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Today I’m talking with Althea Richardson about finding self-worth and learning to live after loss. Her journey hasn’t always been easy; however, her experiences with divorce, abuse, love, loss, and life have instilled in her a strong determination to help others. Her mission in life is to inspire, encourage, and uplift women and the men who love them to become all they are predestined to be.
What to Listen For:
- What is WOVE, who is it for, and how does it help?
- Althea’s thoughts on purpose
- Looking back at her journey
“I had very low self-esteem. I didn’t see myself as worthy of being loved, although I really wanted to. I had this desire to be with someone that I can not only make happy but would make me happy as well.”
- Coming to a point in her marriage where she realized there has to be something more
- Her turning point
“The moment that the judge hit the gavel on the desk and said, whatever the words were for you’re divorced now, I left out of that courtroom and just broke down completely.
It was just, I never wanted to be that person who was labeled a divorcee. I never wanted that title. And I tried my best in the marriage to not allow that to happen. And yet I didn’t have any control over that because I don’t have control over a grown man’s decisions.”
- Why the divorce rocked her to her core
- Wanting to be the wife that helped her husband get past his drug addiction
- Her strong desire to love and be loved and feeling like that part of her was destroyed with her divorce
- The difficulty in moving forward in the aftermath and uncertainty
- Allowing music to minister her out of the pit of despair
- The decision she made when she found the strength to stop crying and pick herself up off the floor
- How following her passion led her to her second husband
“Long story short, the guy that answered the door ended up being my husband of 18 years. My ex-husband and I were divorced in February, and then I was remarried in May. By no means I planned that whatsoever.”
- Losing her husband and best friend of 18 years to a heart attack
- The process that got her through losing the man who showed her what it meant to be truly loved unconditionally
- Learning to live as a single woman and learning to live contently in the place she is now
- Taking her experience to help Christian singles navigate the waters and avoid pitfalls
- The role that faith has played in her life
- How she confirms she’s going in the right direction
“When you’re going along on this path or this journey in life, and then all of a sudden things don’t go your way, or the door doesn’t open for you, that’s the moment that you stop and say, okay, let’s reevaluate this thing because obviously, I’ve tried this door. It’s not opening. Maybe there’s something else that I need to do. Maybe there’s another direction I need to go.”
- How mentors have shaped her and her path
“One of the mentors, of course, was my husband. He really gave me a lot of wisdom and insight on different situations and coupled with him accepting me for who I was as I struggled to grow and understanding me and eliminating the guilt and shame of my past decisions.
That helped a whole lot in showing that I am the one that can recover and I have the ability to make a difference in other people’s lives. Despite my path, I can use my path as a means of helping other people.“
- Participating in Larry King’s class and having him answer her question
- How her own experiences of being molested as a young girl led to her strong desire to join ministry to help women that had experienced domestic violence or sexual abuse
- Initially helping to the point of depleting herself
“I wanted so much to help as much as I possibly could. And so I would be online chatting with women for hours, but it got to the point where it was like, okay, I’m drained now because I’m not only listening to all of the things that they’re saying to me, I’m pouring into them as well, and I’m, depleted now.“
- Going back to college in 2009 to help her be more effective to the people she serves
- Learning how to balance helping others with taking care of herself
- The importance of a support network when we want to do hard things
- What she wishes she knew more about before her first marriage
- Althea’s top piece of advice for anyone struggling with low self-worth
About Althea Richards:
Althea Richardson, MA resides in San Antonio, TX with her two teenagers, Joshua 18 and Victoria 16. She has been in the ministry of helps for over 25 years. In her past, Althea’s life story included rape, molestation, divorce, domestic violence, abortion, the recent loss of her best friend and husband of 18 years and a long list of other tragedies.
Despite these obstacles, she became qualified to share hope, inspiration, and encouragement when at the age of 41 she received a Bachelor’s in Psychology with cognates in Crisis Counseling, Biblical counseling, and Life Coaching as well as a Master’s in Human Services, both from Liberty University. Today she is the CEO/Founder of WOVE which stands for Women of Vision and Excellence. She is also a part of a major book project/movement called I Am A Black Woman – Next Level, working alongside the founder, Dr. Carolyn Stephens and a team of women, sharing their stories of trials and tribulations which eventually bring them to victory.
She also features podcast interviews from her show, WOVE Inspiration, in Christian Women Living magazine, an online magazine with various articles on health and wellness, family, and relationships from a Christian perspective. Althea’s mission also includes a women’s ministry which provides biblical counseling and life coaching services. Her mission is simple; help women to establish a firm foundation, operate in their purpose, and use their voice to help others by sharing their story of victory.
Website and social media links:
Facebook, Twitter, Instagram @woveinspiration
WOVE Inspiration Podcast Platforms: Spotify, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, or any other platform you listen to podcasts
Join Althea in Victory Walk Program. The “Victory Walk” is a three-step process for individuals looking to restore their confidence, established goals and dreams, and eventually share testimonies of victory.
Faith-based Counseling uses biblical principles to address issues in the life of the individual. Building self-esteem and self-worth, in addition to addressing the past, is key.
Life Coaching helps an individual reach their goals and continue the process of making healthy choices in their life. Coaches play an important role in motivating, encouraging, and uplifting individuals to become who they were predestined to be.
Investing in themselves and establishing a strong foundation, the individual will “Pay it forward” by sharing their testimony of victory and success as well as invest time in others.
Learn more at: https://woveinspiration.com/victory-walk-program/
Resources:
Access our free 8-part Journey Mapping™ sampler program and begin uncovering the purpose of your path at www.TalesFromTheJourney.tv/Free/.
Read my memoir, Unravel: Rising Up and Coming Back from a Season of Living that Damn Near Killed Me at www.TheUnravelBook.com.