Konvos with Kiya Zakiya Powell

2 years! wow! Can you believe it?

It’s taken me 2 years to step back into my gift. I can admit that it has been way too long. So much has changed in my life since I embarked on this journey to live transparently through Konvoswithkiya in hopes to help women, children and families connect closely through open dialogue surrounding taboo topics. Then boom the anxiety kicked in and I disappeared. Every single time I announced a comeback on the horizon I never followed through. In the midst of the release of my first Children’s book, Why Are You Afraid of Me? I find out I am pregnant. Then I become progressively ill throughout my pregnancy. After giving birth my son and I are diagnosed with Covid. I’m hospitalized and my newborn is taken away for 14 days while I’m in quarantine. Complete devastation.

Then I hear God say, COMPLETE THE ASSIGNMENT. At first I’m disobedient, I ignore his voice for about a week. I formulate a million reasons why I can’t do it right now. A million excuses, A million doubtful thoughts enter my mind. But, the conviction of the Lord is truly daunting. Then one morning, I randomly open my devotional to the topic, BOLDNESS. And here I am open, transparent and reclaiming my BOLDNESS. Welcome to the Rebirth of Konvoswithkiya!
Here are a few points from tonight’s Konvo with Kiya:
embrace the blessings you receive from God. You are deserving of everything he wants to give you.
be bold in whatever you have been called to complete on this earth.
Remember you are capable!

“Let’s step out and do the things and go the places our dreams take us.”- Zakiya
“We are all capable of doing great things.”- Zakiya
“God gives us all very special gifts; it’s time for us to tap into our full potential.”- Zakiya

Here I am and I’m back at it! This episode is very personal to me. Season 1 of Konvos with Kiya was embraced by so many people. The love was overwhelming.  So much so that I quickly began questioning my capability. Questioning my purpose and wondering what I was truly doing? Me? Zakiya? A podcast? What are you thinking? I began wondering if I could keep the momentum going. Could I continue to keep listeners engaged?  I began the cycle of negative self-talk, self-doubt, and sabotaging thoughts. This lasted for months.

Sabotage is defined as deliberately destroying. When I read that definition, I realized that was exactly what I was doing to myself. I was intentionally talking myself out of every dream I envisioned for my brand. I began to talk myself out of opportunities and discourage myself out of the many possibilities. I began to demean my ideas, belittle my thoughts and  my personal journey. 

In this episode, Kiya speaks about her fear of thriving. The fear of potentially being great and how the pressure of committing to something new began to weigh heavily on her. As she embarks on Season 2, she keeps her boldness and relatable content that captured the attention of her audience. Welcome to Season 2!

Here are a few points from tonight’s Konvo with Kiya:

Let’s spend time focusing on our dreams and less time talking ourselves out of opportunities.
God has given us all very special gifts! 
What are we choosing to focus our attention on? 
Shift our thoughts, our speech, and our attitudes towards the positive.

“Everything is not for everybody and that’s fine.” -Zakiya
“There will be someone that will embrace you for what you do.”- Zakiya
We’ve all heard the saying, “ You are your worst enemy.” I know in many situations I have been my biggest critic. We often hold back or play small due to our self-doubts. Maybe you struggle with toxic thoughts about your capabilities. You feel as though you are incapable of making your dreams a reality. So often we have amazing ideas and a great desire to accomplish big things. Yet, we hesitate to take that leap of faith and make it happen.
On this episode, Kiya speaks openly about how self-doubt often rears its ugly head during pivotal points in your life. Often when you’re on the brink of greatness you may hear a voice that tries to distract you from your purpose. Don’t allow self-doubt to deter you from greatness. Push through despite what you might think in that moment. There will always be someone rooting for you!

Here are a few points from tonight’s Konvo with Kiya:
Self-Doubt will trick you into thinking you’re in this all alone. YOU ARE NOT there are people waiting for you to release your greatness.
Everything you do won’t be embraced by everyone and that is okay. KEEP DOING YOU!
Focus on the LOVE not the HATE.
Don’t be discouraged by other’s opinions. Keep your head high and your eyes fixed on the prize.

Faith.
The substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. - Hebrews 11:1
How do you remain faithful when everything is falling apart? What happens when you are trusting God for specific things and you don’t see it happening for you? Humans have a way of looking at other people’s lives and wanting what they have. We often wonder why God hasn’t fully blessed us with our heart’s desires. But, are we truly ready for new blessings? Have we prepared ourselves for what we are asking God for?
While waiting on God are you doing your own thing? Are you holding onto past habits or toxic relationships hoping that God will still bless you in your mess? Faith requires you to let go of the cushion and comfort of your past. Trusting when you don’t see an end requires you to let go of familiar places, people, and things. Revisiting the past only hinders you from accessing your future. “If it didn’t fulfill you the first time -chances are it’s not going to fulfill you the second time.”-Zakiya
Here are a few points from tonight’s Konvo with Kiya:
1. Trust that there is better in your future than whatever you left in your past.
2.You can’t trust God with one foot in the door and one foot out.
3.We can’t stop trusting God just because we don’t see an end to our situation.
4.Remember God doesn’t give you any more than you can handle!

“Some people were not raised on love; they were raised on survival.” -Zakiya
“You cannot force someone to love you the way you want to be loved.” -Zakiya
“Love looks different for everyone.”- Zakiya
“Love evolves as you grow together in a relationship.” -Zakiya
What is love and can it be defined? Is it an action? Is it a feeling? Is it all of the above? Do you know love when you see love? Do you know love when you feel it? Can you receive love? Can you give love?
I have heard so many ideas of what people think love is. How it should feel? How someone should express their love. To be quite honest, I don’t think love can be defined. I do not think love looks the same for everyone and in every situation. I think the word love is often misused and abused. People use the word without understanding it’s depth. I am guilty of using the word and truly not experiencing the feeling. How does love play a part in our everyday lives? Our interactions? Our relationships? Our friendships? Do you lead with love or do you lead based on your need to survive? How does your childhood impact your ability to give and receive love? Are you transferring your inability to love correctly to others, your children, or your spouse?
Why is love so difficult to define? Yet, most of us desire to be loved at the highest level. That would mean being loved in a healthy way. 
Here are a few points from tonight’s Konvos with Kiya:
Love is open communication. How can you love someone that you cannot talk to?
As human beings we cannot task ourselves with the responsibility of fixing another person’s brokenness.
You cannot force  someone to love you in a way that they’re not capable of loving you.
It is o.k. to love a person from afar.

“You never know how important something is to you until it’s placed in jeopardy.”- Zakiya
“I have attempted to place people in boxes that they did not belong- then feel betrayed when they misuse my trust in them.” -Zakiya
Trust is defined as “the firm belief in the ability or strength of someone or something. Some people believe trust has to be earned. Others believe give their trust freely believing that once that trust is broken it cannot be restored. 
When trust is betrayed in any relationship, it leaves a feeling of emptiness. A hollowness in the space where you once held that level of trust in a person. What do you do when someone you admire, love, and have built a relationship with betrays your trust? Can you move forward? Is the damage repairable? Can the trust be rebuilt?
In this episode of Konvos with Kiya, join me as I talk through real life situations where my trust was betrayed. Through this conversation, I find myself navigating through very real emotions and finding myself in a space of not really knowing how to overcome my feelings of distrust. One thing that we must always do is remain true to ourselves. If trust is a necessity for you in all relationships then you must stick to your core principles.
Here are a few points from tonight’s Konvo with Kiya:
Do not compromise your core values to remain in a situation out of love.
If you decide to move forward and forgive you cannot constantly revisit the past betrayal. 
Everyone serves a purpose. Be mindful of the role you allow people to play in your life! Not everyone can handle every part of you.
It is okay to forgive; and move-on!