.jpg)
BOOKS BY VERAUNDA JACKSON
"All I can say is thank you! Your book is giving me the encouragement and drive that I need to pursue my dreams!
Opening Statements of the Books Authored by Veraunda
CHAPTER ONE
THE OPENING STATEMENT
Question: What would make a twenty-nine year old attorney at the peak of her career walk out of the legal profession and never look back?
​
Answer: The POSSIBILITY!
​
Let me explain. “You don’t have to settle for anything!” And here is the kicker…you can have as much as you want! Prior, to November, 1999, all I ever wanted to do was be a lawyer. (Well, maybe have my own radio or television show.) I had both of those dreams come true before I was twenty-five years old. In college, I was a radio personality and a talk show host. At twenty-four I graduated from Law School. The next five years I had a very rewarding career as a prosecutor in Orlando, Florida. I loved my job!
When I tell people I was blessed, I mean it! I had a good salary, great benefits and moved up through the ranks quickly. So…why did I leave? One word: POSSIBILITY!
Don’t laugh! Here is the truth…One day I was driving on the interstate when I had the scariest thought/vision. It was short, but powerful. I saw myself on a stage talking to thousands of people. I started freaking out! I had just begun to write my first book, Everything Has A Price! I didn’t have three chapters written, didn’t know how I was going to publish it, or how I would sell it, but in this vision I saw the book selling like hot cakes from the back of the auditorium as I was speaking.
​
I had a hundred questions. How was this going to happen? When was it going to happen? Whom would I employ? How would I make money? You get the picture. I was scared to death and overwhelmed by the POSSIBILITY. Fear is powerful, but faith is awesome! For the next couple of days I played the “What if?” game. What if I don’t sell a lot of books? What if I run out of money? What if I leave my job for this great vision and don’t make it? (I never use the word fail!) About halfway through my “what ifs?”, I asked myself the ultimate “what if?” question… “Veraunda, what if you are successful?” What do you have to lose? What if you get on Oprah? What if you travel the country and become famous? What if you make a million dollars? What if you can make money doing what you love, and make a difference in lives across this nation at the same time?
​
I had a good point, if I must say so myself. What if I made it? There was a POSSIBILITY…A GOOD POSSIBILITY!
How, when and where I made it was up to me. Did I believe enough in me to make the vision a reality? Lawyers think a whole lot, at times I believe we think too much. We are taught to look at all the options. The first rule of a good trial lawyer is try to find the weakness in your case, then look for your opponent’s strengths. My analysis was short and sweet:
1. What do I have to lose? EVERYTHING!
2. What do I have to gain? EVERYTHING PLUS SOME!
That day, I knew my answer. After all, I had just finished writing half of a book challenging others to figure out what they were willing to pay for their success. Here was my opportunity to take it to another level. The POSSIBILITY of being an international motivational speaker and author could be a reality. But…I’d have to stop settling!
​
I would have to move out of my comfort zone. I would have to stop settling for the easy way out. I would have to stop giving up my dreams because they did not appear practical or realistic. I would have to change my thought process from contentment to desire. Sure, I had reached some of my goals, but I wanted more. Being a prosecutor for the government was great, but I could do and be so much more! Fear and anxiety kept me from getting it.
How many visions or thoughts have you had? What are YOUR possibilities? What if you make it a reality? What you have to lose should not be your focus…instead you should ask yourself what you have to gain. The possibility is out there, but you have to stop settling for where you are! Life has so much to offer you. The only thing stopping you from making your dreams a reality, is you!
​
The challenge I present in this book is for you to stop dreaming and start living your dreams! Start figuring out what it would take to make your dreams come true. I bet you it isn’t anything you don’t have or can’t get. So here is my formula for you:
Stop Settling! Dream Big! Work Hard! Then sit back and…enjoy the payoff!
"Millions of readers will be encouraged by this easy read that offers great insights for better living." Jewel Diamond Taylor, highly acclaimed speaker and bestselling author.
.jpg)
Testimonials
"I loved your book!" Coach Bill Yoast from the movie "Remember the Titans!"
"Insightful, inspirational. Veraunda's honesty moved me to make changes in my own life and to begin my journey of living my dream." Trudi Lacey - Former Head Coach for the WNBA Charlotte Sting
CHAPTER ONE
THE OPENING STATEMENT
This book is dedicated to all of those people who have tried and thought they failed. Life is about hurdles...the key is to keep jumping. You only fail if you stop trying. Each time you jump another hurdle, you accomplish something. You move further along in the race. Have you ever just taken a moment at the end of a hurdle to reflect on how far you have come, not to mention how many hurdles you jumped successfully? Well, I took that time not to long ago. I was amazed by what I saw.
​
I was asked to speak for Delta Sigma Theta's scholarship award ceremony one spring. I was honored by the invitation. However, I was troubled by the analysis the committee used to select me. My sorority sister called me on the phone to inform me I was selected to be the keynote speaker for the Minerva awards. She proceeded to tell me I was chosen because I was a young prosecuting attorney and a college professor. I was a "success." I was someone who could inspire the young people. Interesting! When people looked at me, what they saw was someone who was "successful." My opening statement of the speech expressed my thoughts on the matter:
​
A wise man once said that success is a journey, not a destination. Many people see me as a black, twenty-eight year old Assistant State Attorney and an Adjunct Professor. People appear to be impressed by my credentials. When I look in the mirror, I see something very different...I see that God is a great and a merciful God. He has brought me a mighty long way. I see a person who spent nineteen years in school, a person who studied diligently. I see a person who is paying over $70,000 in student loan debt to be where she is today. When I look in the mirror, I see a person who was, and is, willing to pay the price. Young people...Nothing is free! Everything has a Price. The question I want to ask you is simple: Are you willing to pay the price for your success?
The standing ovation at the end of my presentation brought tears to my eyes. Members of the audience approached me asking why hadn't I published my story. Truthfully, I wasn't sure. There were several speaking engagements that followed. Each time, I was approached about motivating others to be willing to pay the price. Finally, I sat down at the computer and said a prayer. The result is this book.
​
I can not express in words the strength that overcomes me each time I look back. I realize having the strength to survive is what gives me the power to succeed. I also realize that EVERYTHING in my life has had a cost. The question has been how much was I WILLING TO PAY FOR IT!
I have chosen to share some of my hurdles with the hope that they will inspire you to pursue your happiness. I encourage you to reevaluate where you are on your journey. Are you measuring your success by material wealth or social status? I challenge you to find yourself in each chapter. Finally, I invite you apply the lesson in each chapter to your own life. Believe it or not, the same strength you depend on for survival gives you the power to succeed!
Stop Settling! Dream Big! Work Hard! Then sit back and…enjoy the payoff!
"All I can say is thank you! Your book is giving me the encouragement and drive that I need to pursuemy dreams!"
Testimonials
"Thank you so much for your story! Keep telling it! Keep encouraging us! We need you! "
"Your writing expresses how the average person feels, but sometimes we don't know how to put it into words! You have been created for the express purpose of exhibiting God's caring touch!"
Testimonials
"I met you at Books- A- Million and bought your book. Since then I have enlisted in the Army as a medical lab technician! Thank you Veraunda for your compassion, sincerity, and wisdom. I pray that you continue to encourage others, especially men, on making it in the world. I am truly thankful to have crossed your path."
"I would like you to know that your book has been such an inspiration to me. You are a dynamic individual, and even though I don't know you personally, I feel as if I have found a great role model and mentor!"