Jamaica Was not a Failure!

Everyone said it was a failure.

We moved to Jamaica, downsized our home, pulled our kids out of school... and months later, we moved back home.

But here's what I learned: 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐬 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐟𝐚𝐢𝐥𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐮𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐛𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧, 𝐰𝐢𝐬𝐝𝐨𝐦, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐫.

In this episode, I get real about the move, the hurricane that hit right after we landed, and why coming home wasn't defeat ,it was exactly the reset we needed.

Journal prompts for you:
➤ What am I learning about trust, faith, or uncertainty right now?
➤ Where do I need more courage — and what's my first step?

I’m really glad you’re here.
With Love,
Melody ❤️

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Transcript

Welcome to Season 3

Melody Keel 0:51

Welcome to season three of Beyond the Ladder Episode One. Um, Jamaica was not a failure. For many of you, you know that um my family and I moved last year to Jamaica, and everyone was like, Why Jamaica?

Why We Moved to Jamaica

Melody Keel 1:06

And why are you doing this? Why are you breaking up everything and making this major life change? And so, just to make a long story short, I was just feeling unsettled about uh where we were and kind of a rut we were in. And we have a wonderful life. Um, I'm very blessed and I'm thankful for everything that God has given us. But I felt like He was calling me to like, it was like a shoe that didn't fit anymore. And I kept trying to wear it. Um, and it just didn't seem like it fit. And so Jamaica was a reset. And I didn't understand at the time when I was transitioning and getting us settled, um, moved, um, downsized, moved across the water, settled in there. Jamaica was intended to become the primary, Atlanta was going to become our secondary, and we were gonna go between the two. And it was just a great plan on paper. Um, and we got there and we started to settle in. And I'll be honest, it wasn't an easy transition. Um, new place, new culture, away from family and friends, away from everything my kids had known and was familiar with, um, include and me and my husband too. Um, we have lovely friends there, um, wonderful people. And so that made the landing softer, but it wasn't easy. But we were gonna give it a good year, a good valid try.

Then a Hurricane Hit

Melody Keel 2:22

Um, and then two months later, a hurricane hit. Just yes, you move to an island and you know that the possibility of a hurricane hitting is very real. Uh, but you just don't expect it to happen immediately after you get there and you're getting settled. So we were fine. Um, friends and family that we know there were fine, but it just changed the the atmosphere, the culture, the environment. It just shifted a bit. And so we began to um see some things and say, you know what, it it may be better if we kind of acknowledge that things change quickly and return home. And that's what we did. It wasn't a failure for me, but many on the outside looking in would say that was an epic failure.

Why It Wasn't a Failure

Melody Keel 3:05

She she downsized her home, she pulled her kids out of school, they moved to the islands, now they're back, they have to kind of reset again, and I wouldn't have done that. And I think oftentimes we miss what's in store for us because of the what-ifs um or a possible failure. Failure. In all honesty, it was the biggest blessing. It was exactly what we were supposed to do. It gave us a reset, it pulled us out of a very almost trance-like state of just wake up, go to school, go to work, come home, eat dinner, spend a little bit of time together, run all over the place and do all the things that we do. Uh, serve here, do church here, our organizations that we are committed to and we are members of, we go here and you just wash, rinse, and repeat. And you look up, and 10 years has gone by, and you realize the things that I'm focusing on and putting my energy into, is that really what counts? Is that what's moving the needle? Is that what um life is supposed to be for me and as a result for others that I'm intended to serve or help or all the things? So it was a reset and we're back, and um we're closer, and we just have a different perspective and a new trajectory that we would not have had if Jamaica hadn't happened. So, no, it wasn't an epic failure. It was a big risk, and it was a risk that was well worth it. Um, and so I want to encourage you that if there's something that is just unsettling to you and you're not sure what to do, then stop and figure out how to address it and begin to unpack that. And it doesn't mean it's going to necessarily be a move across the world or to the islands. Um, it could be something very small, it could be something very big. But don't let five years go by and you don't do anything about it and you just stay in the trance-like rut of living a life that may not fit you anymore. So um, if you have your journal um or you have a notebook or something, I'd love for you to kind of just think on a couple of things after hearing this. My story about a risk and a decision that we took as a family that had a very big change. It wasn't what it didn't turn out the way we intended for it to at all, but it was a blessing, it was a gift. And I'm so thankful that we were obedient and we took that chance risk. Um,

Journal Prompts for You

Melody Keel 5:35

so I think the first question you can ask yourself and and write your thoughts down about it is what am I learning about trust, faith, or uncertainty? Is this season that I'm in meant to teach me something and not just be something that's hard or um uh a challenge or interrupting what I know is my daily life? Uh, what is this season really for? And what am I supposed to learn from it? And then another question you could ask yourself is uh where do I need courage right now? What am I afraid to do that I that keeps coming to me over and over and over again? And I just won't take that first step because I'm just afraid of the outcome or the risk or what people will say about me if I do it publicly. And that's real. I think that holds many of us back. It I definitely have struggled with it and had to lean in um to faith and and asking God in my own prayer life, what what does this mean? What do I need to do? And sometimes the end result is I don't I don't hear the answer. I just have to step out in faith. And and it you won't necessarily always be able to write it down plainly. You just have to take the steps, and then it comes to you with each step. You're you're given the map on what you need to do. So think on that. What do I need more courage in? What am I fearful about or afraid um to try? And then um make a target, understand what that might be and what the first steps could be for you to take towards that. Um, it gets it gets it gets more um, I would say with thought and a and a just a little bit of time to think, which a lot of times we don't even give our time ourselves time to think on things. Um you begin to get clarity and the fear starts to minimize and the courage starts to get bigger. So I just want to leave you with that today. Take a risk, um be courageous and not stay in the trance-like rut of just sticking to what you know and what's safe, because it it may have been a challenge for you to get there and build the place where you are now, and it was a journey. But then I believe that we also have to continue to go into spaces and places that are unfamiliar and may stretch us and give us a learning curve because that's how we continue to go. So I hope you enjoyed today's episode and um that it's encouraging to you. Our new website, go beyond the ladder.com. Um, you can join our community, which I'm very excited about. Um, and this community is for everyone who is in their careers um and just needs a community that can help with leadership development, mentoring, and just a space where you have colleagues and peers. Um, and I have plans to bring in um guest coaches and experts and all the things that will help us go beyond the ladder. So I would love for you to go there and um join the community. It's free. And also, we'll be opening up an accelerator program, and I will share more about that in the coming weeks. But I'm just really looking forward to connecting with you beyond these LinkedIn streets.