Dr. Avonia Richardson-Miller

So coming out of surgery, I realized that while I couldn't always have control of my circumstances,

I could control my responses.

So my second mantra, which is lived as a daily practice, is I choose joy.

It is an active decision I make every single day to find moments of gratitude and light, even when things seem to be most difficult.

Yeah.

It's the reason why I've been able to experience so much success and happiness in the years since.

And then that leads me to my third mantra.

And this is the most forward-looking part of my philosophy.

Your current situation doesn't define your future destination.

So this isn't just a nice phrase.

It's been the roadmap of my life.

My journey didn't start in the C-suite.

It started working the land on my family's farm.

That situation could have defined my future, but it was just the starting part.

And then decades later, the life-altering diagnosis could have been a final destination, but I refused to let it be so.

And in both of these instances, because I believe God is in control and I actively choose joy,

I'm able to see my circumstances not as a barrier, but as a foundation to build upon.

So this isn't just a personal belief for me anymore.

It's at the core of my actual professional mission at this point in my life.

the senior vice president and the chief opportunity belonging to impact officer.