My dad modeled a strong work ethic and did right by people. He rarely said no to anyone who needed help. He showed me that I could accomplish whatever I set my mind to.

Neither of my parents went to college. I was the first person in our family to obtain a law degree. I had no real guidance as a young lawyer.

I want to see people healed and put on a path of recovery, living the lives they were meant to live. I want to see the community rise up and work together to create healthy families and homes.

I hope I will be thinking less of myself and my wants and more about Christ and how to serve others. I want to love others more and see them as God sees them. I long to sharpen the gifts He has given to me and use them for His glory at home, at church, and at work. 

What I love about my job is every day is different whether that is giving a tour of one of our clubs, working on a grant application, meeting with elected officials, attending an event by a community partner, etc.

One lesson I wish I had learned earlier is the power of envisioning my goals and using tools like vision boards to stay focused and intentional about the direction of my life. 

The person that was the biggest influence in my early life was my mother. She showed us a way to resolve conflict. She showed us not to let our emotions get away from us and stick to the facts. To know the direction of your arguments and stay on track. 

I would love to help lessen the confusion about what healthy, whole food looks like and help people take radical responsibility for their wellness so they get to live and love to their highest potential. 

My biggest obstacle has been my own insecurities. Imposter syndrome is real for me, but I have grown! I know I am exactly where the Lord needs me to be. 

Nobody can be you but you. Love yourself. I’ve had an opportunity to build on the image of who God says I am. We imitate people in our life, but just be uniquely you. 

I worked on healing myself, which helped them heal parts of themselves indirectly hurt through my own lack of parenting skills. I’m proud of where we are now. 

A friend once shared that if it’s not at least a little bit scary, it may not be worth doing, and some of the most rewarding times in my life have been those that took me completely out of my comfort zone. 

I would like to tell my younger self to listen more, judge less, slow down, and learn better. I don’t know if any of that would have changed my course, but it might have made life better for those around me. 

One of the proudest moments of my life was watching my daughter receive her doctorate degree, shortly after I had earned my own bachelor’s degree. In that moment, I knew we had turned our story into one of strength and success — not just surviving, but thriving. 

Every disappointment, every heartbreak, and every hard season carries a purpose, even when you can’t see it in the moment.

You are loved. There is no need to try so hard at getting others to love you. You are worth so much more than what you are settling for. You. Are. Loved. 

I think I’d tell myself to be patient and to trust myself. I didn’t trust my intuition as often as I should have. And I’d tell myself to invest early and often.

Young people think they must have a solution to their dilemma immediately. Patience is a valuable virtue.

If we talk to each other and learn from each other, we can solve things together. 

If I could have one wish it would be that everyone had access to a safe, clean home of their own with unlimited food to eat. 

I can’t cram any more into this person called Kathy Payne, so I’ll take what I have and hope to be better at it. I hope to be deeper spiritually, to listen more intently to those I serve, to love more deeply, and to be ready for the next big adventure. 

Our world is missing love. The most important command that we have been given is to love. It has been a struggle trying to meet this need — to just love.

Throughout it all, I learned that life is a blend of sweet and sour. You just have to take the bitter with the sweet, however it comes. 

I want women to know that they are beautiful, they are brilliant, they are resourceful, they are resilient, they are enough, and they are loved by God... and that’s all that matters.

And when I reflect on the challenges I’ve overcome to get where I am today, I can’t help but feel proud of the resilience and strength that brought me here. 

I want to be able to help more people see the true, the good, and the beautiful. 

The biggest obstacle at the present time is the awareness that my remaining time on earth is limited, yet I still have so many things I hope to accomplish. 

Despite a ton of trauma and baggage from my Evangelical upbringing, I still think Jesus is a good model. Although the teaching of love for our neighbor is found in many religions and faiths, the stories of Jesus give us some of the best pictures of how to do it. 

Obstacles will always come, but it’s my response that determines whether they hold me back or move me forward. 

My biggest obstacle is that sometimes I live too much in the present moment. You can dance with abandon and still have a damn good retirement plan.