keep seeing good, even when it costs you.

These days, I call myself a woman who sees good. A woman who will invest in it, even at a loss.

The vision is clear. So is the mission. We find emerging entrepreneurs in Africa and pair them with youth entrepreneurs in St. Louis, so both sides belong, both sides earn, and both sides build.

A Dream That Changed Names, Not Shape

Decades ago, when we began, we had no clear mission or vision for this dream. We called it Sustainable Marketplaces for Health, and it failed. We called it Innovative Tools to Expand Testing, and still do, and it succeeded. We called it Light Magazine and the Light Institute, and only time will tell.

Today we call it Seeing Good, and every piece of the puzzle fits including our invitation to see Lagos, our birthplace in everything.

Maybe that’s because we did it our way. The Lagos way too with a small, wild but dedicated team. A library room for brainstorming. A community of trusted people. A high tolerance for failure. And a heavy dose of imagination.

The Storms Came

We expected storms, and there were plenty. Funding rejections. Phone calls that ended abruptly and left me crying. Silence from people we called our own. Gaslighting from people we just met.

Every storm these past few days and months was as stellar as it was profound.

The Stars Shone Brighter

Then the stars came out. I was reinvigorated by my academic father and his wife to keep dreaming big and as wild as an ocean. I did. My children’s godparents, and my Asia Shahada Mahogany Sudan asked what did I need and provided it themselves. By the way those are all Asia’s names, and that’s why she is my soulmate: when you’re named after continents, trees, and nations, life only goes up. My day-one people, my brother said we are there and literally came through.

All I can say is that dreams do come true.

The thing we knew in our hearts we could do our way never needed anyone’s permission or funding. It needed only a sheer desire to dream boldly and as wild as can.

The Story Has a Shape Now

We are investing in young people who have dreams, the same way so many people invested in us.

Here’s a fun fact. When I met my life partner, he dreamed of reaching 1,000 youth. I kept that dream in the place where I keep all my ideas.

On the very day my dearest Mama Ocha passed from this earth three decades ago, his dreams and mine too shape. That is why I will never stop dreaming. It’s why I will always be full of ideas, whether they bring storms or stars.

The Daily Practice: Keep Seeing Good

We don’t get to choose how our life ends. We choose how we live it.

1. See good. Name one storm from today, then name three stars that shone anyway.
2. Invest in a young dreamer. Give your time, a word, or a resource to someone else’s dream.
3. Gather your people. Reach out to one person who understands that the mission is bigger than us.

For me, it will always be seeing good. It will always be for young people, and always be surrounded by people who know we will fulfill the mission one way or another. To dream is life.

Keep this.

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AI was used for formatting. All words belong to the author, Juliet Iwelunmor.