Exclusive: T.D. Jakes on how to unleash your inborn instincts

T.D. Jakes being interviewed by Sophia A. Nelson.

T.D. Jakes being interviewed by Sophia A. Nelson.

Let's talk about how people who have been victimized in life don't have to become victims, how they can use instinct to get beyond the hurt.

I like to say, “One beggar tells another beggar where he found the bread.” Our job is to inspire others who are where we have been. That is the power of sharing our story if we dare tell it. It's the power of the story. We share to free another.

My point: Everybody is broken. I have learned that after 38 years in ministry and business. Instinct is what drives us to overcome a limp leg, an emotional wound, the seemingly insurmountable handicap, the dysfunctional family or whatever it is. You don’t have to remain a victim just because you were wrongly victimized.

Finally, do we live in a world that suppresses instinct? And if so, how do we get it back?

Yes we do. Most of us are walking around in solitary confinement, or we are locked in a cage of our own making. We suppress our innate instincts and we rely instead on too much data and intellect (like the guide looking for elephants on my African safari) to make important decisions.

Sometimes you need to go with your gut. Life is a series of experiences of birthing opportunities and possibilities. We are constantly coming out of life’s trials and our cages.

Our biggest challenge now is that there is a lack of true human connection. We have walked away from one another as people interested in each other’s journey. We don't want to work at our relationships anymore — we don't have to do the work — so we just do the cut off.

I want to encourage people to take the risk. Take the leap. Do the work. People are worth it and so are you. When we can get back to truly knowing how to talk to people, love people, and stick with people we intuitively give ourselves permission to love ourselves. And when we love and honor self, we can answer to the instinct inside of us and live it out unto our purpose.

Sophia Nelson is an award-winning journalist and author who appears regularly as a cultural and political analyst on many national networks. She is a former White House correspondent for JET Magazine and a women's conference and motivational speaker. Nelson is a leadership and diversity trainer for Fortune 500 companies such as Comcast/NBC Universal, Kimberly-Clark, Land 'O Lakes and more. Her upcoming book is "The Woman Code: 20 Powerful Keys to Unlock Your Life."
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