Episode 37: Different Lane, Same Direction

Jan 31

An interview with Keisha Polonio

Keisha shares her 'in-process' story of changing lanes vocationally in her 40’s. Keisha reminds ‘Olive Us’ NOTHING is wasted and changing lanes doesn’t mean starting over, it just means starting something new! ⁣

⁣⁣

Watch Now ⁣→

Listen Now →

The Seeds

Name: Keisha Polonio

Age: 42

Where do you call home:Tampa, Florida

Relationship Status: Married

Season of Work: Therapist

Hobbies: Abstract Art & Trying foodie things with friends

Jesus Journey: I grew up in a Christian household, so it always felt like Jesus was around me. But when I was about 6 or 8, my aunt started conversing with me about what it looked like to have a relationship with Jesus outside my parents. I remember committing my life to Him at that age. I was young, but I fully understood what I was saying yes to.

The Branches

Keisha, for the past 20 years you’ve served vulnerable people through your work as a case manager in Florida, been an advocate for sex-trafficked survivors, and a non-profit leader….here recently you completed YOUR MASTERS to become a pre-licensed Social Worker/Therapist what caused this shift?

In 2019 I left a nonprofit and community I had been a part of for over 15 years. You heard that correctly… a whole 15 years! And my leaving this community shifted everything. Maybe some of you know what that shift feels like.

I had worked for this nonprofit for about seven or so years in different roles but had served as a leader the entire time. I had gotten married, raised kids, survived cancer, flourished as a leader, and then realized that things were shifting instead of settling in my life. So it was time for me to pray and figure out what was next for me.

You decided to go back to school in your 40’s…many would find that scary, risky, and maybe even use the word “impossible” with a career, family, children, and other responsibilities. Was this you? What made you choose this NEW direction?

When I turned 40, I thought I would deeply know myself and be settled. And part of that was true for me. I felt and still feel a sense of clarity and purpose as to what the Lord is calling me to. He's calling me to continue to create and hold space for people to process and heal. So it didn't feel like a new direction; it just felt like an extension of what I was already doing. What was disorienting was feeling like I needed to start all over again. But I wasn’t starting over… I was starting something new. I had to make peace with this difference and make room for the new dreams the Lord was creating in me.

But don’t get me wrong… starting something new can be scary. Starting something new can be destabilizing. We're talking about school loans, getting back into a very old groove, pushing back on societal pressures that tells you it's too late, and being one of the oldest in your class. That's a lot to process, ma'am.

All of this might have felt impossible if this decision wasn't made along with my family. Because if this were going to work, it would have to be a family decision. Certain things would have to shift, and we would all have to embrace the new direction I sensed the Lord calling me into. God is doing a new thing, and we all had to take time, pray and attempt to perceive it (Isaiah 43:19).

Who supported and encouraged you to make this career shift?

My community supported me in this shift. My husband and my boys definitely were my greatest supporters, and my friends encouraged me in multiple ways. I received numerous texts, meals throughout the weeks, and support to ensure my kids got to and from school. They checked up on me and even allowed me to use them in school assignments!

Because we know NOTHING is wasted…how have the previous 20 years shaped you, prepped you, and prepared you for your new vocation?
Absolutely nothing is wasted! I was so nervous about returning to school, but it turns out I’m a better student than I thought. My papers were 100% better because I've written many sermons, grants, and thank-you notes to my friends. My past experience gave me the insight to know that I wanted to work specifically with communities of color. So, I centered many of my projects and coursework around the needs of these communities. I graduated with honors when I struggled as an undergraduate student because I learned how to take notes, study for tests, and create healthy boundaries. So many past moments helped me navigate this new chapter. Don’t get me wrong; it was a beast. But I was prepared.

We seem to make such a big deal about people changing vocation, paving new paths, or stepping into new dreams the older they get. It’s almost like we have these steps: #1. Go to college or trade school #2 Pick a major #3 Secure a job in that same field #4 Retire.

Tons of people in the Bible completely changed lanes and went in the direction God called them to go in. Some young some old. Some skeptical, some anxious, some confident…but the common thread is they ended up being obedient to the call to change direction (i.e. Abraham, Moses, David=Shepherds before they’re call to LEAD people instead of sheep/ Peter, Andrew, James, John=Fisherman before they’re called to LEAD fishers of men/Lydia: Entrepreneur to bankroller of Jesus missions…etc.) Why do you think we have such a hard time normalizing making vocational changes or really changes in general as a people?

We are socialized from a very young age to decide what we want to be when we grow up and stick to that decision. No one teaches us that our hearts are big enough for more than one thing. I know that I've struggled with that myself. I remembered someone saying they would be someone who had the same career for their entire life- “a lifer.” They made this statement with much pride, and I remember feeling shame because I was on my fourth job. Yet, God was weaving my experiences together to create something amazingly beautiful if I followed his leading. My story looked different, and I learned to embrace that difference.

I would encourage you to make room for your emotions, sis. Jesus can handle your fear, uncertainty, and all the questions. It was when I made room that I had more space to dream. And that little space was noticed by my therapist, who was one of the first person to encourage me to go back to school before I had even mentioned it to anyone other than my husband. Make room, y’all. And see what God does.

Some of us need to say goodbye to spaces that are hurtful or painful. Spaces where we are tolerated and not celebrated. Spaces that make us feel small. On your website you talk about your desire to see communities of color heal from racial trauma and break free from unhealthy traditions. For those that are not familiar with “unhealthy traditions” within communities of color or need some clarity on“racial trauma” brothers and sisters have endured, could you unpack this a little bit for us?

People of color endure racial trauma every day throughout this country. Sheila Wise Rowe, in the book Healing Racial Trauma, defines it as “the physical and psychological symptoms that people of color experience after a stressful racial incident …” and when it happens repeatedly, it causes “our racial trauma to accumulate, which contributes to a more insidious, chronic stress.” I deeply long to see individuals, family structures, and whole communities of color heal from racial harm. This is a work. And requires the power and presence of the spirit of God to mend the ways harmful European standards and white supremacist structures have influenced the ways communities of color see and value themselves. Sometimes people of color do not realize that these standards and systems are impacting them, and I have the honor as a therapist to help provide a safe and healing space to process it all and help them find rest and freedom.

For the Olive Us sister who is not a woman of color, can they be part of this healing process for their friends & colleagues who are? If so, how?

I would encourage these sisters to continue to grow in their ethnic identity so that this understanding of who they are will help them care for those around them.

At Olive Us we are all about the ‘in process’ story because it's RIGHT WHERE WE ARE. What has healing from racial trauma and breaking free from unhealthy traditions looked like for you? What is still in need of healing?

Healing from racial trauma looks like yelling into my pillow, crying when no one is looking, and being with those I love and who love me. It looks like clinging to hope when I hear about another mass shooting or police-involved death. But there is also more to process. More pain. More fear. More questions for the Lord. Sometimes I grieve, lament, and willingly make room for all my feeling so I can make room for healing. But other times, I resist. I bury my emotions deep to give myself a reprieve from the ache and pain. But my community, therapeutic, and spiritual directions spaces hold me accountable and keep me grounded. Pointing me back to Jesus, time and time again.