. And the dreams that seemed far out of reach, were now right at my fingertips.

Today, I’ve achieved goals that I once thought were impossible. But I know that the journey doesn’t stop here. Now, it’s about helping others overcome their own self-limiting thoughts, and achieve their highest goals.

To everyone out there, remember this:

Your thoughts are powerful, let them empower you, not limit you.

Surround yourself with positivity, and those who believe in your dreams.

Consistently challenge your self-limiting beliefs.

In the words of Audrey Hepburn, “Nothing is impossible. The word itself says ‘I’m Possible!'” Start your journey today. Let’s redefine the sky as the limit.

Joia Jefferson Nuri has a keen intuition for helping women of color executives achieve their goals. Her training as a coach in executive Leadership and public speaking has sharpened her ability to understand and support clients clarify their objectives. Joia helps her clients build a toolkit to battle their destructive inner critic, allowing them to rise from their zone of excellence to their zone of genius. Trained in the rubric of positive psychology, her techniques put clients in touch with their inner critic so they can quiet it. As a leadership coach, her ultimate goal is to help clients understand their worth, maximize their abilities, and live the lives they see for themselves. Joia’s signature executive team-building and inner critic workshops assist companies, social change groups, and women’s organizations to maximize their Leadership while aligning their values and practices.

Before coaching, she was a human rights communication strategist for Harry Belafonte and Danny Glover, TransAfrica, The Institute for Policy Studies, and Truly Living Well Center for Urban Agriculture. As a communication strategist, she testified before Congress on Haiti Relief and co-wrote Congressional Testimony for Danny Glover. Joia Nuri has co-written, edited, and coached 14 TEDx Talks, including one for herself. She was honored to be invited to deliver the keynote address in Vienna, Austria, before the 53 nations of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE).

Her communications career at NBC News was one of the first women hired as a technician. Her move to CBS News made her the first Black woman to serve as Technical Director of the CBS Evening News and Face The Nation. She also worked as a senior producer at NPR, PBS, and C-SPAN.

Her public speaking training began with her father, a classical baritone. Later, her training continued with Shakespearean actress Naomi Jacobson. Joia has performed voiceovers for documentaries on Civil Rights icon John Lewis, ballet dancer Misty Copeland, filmmaker Ava Duverney, and Secretary of State Hilary Clinton.

Joia Nuri’s early career was in network newsrooms, where she was the first Black woman to be Technical Director of the CBS Evening News and Face the Nation. She also worked as a senior producer at PBS, NPR, and C-Span.She applies her experience, intuition, and training to help each client achieve true Leadership. Today, she is coaching government, education, corporations, and philanthropy leaders.

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